Batty facts The UK has 18 native bat species; 17 of which breed here. UK bats are one of the most endangered wildlife species. The loss of roosting sites, along with a crash in the insect population and night-time light pollution have all made it harder for these night-flyers to survive. The most common bat …
You don’t have to wait until spring to scatter seed balls however. Autumn is a great time to get to work on your own wild flower patch. It’s also a lovely time to be out in the garden. The light is soft, it’s often still warm and everything takes a deep breath after a summer of frenetic activity.
Here are three of our favourite wildflowers, that you might find blooming in the summer month of August Teasel – Dipsacus fullonum We love seeing a teasel, it makes a stately specimen in a garden or in the wild and can grow over 5ft tall. The strong stem often has many branches, each topped with …
This year’s Big Butterfly Count begins on 14th July, and is the largest public conservation survey in the world! Run by our friends at: Butterfly Conservation. Natural Indicator Butterflies are a fantastic indicator of the natural environment around us. Meaning environmentalists and conservationists can gain lots of important information from the data collected by this …
In 2013, after reading the 2012, Plantlife report: Our Vanishing Flora, which highlighted the staggering loss of British wild flowers since Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953; King Charles III, (formerly HRH The Prince of Wales), joined forces with The Wildlife Trust, Plantlife and the Rare Breeds Trust; to pledge the restoration and creation of 60 …
“We can think of nothing better to help make the world a better place, than cultivating your garden. Someone who grows a garden, to help nature, is personally doing the important work of improving the world. Never underestimate the power of such a seemingly simple act” Ana & Emily Seedball Founders Seedball is again supporting …
Organised by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), the first week of May, is all about raising awareness of the problems faced by UK hedgehogs, and what we can all do, to make a difference. Naturally, we thought this the perfect time to think about how we can make our gardens a little more hedgehog-friendly. © iStockphoto.com …
April is here – and with it comes the start of the wildflowers! This month really brings us joy as wildflowers begin to emerge in earnest. And, it’s the perfect time to plant wildflowers too! We’ve popped some info below on some of the ones you might spot at this time of year. Daisy (Bellis …
Let’s LOVE wildflowers this valentine’s! At Seedball we’re all about the ‘birds and bees’ this Valentine’s Day, here’s what you can grow to share the love with wildlife that can be found in your garden. It’s time to think about planting up your garden to give wildlife a valentine’s day that lasts all year. Think …
Yikes, unfortunately we have run out of bags but please do check again soon as we will have more available in the next few weeks. Time to rewild our schools and fill 2023 with wildflowers! We hate waste, and post Christmas, we have lots of wildflower odd balls! Not round enough to make the grade, …
Wildflowers to look out for in September, include the mauve pincushions of Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis). Interestingly ‘mauve’ is the French name for ‘mallow’. The dark pink flowers of Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) can be found now along with the paler sweet scented Musk Mallow (Malva moschata) are blooming now too. Common Mallow The scrambling purple blooms of Tufted Vetch (Vicia …
Grab your FREE Oddballs for schools this Autumn, an important time in the wildflower calendar! Autumn is a great time to sow wildflowers, because it replicates the natural life-cycle of a seed. And so, to celebrate Seedball are giving away bags of Oddballs to schools (while stocks last). All you need to do is cover postage …
The midsummer month of July brings us wildflowers that take a little longer to get going but can last until the autumn, providing pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies. Knapweed also know as ‘hardheads’, will be revealing their tufty purple petals from within their sturdy buds.Scented Meadowsweet will be enticing pollinators with its frothy flowers and …
Wildflowers really begin to come into their own this month! Cowslips and bluebells will likely be finished blooming, and most of the flowers that began emerging in May will continue flowering throughout June and often right up until the end of the Summer. Keep on deadheading your wildflowers and they’ll keep on giving! You can …
Wildflowers are notoriously tricky to grow which is why we try to give them as much help as possible! In a natural setting wildflower seeds can stay viable for many years and only burst into life when the conditions for that particular seed are just right. Not all seeds scattered at any one time will …
The Very Amateur Naturalist Nick Ostler is a scriptwriter by day and a wildlife obsessive also mainly by day. Instagram @theveryamateurnaturalist Twitter @theveryamateur1 All images and words © Nick Ostler Confession time I never used to bother trying to identify butterflies. Every time I crept close to one it would fly off before I’d had …
