A Metre Square
for Wildlife

ALet the lawn grow

There are likely to be several plants already growing in the grass but they often get cut down before they have a chance to flower.  Allowing the grass to grow over the course of the summer and mowing in the autumn after the plants have flowered is one of the easiest ways to attract insects and other animals. You may already have Clover that produces nectar for bees, Yarrow which is beneficial for beetles and lacewing, Knapweed that attracts moths and hoverflies and Ribwort Plantain whose seed heads are good winter food for the birds.

You may want to mow around your long grass area or cut a path through it. This makes it look more intentional and tidier. Try planting spring bulbs in the grass to extend the availability of nectar. You might also like to add some plants that you’ve sown in pots such as Oxeye Daisies and Self Heal. Yellow Rattle is the ideal meadow-maker because it suppresses grass growth and provides space for other plants to flourish.

Finally, many wild flowers grow best on poor soil so it is advisable to rake off the mown grass after a few days. Raking also scratches the surface of the soil allowing further seeds to germinate.

CGrow insect friendly flowers

This is a win-win solution because we all love colourful flowers and so do the insects. You can grow them in a small space just as successfully as a large flower border. However, choose a site with enough sun for the plants you select. It’s important that the flowers are open for pollinators such as Bees, Butterflies and Hoverflies. Daisy shaped flowers allow for easy access to their nectar, but so also do bellflowers such as Foxgloves and highly scented plants like Lavender.

It’s important to provide a range of plants that flower at different times, with a plant such as Lungwort providing nectar as early as February; Verbena bonariensis throughout the summer; and Sedum attracting butterflies late into the year.  Don’t cut down your flowering plants too early, that way you leave some seed heads for birds and stalks for insects to overwinter in.

If you want to sow a magnificent display of wildflower annuals, then a flower bed provides the weed free rich soil they thrive on. If it’s in a lawn, then remove the turf first. They won’t produce the same show the following year, but collect the seed on a dry day and store it in envelopes to plant the following year. Sow annuals such as Corn Marigold, Corn Cockle, Cornflower and Poppy. These will need plenty of sunshine.

Watch a video about the insects that are likely to visit your flowers:

EPlant up a large pot or window box

It’s surprising what will visit even a small clump of flowering plants. Your window box or pot may be an important link in a chain of sources of nectar for flying insects, including Bumblebees, Butterflies and Hover flies. If you’re growing in a small space, you’ll need to use good quality peat free compost and provide drainage at the bottom of the container.

You might like to grow herbs, which will feed you and the insects. There are some really pretty variegated and unusual varieties of plants such as Thyme, Marjoram and Mint. Nasturtium and Calendula are also edible and both have beautiful flowers that attract insects. Try and choose plants that will give a long season of flowering and don’t forget to water the container if there’s a drought. Putting a mulch of gravel or bark around the plants will conserve water, as will installing a water butt.

GDig a mini pond or bog area

Ponds are vital for wildlife and not just for aquatic animals. They provide drinking water and bathing opportunities for the animals that visit your garden. Ponds don’t have to be large. Dig a hole at least 30 cm deep in your metre square and line it, holding down the sides with stones. Make sure you have at least one gently sloping side, like a beach, so that wildlife can easily get in and out.

Your mini pond will need oxygenating plants like Curled Pondweed, Spiked Water Milfoil and Water Violet. Aim for 2-3 plants per square metre, and you’ll find a list of recommended plants (and plants to avoid) on the Sussex Wildlife Trust website.

Let the grass grow long around the edges or add marginal plants like Marsh Marigold to provide plenty of shelter for wildlife. Some aquatic animals need to leave the pond and you can ensure they can do that by placing a log in the water against the edge as a platform.

Further details from the Sussex Wildlife web site: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk 

If you can’t have a pond, then create a mini bog garden. You will need to ensure that the area doesn’t dry out, so choose the wettest part of your outdoor space.  Dig a hole at least 45 cm deep and line it with an old leaky liner or polythene that has a few holes pierced in it. Put gravel at the bottom before returning the soil. Plant moisture-loving plants such as Purple Loosestrife or Meadowsweet for height, and low-growing plants like Creeping Jenny and Water Avens. Your Bog Garden will attract insects to the flowering plants and amphibians to the damp soils.

IMake a compost heap

This is another of those win-win projects. It may not be the most beautiful choice for your metre square, but it will be a favourite living space for many bugs and if it’s an open heap, a feeding ground for hedgehogs, birds and other animals. Your compost heap will also turn green waste that you want to get rid of into nutritious compost or mulch for the plants.

If the heap is in a shady area it will take a bit longer to work, but you can aid the process by turning it with a fork every week. Making really good home-made compost is an art and you may like to watch a video to learn more about it. The answer, as you’ll see, is to get a balance between the ‘green’ and the ‘brown’.

You can use most kitchen scraps, except meat, dairy and cooked products. Other ‘greens’ include grass cuttings and garden weeds (except the pernicious ones such as Bindweed). To balance these add ‘browns’; old cardboard, dried leaves and small twigs.

You can either make your compost in a bin or construct an open compost heap from wood (another use for those wooden pallets). Whichever you do, it is best to have the bottom open to the soil so that worms can help to do the work of breaking down the soil.