http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk en-gb hedgeandhabitat.co.uk 2012-2-5T00:00:00Z hedgeandhabitat.co.uk http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#109570 At Hedge and Habitat we have long promoted growing for wildlife in order to encourage backgarden nature reserves. In particular we have been keen to stress that giving wildlife life a helping hand does necessarily mean buying lifestyle magazine stuff such as the latest porcelain frog hotel or garish hedgehog feeder who is feeding the hedgehogs in the woods. Sometimes the biggest contribution that can be made to help wildlife in the back garden is doing things differently...letting the lawn flower in the summer months leaving nettles to grow behind the shed or starting a compost heap. None of these need cost a thing. To this end we have decided to manage our hazel trees by coppicing them. Coppicing trees cutting down to ground level has been traditionally practiced for centuries as a reliable method of harvesting wood. In the years following coppicing the remaining tree stumps will send up a mass of shoots which can then be coppiced and harvested themselves within 710 years. The v... 2012-1-3 12:29:58 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#107690 This winter Hedge and Habitat is campaigning to encourage the planting of native hedging in gardens to provide essential habitat for wildlife. With approximately 15 million gardens in the United Kingdom covering an estimated 270000 hectares more than all National Nature Reserves put together it is clear that domestic gardens have a huge role to play in catering for wildlife. Wildlife such as the house sparrow is in huge decline as we pave deck build and trampoline over ever decreasing sizes of garden. We want to reverse that trend. The native hedgerow is great for wildlife and is a complete ecosystem by itself. It can provide shelter for small mammals dense nesting habitat for birds and a bounty of berries and nuts in the autumn. With beautiful spring blossom and autumnal colours later in the year hedgerows form an attractive natural boundary better looking than any fence. Bare root hedging plants planted during the... 2011-11-28 11:36:50 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#101479 Whilst one of Hedge and Habitats main aims is to encourage the planting of trees shrubs and wildflowers to benefit wildlife these same plants will also provide a range of benefits for us humans In particular at this time of year many trees are beginning to develop their fruit which can be used for a wide range of delicious culinary uses. You do not have to limit fruitpicking to your own back garden plenty of hedgerows parks greens edge of playing fields in both rural and urban locations etc contain attractive fruiting trees and shrubs. We are all familiar with the picking of blackberries but there is a lot more besides to attract the forager. Beyond native fruit such as rowan berries hazel nuts and crab apple many of our fruiting trees are naturalised garden or orchard escapees often spread by bird droppings. For example there are stretches of hedgerow along the M1 motorway in Hertfordshire literally covered in fruiting apple trees please note we are not for a second advocating that... 2011-8-30 22:26:37 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#100857 One of the highlights of August are the bright orange to red berries of rowan. One of the first trees to produce berries in the calendar year they will attract many birds over late summer and early autumn including thrushes bullfinches and fieldfares. Although also known as mountain ash and often found in quite remote upland locations rowan is a fantastic tree to plant in the garden. Its slender form and fernlike leaves cast only light shade thereby allowing extensive underplanting. It doesnt grow too big reaching a maximum of about 7 metres after twenty years if left uncut. Rowan also produces frothy white clusters of flowers in May which are very aromatic and also attract a wide range of insect life. In terms of culinary use rowan berries are quite tart and bitter but can be used to make a rowan jelly especially if combined with crab apple which can be eaten with gamey meats. We currently hav... 2011-8-20 19:55:42 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#94991 The local hedgerows have been covered in the creamy coloured sprays of elderflowers for the last few weeks. Their beautifully fragrant flowers are one of the best sights and smells of early summer. Elder is a valuable shrub to grow for wildlife the flowers produce nectar that attract pollinating flies and beetles as well as swallowtail moths. The berries are produced in late summer when few other shrubs are in fruit and are quickly consumed by a diverse range of birds including blackbirds song thrushes starling and greenfinches amongst others. Weve currently got some beautiful elders in stock. Its still not too late to pick the flowers for a wide range of culinary uses including sorbets icecreams 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 elder... 2011-5-29 11:36:07 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#93717 Following on from the nest building in the previous update see below it is clear that a number of eggs have been laid and have subsequently hatched in the nest box the female Blue Tit has been busy taking caterpillars to feed to its young who can number up to 10 or 12. Blue Tits typically feed their young a diet of predominantly caterpillars. Interestingly Blue Tits are also quite fastidious in terms of cleaniness and always removing droppings from the nest. As a reminder this nest box was installed in January in the garden of one of our customers with the first nestbox update in February on this blog. We are certainly relieved that it has been so readily inhabitated However as reported in the previous update there are worrying signs that the nest box has attracted some interest from woodpeckers with some damage visible on the underside of the nestbox. If you are interested in installing your own nestbox we sell beautiful handcrafted and durable nestboxes together with an installat... 2011-5-11 23:18:34 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#91210 The pair of Blue Tits who showed interest in the nestbox from our last update below have been busy nest building within the nest box over the last month. This has been happening in distinctive stages. A week ago moss was being collected which is normally used to fill the bottom of a nest hole. Blue Tits also typically use dried grass dead leaves and wool for this purpose. In the last couple of days the Blue Tits have been taking feathers into the nest box a sure sign that the nest cup is being lined in anticipation for egg laying. Blue Tits usually lay a clutch of 712 eggs from midApril to early May laid at daily intervals. We are hopeful that this will start soon despite interest from an inquisitive Great Spotted Woodpecker... 2011-4-7 08:10:36 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#89795 Our plant of the month just has to be blackthorn. Its blossom is one of the real highlights of early spring covering hedgerows and woodlands up and down the country with a patchwork of minature icewhite flowers. Blackthorn is fantastic for wildlife. The flowers produce nectar for bumblebees and earlyflying Small Tortoiseshell butterflies. Its leaves are a source of food for the larvae of Black and Brown Hairstreak butterflies and for a huge range of moth caterpillars. Moreover its spiny and dense network of branches offer excellent protective habitat and nesting sites for birds and small mammals. Blackthorn is a shrub of colour. In addition to the early white blossom of March and the fresh green leaves of April blackthorn is covered in a mass of plumblack sloes in September and October. More subtle than this but just as rewarding are the reddishpurple stems exposed in the winter months. Blackthorn is part of our rural heritage it grows in abundan... 2011-3-21 23:33:14 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#87818 There has been lots of activity around the nestbox since we last posted. Although interest was originally shown by a pair of Great Tits it has been Blue Tits that have now come to the fore. There has been a pair of Blue Tits investigating the nestbox generally taking turns to fly in from nearby bushes perching on the nestbox entrance hole and then spending a minute or two inside the box before flying back to the bushes. No sign yet of any nesting material being taken to the box but we are hopeful that this will happen soon. The Blue Tit is a very familiar and widespread bird in Britain. Although it is a very common visitor to gardens it is chiefly a woodland bird spending much of its time in the tops of trees and nesting in trees with holes or imitating nestboxes. Their lively acrobatic behaviour is always a joy to watch More updates to follow shortly... 2011-2-26 11:24:46 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#87370 To mark the coming of spring and the end of National Nest Box week we have decided to undertake a regular watch of one of our newly installed nest boxes. We hope that it will demonstrate that our nest boxes when correctly positioned see blog entry on 28th October 2010 offer an attractive nesting site for garden birds. The nest box watch is taking place in the backgarden of one of our customers in Godalming Surrey who have recently purchased our blue tit nest box. This nest box has a circular 25mm entrance hole suitable for blue great and coal tits although it is not uncommon for other garden birds to use. The nest box has been installed approximately 10ft up the trunk of an oak tree. By the way this is not a fashionable hightech nest box camera watch nothing wrong with them we just wanted to undertake a less instrusive and more natural observation of any comings and goings. Update Within a day of being installed the nest box has already been investigated by a pair of great ... 2011-2-20 11:06:26 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#85795 Whilst for some people February is seen as a grey colourless time in the garden one plant that is at its spectacular colourful best is the hazel. During the early weeks of the year hazel provides a beautiful golden display of shimmering catkins guaranteed to brighten even the dullest of days. In our view hazel is one of the most rewarding small treesbushes you can plant in the garden. It perfectly encapsulates our ethos at Hedge and Habitat in terms of providing both huge value to wildlife and also productivity and usefulness for you. It is for these reasons that the hazel leaf forms the Hedge and Habitat symbol in the header above. The multi stemmed structure of hazel is beneficial to wildlife as this often contains an accumulation of leaf litter which provides great habitat for a range of small mammals. Within woodlands hazel is synonymous with the increasingly rare dormouse which tends to build its nest in hazel. If a ... 2011-1-30 23:17:13 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#83294 The current widespread wintry conditions make for an excellent excuse to get outside and watch wildlife which is often easier to spot and more brazen when the ground is covered in snow. Many of our local lanes and footpaths provide fantastic opportunities to safely observe wildlife within above and on the edge of working sand quarries. These surround the Heath and Reach and Leighton Buzzard area and are indicative of the location of greensand. The quarries are an integral part of the local landscape and together cover a vast area. Although places of industry these quarries make for excellent wildlife habitat because they provide a variety of habitats ranging from open sand cliffs and terraced grassland to hedgerow and scrub. The type of habitat is largely dependent upon which parts of the quarries are still active and the level of vegetative regrowth following quarrying. Furthermore because quarries are privately owned areas of land an... 2010-12-23 23:21:16 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#79015 Whilst we believe that planting is the best way to create habitat in the garden nest boxes have a role to play in providing additional nesting and roosting sites. Moreover nest boxes can enable you to enjoy your own springwatch watching birds produce their young but can also be installed in locations where there may not be existing tree habitat. Autumn is an excellent time of year to put up a nest box. Not only will it be a useful roosting site for birds during bad winter weather but it will give birds a chance to become accustomed to the presence of a box prior to the breeding season in spring. We have a fabulous new range of nest boxes for sale open fronted nest boxes that are suitable for robins and pied wagtails and nest boxes with small entrance hole for blue tits coal tits and marsh tits. There are a few things that can be done when installing next boxes to increase the likelihood of them being used 183 ... 2010-10-28 22:19:22 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#76126 September is a wonderful time of plenty in the hedgerows and woodlands with a wide range of plants providing an array of colourful berries. Having a variety of native hedging trees also illustrates the succession of berry production. Particular highlights include the orangered berries of rowan first produced in late summer through to the vibrant translucent red berries of guelder rose of early autumn the shiny black sprays of elderberries the widespread haws of hawthorn which can last through to winter and late autumn blackthorn purpleblack sloes. All these berry producing trees including our popular berries for bird tree collection are available to buy from Hedge and Habitat either as pot grown trees or as bare root hedging . Together the berries they produce can attract a multitude of birds including blackbirds robins thrushes fieldfares and bullfinches. The amount of bird activity that these berries attr... 2010-9-22 23:03:49 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#70903 Anyone who has sat outside on a warm summers 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 longeared bat and Bechsteins bat are very rare whilst the Greater mouseeared 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 ... 2010-7-20 22:57:07 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#67854 Think of a flowering tree and often trees from exotic far flung places like the Caribbean or China come to mind. But many people dont 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 esp... 2010-6-13 22:13:14 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#64476 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... 2010-5-3 22:19:01 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#62228 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 silverywhite 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... 2010-4-5 12:34:52 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#58502 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 countrysides 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 purplered 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 Februaryearly March when the hedge saplings are... 2010-2-15 20:34:03 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#56077 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 t... 2010-1-13 15:35:36 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#53527 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 its 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 rebottled and sealed. After another six months it will be ready to drink 2009-11-27 22:37:25 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#51975 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 Weve recently cut down our meadow area in the Hedge and Habitat garden. This is an annual occurrence that typically happens at the end of summerbeginning 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 nutrientrich the soil the better. Location Choose an area that receives full sun for most of the day Create... 2009-11-4 22:43:47 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#47976 Were 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 longterm 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 a... 2009-9-2 22:21:48 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#45417 In order to further provide for the amphibians and a host of insectlife weve recently replaced our old pond with a better bigger pond. Now is an excellent time to do it its after the mating season but theres still enough time for the pond to reestablish 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 reshaped 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 reestablishment. We intend to periodically provide further blog updates to let you know how the pond is developin... 2009-7-22 22:45:07 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#44944 Weve 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 were 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... 2009-7-14 22:49:38 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#43965 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. Its still not too late to pick the flowers for a wide range of culinary uses including sorbets icecreams 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 weve 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 dryingup cotton clot... 2009-6-27 15:36:35 http://www.hedgeandhabitat.co.uk/page8.htm#43241 Its 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 semiparasitic 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 bufftailed redtailed and whitetailed bumblebees. Following the recent hot weather in late Mayearly June the Yellow Rattle flowers transformed from flowers to seed pods calyx which rattle when ripe. Yellow Rattle was also called the hayrattle and was traditionally used as an indicator that a hay meadow was ready to be mown. However we wont be mowing our meadow just yet...this will happen at the end of summer. Well be stocking Yellow Rattle seed in ... 2009-6-13 20:13:29