No Mow May is a wonderful nature conservation initiative from Plantlife, all you have to do to take part is to not mow the lawn or any grass during May. As wildlife habitats are in decline with a loss of over 90% of wildflower rich meadows in the UK since the 1930’s, it is more important than ever to make space for wildlife in our gardens and urban spaces. We often over look grass yet it is an amazing plant that provides food, shelter and homes for a wide variety of wildlife as well as producing oxygen, absorbing carbon, preventing soil erosion, filtering water and breaking down harmful microb ..read more

Buttercups are bright and cheerful wildflowers that provide an important source of food for pollinators and other wildlife. With over 1700 species of Buttercup world wide these beautiful and prolific little wildflowers have developed many clever tricks to help them to thrive and survive in a competitive world. Buttercups are unique in having shiny petals that catch and reflect the suns light helping to attract pollinators. The petals have a thin surface layer containing yellow pigments which light passes through into a thin chamber of air. The starch in the air layer scatters the light and re ..read more

Did you know that gardening and growing your own food is good for your physical and mental health? Many studies have also shown that spending time outdoors in nature helps lower levels of  anxiety, stress and depression in both adults and children. It’s especially useful for helping children to calm themselves down and regulate their emotions. Gardening in particular releases stress reducing endorphins and helps with fine motor skills and cognitive functions (especially in adults with additional needs like dementia) , gardening also helps give you a sense of achievement which boosts self ..read more

Did you know over half of the worlds population of bluebells can be found growing in the UK? These beautiful, spring flowers provide an important early source of food for a variety of wildlife including pollinating insects like butterflies, beetles, bees and hoverflies. Some species of bee will even bite holes through the bottoms of the flowers to get straight to the nutrient rich nectar. Field voles also eat the bluebell bulbs, Muntjac deer can eat the leaves and ants will collect the seeds to take back to their nests so their larvae can feed on the nutrient rich seed coating. Ants play an im ..read more

As wildlife habitats are in decline it’s more important than ever to make space for wildlife in our gardens or around our homes. You can find a whole range of simple and easy ideas for making a home for wildlife in your garden below. Even if you don’t have a garden you can make use of a window box or doorstep plant pots to plant wildflowers or hang insect, bird or bat boxes from a wall, fence or window. 1. Let it grow wild One of the simplest things you can do is let areas of grass grow long and wild in your garden. Grass is an amazing and much over looked plant that provides food, shelter an ..read more

Daisies are beautiful wildflowers that provide an important source of food for wildlife. Pollinating insects like bees, butterflies, beetles feed on the pollen and nectar, earwigs and other minibeasts eat the petals and snails, slugs and mammals like rabbits and deer eat the whole daisy plant. Some species of bird even feed on the seeds. Daisies are part of the Asteraceae family of plants (which includes sunflowers) and although it can sometimes be hard to tell them apart there are actually an incredible 20,000+ species of daisy in the world. The name daisy comes from an Old English phra ..read more

There are over 26,000 cultivated varieties of daffodil but only one species that is truly native to the UK. You might be surprised to find that Daffodils are NOT good plants to grow for wildlife, most commercial varieties are so hybridized (cross-bred) that they are sterile, produce very little pollen or nectar or have lost some of the characteristics that attract pollinators. Daffodils are also toxic to most animals (including humans) as they contain an alkaloid poison called lycorine. The sap also contains sharp crystals of calcium oxylate called raphides. Slugs, snails, mites, flies and bad ..read more

Three-cornered leeks (or Allium triuetrum) are an edible wild plant that belongs to the Allium family of plants, which also includes onion, garlic, leek and chives. The whole of the plant is edible which means you can eat the leaves, buds, flowers roots and bulbs.  Three-cornered leeks are actually an invasive species in the UK, that were introduced in the 18th century, Invasive species are non native plants and animals that spread quickly and upset the natural balance of habitats and environments damaging or killing off natural populations of plants and animals in the process. It is an ..read more

There are over 26,000 cultivated species of daffodil but only one that is truly native to the UK. You might be surprised to find that Daffodils are NOT good plants to grow for wildlife, most commercial varieties are so hybridized (cross-bred) that they are sterile, produce very little pollen or nectar or have lost some of the characteristics that attract pollinators. Daffodils are also toxic to most animals (including humans) as they contain an alkaloid poison called lycorine. The sap also contains sharp crystals of calcium oxylate called raphides. Slugs, snails, mites, flies and badgers are s ..read more

Dandelions are beautiful wildflowers that provide an important source of food for pollinators. They flower early in the year long before any other plants. Bees, butterflies, and many other insects feed on the pollen and nectar, and caterpillars of butterflies and moths feed on the plants. Some species of bird even feed on the seeds. Dandelions are part of the daisy family and although it can sometimes be hard to tell them apart there are actually an incredible 240 species of dandelion in the UK alone. The name dandelion comes from the French word ‘Dent de lion’ which means lion’s teeth, becau ..read more