Making space for nature

I finished the last post with a few thoughts about making space for nature.

One person in Paddock Wood had done just that in her garden. In fact she has done such a good job that she has won local wildlife gardening awards every year for the last six years and even won the best amphibian garden in Kent in 2014 !

What makes it all the more remarkable is that Becky lives in the middle of a housing estate (built in the mid 1960’s) and has only a small back garden measuring 15m x 7.5 m to create her wildlife wilderness. Isn’t that fantastic, that right in the geographic center of Paddock Wood, someone has taken the time to say ‘yes I want to share my living space with many other creatures, who have just as much right to live in my garden as I do’.

Providing welcomed food for a local hedgehog.

Becky has lived in her house for about 7 years and during this period she has dedicated her leisure time to improving her garden for wildlife, providing an aquatic habitat, warm basking areas for insects and other heat loving creatures, as wells as flowers a plenty and nooks and crannies ( both natural and man-made) for a whole host of mini beasts to call their home.

A home made mini beast shelter.

Amphibian Aquatics

Given the position and history of the garden, Becky has chosen to concentrate on improving her outdoor space for amphibian and water loving species. This includes a small pond, c. 1.25 m across, which has sloping sides and with vegetation providing cover and extending over the edges. There is ample aquatic and marginal vegetation. Frogs are regularly seen resting on the surface clinging to the aquatic vegetation, or amongst the vegetation surrounding the pond. In addition toads and small newt species are also seen in and around the pond throughout the year.

A small oasis.

Bobbing up for air.

Around the oasis.

 Space on the land

Away from the pond Becky has really thought about how to provide the amphibians in her garden with suitable resting and hibernation places, as well as feeding opportunities. There are stones piled up around the pond and a rockery providing refugia. Also there are log piles, tucked in under the ivy along the fence and a composting area, just for wildlife to use, in a shady corner of the garden. 

Even the water butt tops are utilised, as a space for for small insects to find a home !

Water butt world, a land for mini beasts.

As the photographs below show there is a mosaic of shade and warm areas spread throughout the garden, offering a wonderful variety of potential homes for many small creatures, which form the foundation of the 'web of wonder' which is Becky’s garden.

Both shade and basking spots.

Nearer to the house there is a small lawn & flower bed for butterflies and bees, a bird feeding area and an ivy covered fence to provide safe cover for birds and also hibernating insects.

A view from the patio.

Becky loves to just sit in the garden and watch all the creatures who share her garden, whether it is tiny mini beasts, her favourite frogs and toads, or the butterflies, bees or birds, which fly in to enjoy her garden.

Colour & calmness.

Creating wildlife reserves across the town

There is no doubt that many of us could do the same as Becky and together create homes for wildlife right across the town. Individual small wildlife reserves in each of our gardens, which added together would create an area which is bigger than the fields which surround the town ! What a super legacy to leave for future inhabitants of the town.  

It’s really not difficult and just requires the desire to leave a small amount of space for nature to thrive. As Becky says “There is a lot of trial and error in wildlife gardening and the key is to leave undisturbed areas. My garden is a good combination of well-designed and manicured, whilst at the same time being beneficial to wildlife”.

A birds eye view.

So could 2016 be a start of a wildlife gardening revolution in Paddock Wood? Let’s hope so, for as well as having a wonderful garden to relax in, we get the opportunity to get closer to nature; but just as important, so many creatures get the opportunity to share our living space and make it their own home.