Wildlife Friendly Garden Competition

16/10/2026

16/10/2026

Reminder.

16/10/2026

People benefit from trees too!

15/10/2026

Don't be too tidy this autumn! Wildlife need shelter over the winter

October is the month to let the garden get a little wild for the wildlife who need it most 🦔

From feeding to creating habitats, here's what you can be doing for wildlife in October.

🍎 Leave windfall apples where they land. Redwings and fieldfares may feast on them in bad weather, and late-flying butterflies and insects can feed from them too.

🪵 Make a habitat pile in a quiet corner. Logs, twigs and garden debris create dry, undisturbed winter shelter, with damper spots for amphibians and drier places for insects and small mammals.

🌳 Plant bare-root trees and shrubs for long-term wildlife value. Holly, guelder rose, rowan and hawthorn offer berries, while birch and hazel are favourites for invertebrates.

🌷 Plant spring-flowering bulbs now for hungry bees later. Crocus, snake’s head fritillary and grape hyacinths can provide nectar when bumblebees emerge from hibernation.

🪱 Mulching with leaves replicates the natural cycles you would find on a woodland floor. Leaf mould is a fantastic resource that will increase worm activity in the soil, as well as provide habitats for critters such as centipedes and beetles to hide.

For the full October wildlife gardening checklist, read the article here: https://bit.ly/4isFDKP

15/10/2026

Nearly time to start feeding the garden birds, this is the RSPB's latest advice

Disease can be a serious threat to garden birds, so we want to help everyone to do the right thing when it comes to putting out food. Simply follow our two tips – feed seasonally, feed safely – outlined below. Or keep reading for more detailed advice and answers to some frequently asked questi...

10/10/2026

Evening primrose is one of the best plants for supporting night-time wildlife! When grown alongside ivy, nicotiana and devil's-bit scabious, it can make a valuable contribution to garden biodiversity. Here's everything you need to know about it:

💛 Unlike most flowers, its large yellow blooms open in the evening and remain open for moths throughout the night. Highly visible in low light, they also produce a sweet fragrance that attracts night-flying moths.

💛 These moths, particularly hawkmoths, visit the flowers to feed on nectar and pollinate the plant as they move between blooms.

💛 Most British bats feed on insects rather than nectar. By attracting large numbers of moths and other nocturnal insects, evening primrose effectively creates a feeding station for bats hunting after dark.

💛 It supports numerous species of butterflies, provides pollen for both specialist and generalist bees, and its seed heads are enjoyed by birds during winter.

💛 Ideal for wildlife borders, gravel gardens and meadow-style planting, it's easy to grow from seed and thrives in a sunny position with poor, sandy soils.

Find out more about boosting wildlife in your garden by growing evening primrose: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/86498/oenothera-biennis/details

10/10/2026

07/10/2026

The first of our two FREE bat walks is on Friday 16th October. The other will be on Saturday 24th October.

06/10/2026

🐝 It’s Bulb Planting Time! Choose the best ones for pollinators! ✨

Early-flowering bulbs provide vital early-season nectar just as queen bumblebees and honeybees wake up.

You don't need a lot of space - one good sized pot is perfect - just plant different bulbs in layers, starting with large ones like daffodils at the bottom and small ones like crocuses at the top. Just alternate a little compost with some bulbs until your pot is full.
Finish off with some violas or winter pansies for a bit of extra colour if you like.

Here are some top bulb choices to keep the pollinators happy :
💜 1. Crocus
Blooms from February to March, offering an essential, easily accessible early food source for queen bumblebees and honeybees.
💛 2. Winter Aconite
Produces bright yellow, buttercup-like flowers in late winter, providing a lifeline for early emerging butterflies and bees.
💙 3. Siberian Squill (scilla)
Erupts in vivid blue, star-shaped flowers early in the season. These are highly vigorous and naturalise beautifully in lawns or under trees.
🍇 4. Grape Hyacinth (Muscari)
Yields dense spikes of blue or purple bell flowers in mid-spring that act as absolute magnets for solitary bees and hoverflies.
🎨 5. Iris reticulata
Offers neat, dwarf purple and blue blooms with intricate yellow markings in late winter to early spring, perfect for long-tongued bees.
🧄 6. Alliums
Provide large, striking spherical purple globes in late spring and early summer, creating a grand finale that feeds a massive variety of bees and other insects.
________________________________________
⭐ Top Tips for Pollinator Planting Success:

• Avoid Highly Bred Hybrids: Choose unhybridized species (like species tulips or wild daffodils). Heavily bred double petals physically block bees from reaching the pollen and nectar!
• Plant in Autumn: Place your bulbs in the ground between September and November, at a depth roughly three times the size of the bulb.
• Create a Succession of Blooms: Mix early, mid, and late-flowering varieties together so your garden provides a continuous, uninterrupted food supply.