Our HUGE garden project. Ideas on wildlife friendly plants and garden tips please

ixwood

What about a hedge instead of a new fence? Much better for wildlife and nicer to look at. Netto have 5 hedge plants for £1 something at the moment.

ixwood

lol, yes, really this time.

blue_monkey_2

LOL, thanks for being honest, I was not sure after last time!

Thanks for the link on the folding doors BTW, they are fantastic, I am not sure we have a big enough space for them but I'll certainly bear this in mind for next year so it is something to consider.

blue_monkey_2

ixwood wrote: »

What about a hedge instead of a new fence? Much better for wildlife and nicer to look at. Netto have 5 hedge plants for £1 something at the moment.

The dogs keep on getting through and people walk their dogs in the meadow behind the house. There are hedges, branbles and trees there already (around 8ft deep) but it does not stop them and we've had so many dogs in the garden as they get through it. One came into the garden and attacked my cat in my kitchen last year, it just came in and lucky I saw it so I was able to close the kitchen door and it not get to the kids or let it see the cat getting attacked. I am just really nervous of dogs, the owners do not even seen to care when the dogs have been in the garden for 10 minutes and just carry on walking. The dog that attacked my cat left and then took my son's ball on the way out!! The owner did not even bat an eyelid, was in shock and just asked for it back. I really should have give him what for but I was shocked that it came into the house.

People moan about kids but dog owners can be just as bad letting their dogs run off. My neighbours lost her chickens to a dog that came through the fence and attacked them. So, I just prefer to have the fence for safety, that is why tbh. (mini rant over, sorry)

SAMHP_2

For attracting bees and butterflies, I would say wild marjoram (oregano) is even better than buddlia - also it spreads extremely quickly and easily and the pinky/purple flowers are a delight. We have planted some in our cottage garden just outside the front door and every morning in the summer you literally walk through clouds of butterflies and little honey bees.
Sam

amcluesent

I guess standard advise for a long garden is to make a series of 'garden rooms', with the walkways and dividers zig-zagged so you can't see the the whole length of the garden in one glance. How you use each 'room' is up to you.

You way want to a well screened area for compost/shed etc. A 'kitchen garden' for veg. A flower garden, one which minimises being overlooked by neighbours with seats etc. A childrens area for games, swing, slide.

ixwood

What about something like this:-

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-192234

ixwood

Your garden does seem suited to "rooms". Did you see any of BBC's "Wild about your garden"? It's a make over show but for wildlife. One of them they dug a huge pond in one section and then used the spoil to make a badger set in the last section. It was brill. They made a hide to watch all the wildlife from too.

Hedges can be made dog proof. You "layer" the hedges and fill in the gaps with branches pegged to the ground so they develop into new plants. Or plant a double layer offset so there's no gaps.

I think the sliding doors look great. I've seen them on telly and it really does get rid of the boundary and brings the outside in. They don't have to be huge. There's just no wasted opening as you'd get with patio doors. I want some!

Any updates on progress?

blue_monkey_2

Just a quickie - been clearing the old leaf letter from the old pond today and have found 2 smooth newts, maels I think. Yippee. And the fish are still in there. So that is good news. Will be back with some more later, plus the pics from yesterday and how the new pond is shaping up. It is very.... deep!! Thank goodness it is going to be completely fenced.

ixwood

If you don't mind me asking, why's there so much liner left over? There's loads of it! A liner that size must have cost a fortune, so seems a shame to not use it to it's full potential.