We’ve got a focus on preserving biodiversity at Better Century. Has anyone got recommendations of how you can do this around the house. Have you got photos to share of what you’ve done. Has anyone measured the impact of these measures?
Would be great to hear what people have done.
We’ve gone about putting bird boxes up, have left wild flower area in the garden and have a hole in our fence to help hedgehogs move around. Last year we found a hedgehog in the garden and we get tonnes of bees and birds, it really feels great to witness it around you.
If people are looking for things to do there is some useful advice on the Wildlife Trusts website here;
I’ll add photos at some point.
This is my first attempt at growing wildflowers. I scattered the seeds in February and raked them in. The area has flourished and there are 
a plenty. Area is approx 40ft by 15ft. There’s loads more buds waiting for the elusive thing we called summertime. I’m really surprised anything’s grown as we live on top of a hill and are very open to all the elements particularly winds
Uploading: 4250FAF2-6686-4849-B21D-BF1F56988552.jpeg… Here’s my wildlife pond which I created 3 weeks ago.
Hi Fiona,
Thank you for sharing. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust are just starting its journey on encouraging more people to do some wildlife gardening, especially in their front gardens. It is a shame that you were told to cut your lawn and definitely an obstacle that will come up as more and more people try to do some wildlife gardening.
Would you be able to share more of your thoughts on and responses to the matter? This way, we may be able to help people in similar situations.
Hi Fiona, From the photos you appear to have allowed your existing grasses and garden plants to grow longer rather than replace them with true wildflower species. Your soils will probably be very fertile. Very fertile soils tend to benefit grasses and stronger plants. Wildflowers benefit from more impoverished soils which reduce the growth of stronger plants, reduces their height and density and give the wildflowers better opportunities to come through. I am of course unable to see your garden and there are many possible ways of doing this but I have a couple of suggestions that could help. If you mow the edge of your flower areas regularly you show you are managing the “meadow”. It is normal to try and reduce fertility by mowing off the growth 2 or 3 times a year outside of late spring and summer, but reducing the time when the plants and grasses grow between cuts. Also take the arisings away so that the nutrients do not go back into the ground. This could take 2 or 3 years. By doing so the height of plants would be lowered and flora composition should gradually change. Some of the plants would not be suited and you might consider taking out some of the more dominant plants unsuited to a meadow. For this approach you would need to be patient and need to read up more on how to manage and adjust your “meadow”!
As it’s spring animals are moving to find mates. A great tip at the moment is to make sure there is some access into your garden through holes in the fence.
I’ve found a few holes underneath the fence where animals are moving through. If you haven’t got these do make your own. Here’s a step by step guide from the RSPBs website.
