by Michael, aka Mr Plant Geek
If you’re looking to attract wildlife into your garden, but don’t think you’ve got the time, then think again! And, before you even start, I gotta tell you, you’re already in the right place, as the seedball is the very epitome of a wildlife shortcut!
I can’t emphasise enough the need to attract (and keep) birds, bees and butterflies in your garden. Wildflowers are a food source and nectar bank for a whole range of creatures great and small. Plus, wildflowers want for very little; so can often be established into poor soils, awkward little corners of the garden, and heart sinking areas of wasteland. Get those areas buzzing with colour for just a few minutes work!
In case you don’t know how the seedball works, it’s really quite magic! A bundle of peat, clay, seeds and cayenne pepper; each ball can simply be scattered outdoors where you want the flowers to appear. All the balls need to burst into growth is to become moist, the peat is the growing medium, the seeds are the flower producers, the cayenne wards off predators, and the clay keeps it all together whilst you ‘throw and sow’!
Create a buzz for bees!
The seedball bee mix is perfectly formulated for attracting bees to the gardens, thanks to the inclusion of 100% native plants. Those flowers are also single-layered and easier for bees to navigate to stock up on their nectar points, in bonus quantities! They also bloom nicely in sequence, which means the bees can have more than one meal!
A buffet fit for a butterfly!
Butterflies are such a joy in the garden, and are a safe and exciting attraction for kids to enjoy! Make something known as a ‘butterfly pudding’, where you fill a shallow bowl with moist sand, where the butterflies can have a drink and feed on the minerals. Choose the sunniest part too, so cover those awkward dry sunny banks with a tapestry of butterfly-attracting blooms!
Enjoy the beauty of birds!
Birds don’t just love berries in the winter, but they also like to devour ripening seeds from a whole range of wildflowers, so there’s no better reason to throw some seedballs into your yard! Help them make their homes too, don’t always tidy up twigs and leaves from wild areas of your garden, birds need these as decor for their homes!
Beneficial buddies!
If you’ve got problems with whitefly, blackfly or any other garden nasties, why not do your very best to attract other insects that will feed on them! A great example is ladybirds, who just love brightly coloured blooms, and merrily chomp away on aphids. So why not ban pesticides from your garden, and let the natural food chain do the work.
Michael, aka Mr Plant Geek, has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan. Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan.
