Anyone who has sat outside on a warm summer's evening and observed the spectacular aerial prowess of bats will appreciate just how fascinating these flying mammals really are. There are thought to be 17 species of bat in Britain. Although bats like the pipistrelle are still common place, bats in general have declined in recent years, and many species are now much less common than they were.  The Grey long-eared bat and Bechstein's bat are very rare, whilst the Greater mouse-eared bat is now thought to be more or less extinct in Britain. Bats are possibly the most endangered animals in Britain, and are protected by law.  There is much that can be done to help bats, both within the garden, and around buildings. All British bats eat insects and need a continuous supply during the summer, as well as a wide range of places to roost and shelter.

To encourage insects into the garden, wildflower meadows are excellent. Not only do the flowers themselves attract insects, but areas of unmown grass will attract insect larvae (see our wildflower meadow habitat box). Within the cottage garden, night-scented flowers are particularly useful - including plants such as evening primrose, night-scented stocks, or scented herbs such as lemon balm and mint.

As many types of insect start life in freshwater, a pond can also provide a major source of food for bats. In fact the Daubentons bat is often called the 'water bat' due to its tendency to skim low over a pond to pick up insects such as mayflies as they emerge from the water. Ponds will also prove to be a haven for a vast array of other types of wildlife.

The diversity of a 'woodland edge' were space and light combines with the shelter of tree and shrub growth will create an insect rich space, attractive to bats. Native trees such as silver birch, guelder rose and hazel are host to numerous types of insect. Before planting trees or shrubs, consideration should be given to what grows beyond your garden. There is evidence to suggest that many species of bat use hedges and other corridors of vegetation along which to travel. There may be opportunity to link up a hedge or other vegetation from surrounding gardens, to create a continuous 'shelter belt'.

Around six species of bat use cracks and hollows in trees for their main roosts. Mature and dead trees often provide suitable habitat but are unfortunately often 'tidied away'. Where safe to do so, such trees should be left standing. Potential roost sites can also be provided by training climbers using batons against a wall or fence. Good climbers to use include honeysuckle, dog rose, ivy and bramble.

Bat boxes can also provide another source of potential roost sites, although it may be some years before they are occupied. Similar to bird boxes, but with a narrow entrance slot (no larger than 20mm) underneath, bat boxes should be placed as high as possible (on a tree or building) and face south to catch the sun.  

Although bat boxes can be useful, most bats roost in either buildings or underground sites, and will return to these same places year after year, but will not use them all year round. Whilst all bats and their roosts are fully protected by law, building works, such as re-roofing, and loft extensions as well as the blocking up of old tunnels and mines can unintentionally destroy sites. All existing roost sites must be protected - old mines and tunnels can be made safe with specially designed grills that keep people out but allow access for bats. Bats will access buildings using existing gaps, and will often roost in the eaves, under hanging tiles, or wooden cladding rather than in lofts themselves. Any building alterations should continue to allow access points and places for bats to roost, and there are now a number of 'bat bricks' on the market which allow for this. These bat bricks can be used if you want to try and cater for bats in your house or on any outbuildings; although there is no guarantee that they will be found by bats.

Think of a flowering tree and often trees from exotic far flung places like the Caribbean or China come to mind. But many people don’t realise just how elegantly beautiful and perfumed native British trees can be.

This has been an exceptionally good year for tree blossom, with a succession of attractive flowers through the last couple of months evident in hedgerows and woodlands. It started with the early flowering Blackthorn in April, followed by the heavily scented Bird Cherry, and then masses of Hawthorn blossom and the large flat heads of Rowan throughout May. At present, Guelder Rose is flowering profusely together with the frothy aromatic flowers of Elder (perfect for making a refreshing cordial).

These flowers have numerous benefits for a wide range of wildlife, providing an important source of nectar for many pollinating bees, butterflies and other insects. The early flowering blossom of trees like Blackthorn are especially valuable as they provide nectar at a time of year when there are few other flowers around. Significantly, the flowers transform into berries in late summer and autumn, loved by blackbirds, song thrushes, robins, bullfinches and fieldfares.

Whilst each individual tree can transform a corner of your garden, the impact of blossom en-masse can be stunning.

All the native trees mentioned above can be purchased on our website . Planting now will ensure a beautiful flowery display for next spring-summer.

The warmer days of early May are an excellent time of year to spot reptiles basking in the sunshine. Reptiles are fascinating and beautiful animals - you can consider yourself extremely lucky if they appear in your garden. England is home to just three species of snake - the grass snake, adder and smooth snake - and three species of lizard - common lizard, slow worm and sand lizard. Some of these are extremely rare, for example both the smooth snake and sand lizard are only present in small areas of the country (mainly Dorset) and are concentrated within certain habitats (such as sandy heathland).  The most likely species of reptile you will encounter in the garden are grass snakes, slow worms and common lizards.

There is evidence to suggest that these shy creatures have declined over the last few decades, mainly due to loss and neglect of habitat. Whilst the likelihood of reptiles being present in your garden is increased by what surrounds your garden (for example, if you back on to woods, or a railway embankment), there are ways in which gardens can provide additional habitat for reptiles.

The provision of quieter, less disturbed areas with plenty of cover such as long grass and shrubs will increase the chances of reptiles visiting your garden. Features such as rockeries, old patios, or wood and rock piles which are located in a sheltered and mainly south-facing position will provide a perfect basking site for these cold-blooded animals. Corrugated iron or old sections of carpet or plastic sheeting are also good, because these enable reptiles to warm up undisturbed. You will also be surprised at what other forms of wildlife choose these spots to shelter!

There are two other features which provide good habitat for reptiles, and especially grass snakes, which are also excellent additions to any garden - a compost heap, and a pond. As an egg laying reptile, grass snakes need somewhere warm to incubate their eggs, and warm compost heaps often provide the perfect spot. Grass snakes are also excellent swimmers and are often found near water -  a pond will provide the perfect place for them to hunt for frogs, but will also provide you with a fascinating habitat attractive to a huge range of wildlife.

Our site backs on to both meadow, scrub, and extensive sand quarries, and we've been lucky enough to be regularly visited by common lizards who sunbathe on sheltered, south-facing areas where we've put a thick covering of straw mulch. We've unfortunately not seen any snakes yet, although adders have been spotted on nearby Rammamere Heath, managed by the Greensand Trust.

April is a very busy time for us at Hedge and Habitat ensuring that all our stock is in perfect  condition for sale for the main growing season. We have recently started to mulch all trees and shrubs in their pots with woodchip – not only does this prevent the need for weeding, but it also replicates the woodland condition in which many of our native trees grow in, and looks good too!

We have a number of fantastic new trees in stock for the coming year, including silver birch, which is a beautifully graceful tree with distinctive silvery-white bark, and holly, which provides fantastic nesting habitat for birds as well as a ready supply of berries during the winter months. We have also added wild pear to our ‘wild fruit’ shop page. The wild pear is a beautiful tree in its own right, with masses of white blossom in the spring, but also produces small edible pears in the autumn.

Furthermore we have been developing a new range of products – ‘Habitat Packs’ containing specific selections of plants and seeds - which will enable our customers to grow complete habitats in their gardens. Please check our website in the coming weeks for details of these packs.

April is a really interesting time in the wildlife garden and the wider countryside. With the longer, warmer days, there is a real sense of growth in the air. Highlights of early April include the masses of primroses brightening up hedgerows and roadside embankments (such as along the Woburn Road in our village), as well as the ice-white blossom of the blackthorn hedgerows. There is a greatly increased bird activity at this time of year, with birds such as thrushes, blackbirds and robins busy building and lining nests.  The green woodpecker is particularly notable in Hedge and Habitat gardens at the moment; making its presence known through its loud call of a rapidly-repeated “kew-kew-kew”. The green woodpecker is a bird of open deciduous woodland that surprisingly feeds more on the ground than in trees for beetles, moths, ants and grubs. It also has a distinctive undulating flight, a flash of yellow-green alternately rising and falling in the air as it flaps and then closes its broad wings.  It is also a fascinating time in ponds at the moment as tadpoles begin to emerge from frog and toadspawn laid earlier in the year.

Native hedgerows naturally provide shelter, sites for nesting, and a source of food throughout the year for a wide range of wildlife from tiny invertebrates to small mammals and birds. Moreover, hedgerows are an important part of our countryside’s heritage. Although ancient hedgerows do still exist in counties such as Devon or Kent, the majority of hedgerow planting took place in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as part of the Enclosure Acts. In the lanes that surround us here in Heath and Reach, the hedgerows consist mainly of hawthorn, and in particular, blackthorn. The branches of blackthorn hedgerows appear purple-red in the winter sun, and it provides one of the earliest spring flowering plants with a mass of snow white flowers.

Bare root hedging

Now is still the perfect time to plant a native hedgerow using bare root hedging. Bare root hedging is best planted between November and the end of February/early March, when the hedge saplings are still dormant.

1. Spacing

Spacing between the bare root hedge whips is a matter of personal preference, depending upon the number of whips and the required hedgerow length. We recommend as a rough guide 3-4 saplings whips per 1 metre.

2. Planting

Bare root whips can either be planted in a compost filled trench, or planted in a spade-depth slit and firmly ‘heeled in’. 

3. Mulching

We recommend adding mulch to the area around the newly planted hedge saplings to retain moisture and prevent the ground from drying out, but also to prevent weeds from establishing. Sources of mulch can include chopped bark, cardboard, black plastic sheeting, and weed free compost.

4. Initial Cut

Once all the whips have been planted and mulched we recommend cutting each sapling in half, or at least by a third. This may seem incredible drastic, but it will help each hedge sapling to produce vigorous and bushier growth from the cut, and enable quicker establishment of a dense, wildlife friendly hedge.

Hedgerow Management

Once established, hedgerows are tolerant of quite intensive trimming, and can even be coppiced (cut right across just above ground level). We believe hedgerows are best pruned in January or February which allows wildlife the opportunity to utilise berries and nuts throughout the autumn-to-winter period, and before new hedgerow growth in spring.

The most traditional (and best) way to trim a hedgerow is to ‘lay’ the hedgerow. This method of hedgerow management was originally used to stock-proof the field boundary, but also looks very attractive in the garden setting. It is also an extremely wildlife-friendly form of hedgerow management as it creates excellent nesting habitat.

Certain areas of the country have distinctive styles of hedge laying, whereby hedgerow ‘pleachers’ (main stems/trunks) are cut ¾ of the way across near the base, and laid over at a specified angle. Hazel stakes and ‘plashings’ (thin woven hazel lengths) are used to keep the hedgerow secure. The National Hedge Laying Society provides more information on hedgelaying, including details of hedgelayers in your area: http://www.hedgelaying.org.uk/index.html.

If you are interested in planting a native hedgerow we sell top quality bare root hedge whips, including hawthorn, blackthorn, beech, hazel and dog rose.

Like the rest of the country, Hedge and Habitat gardens have been covered by a thick layer of snow for some time. This has created a beautiful white scene.

Wintry conditions can be a difficult time for wildlife, especially if berries are covered in snow and ice, or the ground is frozen. Whilst we believe that the best way to provide for wildlife is through using plants, we would certainly recommend providing a supplementary supply of fresh water as well as fruit, sunflower seeds or unsalted peanuts, during the harshest weather conditions to help garden birds.

However, midwinter can be excellent time to watch wildlife – not only might more birds seek sanctuary in gardens, but it can be easier to spot wildlife which would normally be hidden in vegetation. We have seen more of the foxes that live across the field from Hedge and Habitat gardens, in a belt of woodland that surrounds a sand quarry. We have also heard the foxes a lot more at night – Christmas to February is the mating season – when the vixen can shatter the nightly season with unearthly screams. Unlike urban foxes, these foxes seem to be a lot more shy and wary, though the colder weather brings them closer to gardens.

With the first frosts of autumn almost upon us, now is a great time to make sloe gin. Sloe gin is a delicious fruity liqueur, and it is extremely straightforward to make - it's basically a combination of blackthorn sloes, alcohol, and sugar.

The sloes should be gathered after the first frost in autumn. Each individual sloe should be pricked several times with a small pin or needle. They should then be transferred to a large airtight glass container or bottle, filling up to halfway. An equal quantity of sugar should be added, and then the bottle should be filled with gin (vodka can be used as an alternative).  It should be sealed and left in a cool place away from direct sunlight for six months, at which point it should be strained (using a muslin or cloth) and re-bottled and sealed. After another six months it will be ready to drink!

Provided the ground is not too frozen or waterlogged, now is still an excellent time to sow a wildlife meadow. Wildflower meadows are brilliant for wildlife. They attract such a wide range of invertebrates, from butterflies and bees to grasshoppers and spiders. We would love to see all gardens – no matter how small – with areas of wildflower meadows. Not only can they look spectacular when in flower, but they are also great for low maintenance gardening – you mow less!

We’ve recently cut down our meadow area in the Hedge and Habitat garden. This is an annual occurrence that typically happens at the end of summer/beginning of autumn.

Creating your own wildflower meadow is easy! If you are interested in having one in your garden, the following provides some tips on how to do it. The most important thing to remember is that the poorer and less nutrient-rich the soil, the better.

Location

• Choose an area that receives full sun for most of the day
• Create a weed free bed on which to sow the meadow seed. If possible strip back and remove nutrient rich top soil to expose poorer soil. 

Sowing

• Sow the seed (link in here), taking care to get an even spread of seed, and water in well using a fine spray.

Cutting

• Cut the meadow at the end of the summer/early autumn, using either a strimmer of shears, before going over the area with a lawn mower.
• Rake the meadow area to remove clippings

We have wildflower ‘meadow mix’ seed currently reduced. Click on this page for more details….

We’re been monitoring butterflies and moths that have been visiting the Hedge and Habitat gardens over the summer. Butterflies, and especially first sighting dates, are often monitored because butterflies act as an important early warning system for potential changes in other species. If their numbers are falling, other wildlife will also be suffering.

The 56 species of butterfly in Britain and Ireland are under threat today from unprecedented environmental change. British butterflies have declined steadily for years, and the latest statistics show that wet summers have accelerated these declines. The main causes of many butterfly species' long-term decline include the loss of important habitats such as flower rich grassland and the intensification of farming methods. A lack of management is also causing problems in habitats such as woodlands.

Despite this, it has been a good year for painted ladies, millions of which have migrated to Britain from North Africa and Spain. These high numbers are due mainly to lush vegetative winter growth which produced ideal conditions for caterpillars. They undertake a remarkable migration, travelling in the region of 2,500 kilometers in as little as ten days.

Although we haven’t monitored first sighting dates, we do keep an eye on what butterflies and moths have been visiting. A selection of the species that have visited us are photographed below. They include (clockwise from top left): Painted Lady, Gate Keeper, Peacock, Small White, Comma, Meadow Brown,(inset) Ringlet and Orange tip.

Based on our unscientific monitoring we have certainly had good numbers of butterflies visiting the garden. We hope this is the result of our meadow areas of grasses and native wildflowers including Teasel, Oxeye Daisy, Field Scabious, and Common Knapweed as well as typical garden plants like Buddleia. 

There are many ways to help provide for, and attract, butterflies in the garden. In particular, butterflies will visit sunny, sheltered spots where there is a good supply of nectar producing plants. This could include primroses and bluebells in spring, through to oxeye daises, scabious, chives, mint, lavender and buddleia in the summer months. It’s not always essential but native wildflowers are especially good nectar plants for butterflies, whilst areas of meadow (including nettles!) will encourage the native butterflies to breed. Native plants and trees will also provide food for butterflies and moth caterpillars.

This blog entry is to mark the launch of our new range of native wildflowers now available nationwide – see this link for further details.

In order to further provide for the amphibians and a host of insect-life we've recently replaced our old pond with a better, bigger pond. Now is an excellent time to do it - its after the mating season, but there's still enough time for the pond to re-establish before winter. Our old pond was too small, had become overgrown, and the liner was cracked in several places.

The old pond has therefore been carefully removed - ensuring all froglets were rescued - and replaced with a larger, deeper and re-shaped pond using new butyl liner. As with any good wildlife pond we created gently slopping sides, two 'shelves' to provide areas for marginal planting, a deeper section to encourage newts, and a 'beach' area. To give this new pond a good start, some pond mud and water was saved and transferred from the old pond, and topped up with rainwater. This will provide a new source of pond life vital for its re-establishment.

We intend to periodically provide further blog updates to let you know how the pond is developing. So far the water has turned greenish in colour - a sign of a growth in algae due to high levels of sunlight and nutrients. This is quite normal for a newly constructed pond. We hope that once the vegetation cover increases the pond will 'settle' down.

We’ve always had a profusion of amphibians on our site – mainly frogs and toads but also common newts. These are all fascinating creatures that lend a hand in the garden by devouring insects, slugs and snails. Though much is written about amphibians at spring mating time, less is written about their summer movements.

The frogs on our site seem to leave the pond and surrounding area at about the same time each evening (9.30pm dusk – you can set your watch by it!) and tend to head in the same direction through our potted tree paved area towards our neighbours. Heading off to a known area of food or just a coincidence? They tend to back in the pond the next morning! We would be interested to know if any research has been done on nightly summer movement patterns of frogs? - we’re certainly aware that frogs have some level of ‘homing instinct’ in that they return to the same pond each spring to mate.

By contrast the toads seem to follow a different night time feeding strategy – a more solitary and stealthy ‘sit and wait’ exercise, often utilising an area of warm brickwork or paving.

Much less is known about the movement of newts, which in the summer months only become apparent when large stones or rocks surrounding the pond are upturned (and then replaced).  Although slow moving on land, newts are greedy feeders and will devour slugs, snails, worms and even other newts. However, they best observed in water, where they are extremely graceful and agile swimmers, often favouring quite deep water.

The local hedgerows have been covered in the creamy coloured sprays of elderflowers for the last month or so. Their beautifully fragrant flowers are one of the best sights and smells of early summer.

It’s still not too late to pick the flowers for a wide range of culinary uses, including sorbets, ice-creams, jellies, infusions, and jams. The flavour of the flowers is best captured if picked on a warm sunny day, choosing well opened, fresh flower heads. Our favourite use of elderflower sprays is to make refreshing elderflower cordial – so we’ve included the easy recipe below...

Elderflower cordial recipe

• Pick 20 or so elder flowerheads and place in a bowl with the zest of a couple of lemons and an orange, and approximately 1kg of granulated sugar. A heaped teaspoon of tartaric acid can be added if you want the cordial to last longer than a week.
• Pour over enough boiled water to cover them, and then leave overnight.
• Strain the liquid through a muslin (or clean drying-up cotton cloth!), and then pour through funnel into clean sterilised bottles.
• Dilute to taste with still or fizzy water.

Elder is also a valuable shrub to grow for wildlife - it’s fruits are available in late summer when few other shrubs are in fruit and are quickly consumed by a diverse range of birds. We’ve currently got some beautiful elder shrubs in stock.

It's an excellent time of the year in the Hedge and Habitat garden, with rapid and lush growth as a result of the long daylight hours.

A particular highlight at the moment is the wildflower meadow, which is in its 'early summer' state. The wildflower of the moment is the fantastic Yellow Rattle - an annual of grassy meadows and pastures, its semi-parasitic qualities means that it reduces the dominance of vigorous grasses. It is therefore an excellent flower to sow in establishing meadows. It also attracts a number of bumblebees including the buff-tailed, red-tailed, and white-tailed bumblebees.

Following the recent hot weather in late May/early June the Yellow Rattle flowers transformed from flowers to seed pods (calyx), which ‘rattle’ when ripe. Yellow Rattle was also called the 'hay-rattle' and was traditionally used as an indicator that a hay meadow was ready to be mown. However we won’t be mowing our meadow just yet...this will happen at the end of summer. We’ll be stocking Yellow Rattle seed in September (autumn is the best time to sow for flowers the following year) so that you too can sow this fascinating wildflower.

Overhead the housemartins and swifts continue their spectacular evening acrobatics - the housemartins recognisable by their lively chirrupy chatter, tumbling and swooping in flight, whilst the swifts effortlessly race higher and higher into the sky.