RHS Nocturnal Pollinator Experience

I know it’s all been a bit quiet on here. Best intentions to keep up a blog has been slightly sidetracked with other projects…in particular working on an exciting collaborative show feature garden for the RHS at this July’s RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. I think that’s a reasonable excuse.

Eyed Hawk Moths | Photo courtesy of Mark Lightowler, Lancashire

The focus of this feature garden celebrates the role of the unsung pollinating hero, the humble moth. There have been a few new case studies [which I’ve already referenced in a previous blog so apologies for repeating]… one was carried out by the University of Central London, that suggests moths are far more complex pollinators than bees. Moths will visit the same plants as bees, butterflies and hoverflies but will also visit plants that the day-shifters miss. Reasearch from the University of Sussex also concludes that moths are much more efficient at pollinating plants than day-flying insects which puts them right up there on the vital pollinators list!

This collaborative feature garden will offer an unusual experience. A practical day time journey through a garden that highlights plants and habitats that will attract, feed, sustain and give shelter to our night time pollinators into an immersive night time journey through a digital environment. Designed by creative artist Georgia Tucker this half of the experience explores the lifecycle of moths and the threats they face from our modern world.

The garden is going to be an oasis of plants, each with a particular benefit to moths as well as other pollinators. I have selected some classic night-scented flowers as these are perfect for attracting moths, a sort of lure plant to entice them into your garden…and they also smell heavenly to us too. Nectar rich plants will also feature, great for attracting all types of pollinators and planted in bold groups to really show off their flower prowess. Nectar will provide food for the night flyers yet when creating a garden that offers a viable habitat to these creatures we need to embrace the larval stage of a moth’s development. The caterpillar. Many may now recoil at the thought of their blooms and foliage being decimated by these beasties. However, when you start to look into the types of plants that are the most attractive to moth caterpillars it becomes apparent that they are quite particular on what they feast on. Firstly it’s good to know that specific moths tend to prefer specific plant types for laying eggs. They also prefer native plants and are very much partial to wild weeds so the chances are that a lot of our prized garden blooms might not actually be high on the caterpillar’s preferred food agenda especially if you leave a place for the weeds to grow.

Sharing your garden space with weeds is not a new idea but one that is continuing to grow in importance. The Chelsea Flower Show had a number of gardens featuring weeds and for good reasons too. In a nutshell, we have lost 97% of our wild flower habitats and the nation’s fixation on weed killing anything that doesn’t look garden worthy is having a detrimental affect on all of our pollinators. We all have a responsibility to safeguard what we can and if we are lucky enough to have a garden, however small that might be, we need to start embracing some of this wild and learn to tolerate a range of insects appreciating our garden plants.

One area in the garden will show a species rich grass, allowed to grow long around dedicated planters for wilder weeds to romp. There will be a mini woodland, wildflower meadow, native hedges and a range of border planting styles to wander through.

I have also been keen to feature a selection of ornamental habitats as these are vital to give shelter and places for overwintering moth pupae and caterpillars. To survive they will tuck up inside plant debris in the hope of making it through to spring… yet many will end up in the council waste bins as we sweep our gardens bare from fallen leaves and plant material in the autumn. These ornamental habitats will show how this unwanted plant debris can be absorbed into our borders and other areas of our gardens in a way that is manageable and not unattractive.

The garden also looks at how we can light our spaces in a sensitive way so that we do not disturb the work of these night pollinators. Have a look at a previous blog entry that I did as a bit of research around the subject for more info here.

If you happen to be visiting the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show you must come and say hello! I will be there every day and would love to show you around. The event opens 19th to the 23rd July. For more info check out the RHS website.

Hazel | Plants for pollinators

Hazel is a rather remarkable plant and definitely up there on the super shrubs list. It has a number of uses, not only to wildlife but humans too. In fact, we have an ancient relationship with this plant. It is one of the most resourceful plants I know and offers gardeners and designers a beautiful, easy-to-manage shrub for the garden border or woodland edge.

Technically, hazel is pollinated by the wind rather than relying on our pollinating insects. Yet it does provide a very early source of pollen for bees if they need it via tassel-like catkins. These catkins form the male part of the plant while the female flowers take the form of small buds. If you happen to walk near a hazel in early Spring [you might still be able to see this now] look out for these little buds with bright red stigmas poking out from them; they should catch your eye. If these buds are pollinated they turn into a nut. Interestingly, despite hazel trees possessing both male and female parts [known as monoecious] they will only cross pollinate with pollen from another variety of hazel tree. So if you plan to grow them for their fruits, plant two or, better still, three different varieties. Hazel also sustains a range of butterflies and moths, primarily as a choice breeding spot and a reliable source of leafy food for caterpillars. The caterpillars in turn provide easy pickings for birds and if you are lucky the rather cute Hazel dormouse.

Our relationship with Hazel is said to go back thousands of years. It is one of those plants that will be the first to start growing in cleared or barren areas of ground making it extremely common up and down the country. For this reason it is incredibly sustainable as it is local and abundant. Our native Hazel, Corylus avellana, has been used for centuries as a material for creating fences, plant supports [eg arches, obelisks], can be whittled into various guises like walking/foraging sticks and clothes pegs. It is also a good source for making charcoal. Hazel is traditionally coppiced, allowed to grow for 3 to 5 years [longer if the stems are needed thicker] before being cut down to the ground. New shoots will form into very straight stems due to this hard cut back. It won’t do the plant any harm either as they are naturally adapted to be ‘grazed’. In fact they will last over a 100 years if treated that way.

In our own gardens we don’t have to be quite so hard in cutting back all the stems in one fell swoop. After all we still want to have the aesthetic benefit of a lovely shrub to gaze on, so aim take out two to three stems in the winter [once plants are a few year’s old]. When the Hazel matures you will be able to cut out more.

There are a number of different varieties of Hazel to choose from too. I’m rather partial to the deep red leafed ones. Corylus maxima 'Atropurpurea' has beautiful, wine red leaves that emerge in the Spring. By late summer they can fade and lose that lovely rich colour so I try to plant in part shade, perfect for a woodland edge or shady side of a garden. Other varieties that would be perfect for adding to an orchard would be the cobnuts Corylus avellana ‘Cosford’ and Corylus avellana ‘Gunslebert’. Both will cross pollinate each other too and ensure a good fruit set. For more info have a look at fruit tree nursery Orange Pippin; they have a number of varieties available for starting a mini nuttery.

Night pollinators and garden lighting

How we light our gardens at night can have a massive impact on the wildlife around us and deserves to be considered carefully. We have hundreds of night pollinating insects that set to work as we sleep. Ensuring their work is undisturbed as much as possible by our garden lighting solutions is something we all need to aim for.

There is growing research into how damaging light pollution can be to nocturnal insect habits and gives an insight into to why there has been a steady decline in their numbers [amongst other factors like the loss of habitats, pollution, use of toxic chemicals and climate change]. Research, led by the late PhD student Douglas Boyes from Newcastle University, observed that the newer, white light emitting, LED street lamps have a far greater negative effect on local biodiversity and ecology then the older amber emitting sodium lamps. Some councils have started trialling part-night street lights to help reduce energy and carbon emissions. Lights are turned off between 1am and 5am which consequentially helps to reduce the negative impact on our night-shift pollinators. Callum J MacGregor is one of the main scientists in this field at the moment and has carried out research to show that just by turning lights off for part of the night will help re-address this balance.

I’m sure we have all observed a moth fluttering around a light at night. I remember as a kid on camping trips, the bathroom facilities were always a magnet for nocturnal insects. It is this behaviour, the allure of the bright light that distracts them [it messes with their navigational system] from getting their night-shift work done. Moths in particular are responsible for pollinating a range of plants and research carried out by the University of Central London suggests that moths are far more complex pollinators than bees. Moths will visit the same plants as bees, butterflies and hoverflies but will also visit plants that the day-shifters miss.

These are just a few UK based pieces of research that tell us how important nocturnal insects are and how bad white LED lighting is for our local biodiversity. There are plenty more papers out there and not just UK based; global research is revealing the same observations.

Pollinators are undeniably one of the keys to our existence and survival. The idea that we can individually choose to safeguard their future just by assessing what lights we put in our gardens is empowering. Garden and landscape designers have a little bit more weight as they can direct the lighting specifications of their client’s garden spaces. I have devised a checklist to work to for a limited impact scheme that will help our night-shifters crack on with their jobs…

• Do not use bright white or blue LED lights. Choose warm white to reduce harshness …after all [and this has to be said] it is a relaxing ambience we are looking to create in our gardens and not the mood of an operating theatre.

• Select lights based on lumens rather than wattage. Most outdoor lighting needs 100 to 300 lumens. The lower the lumen = the dimmer the light it emits = a much more subtle scheme.

• Reduce the number of light fixtures you think you might need. You don’t have to light up every tree, fence panel, wall or other vertical structure in your garden. Use minimal spotlights as they usually point light upwards. Experiment on moving them into a position that keeps the light from pointing directly up.

• Use downward facing lights and ground lights to illuminate steps and pathways … and don’t feel the need to light up every step, every other will be sufficient. Ground lights can also be set within a border edge allowing plant foliage to soften the light and create more shadow and interest.

• Do not keep lights on all night. Put them on a timer or only switch them on when you are in or looking out onto your garden space.

• Security lights tend to be the worst offenders for pollution. If you feel safer with them please select ones that are motion detecting and make sure that the lamps are safely contained within a unit…and again avoid the bright white/blue LEDs.

• One of my personal favourite ways of lighting my garden is by simple candle lit lanterns. A tea light will last around 3-4 hours before they go out, unless you buy the longer burning ones which will take you to around 8 hours. I hang the lanterns up in a tree, line my pathway and place on tables.

• Solar warm white lights is another option although the longevity of these is a bit hit and miss. You can also switch these off so you can control when they come on… ie maybe don’t leave them to come on every night 365 days a year.

Moss is not our enemy

Sometimes we have to make a real conscious effort to change our preconceived ideas of how our gardens should look and how we manage our spaces. How we feel about moss is probably one of the biggest perceptions to conquer. For years we have been ‘fighting back against moss’ using ‘moss killers’ and ‘moss destroyers’ to rid this nuisance from our lawns. It’s a controversial subject, the products manufactured to kill moss [using chemicals like iron sulphate or even glyphosate] is a massive commercial business; not to mention the lawn care companies and gardeners out there trying to do the best for their clients…

Yet moss is an ancient plant that can filtrate pollution from the air, it is responsible for some of the oxygen we breathe today and it provides a diverse habitat for a range of microscopic animals and organisms. It can help prevent soil erosion as its water absorbing qualities can soak up to 20 to 30 times its weight [Sphagnums; hence the importance of going peat free] which slows down run off and at the same time filtrates the water.

Let’s just skip back to the microscopic animals and organisms as they are the creatures that pack a hard punch when it comes to the health of our environment. Nematodes, mites, tardigrades, rotifers and gastrotrichs are some of the names of these creatures that are found to inhabit moss [they are also prevalent in our soil too]. It is these tiny invertebrates that are crucial in fertilising the soil, taking out pollutants from the air and absorbing carbon. Innovative sustainable solutions harnessing the power of moss are even popping up in and around our cities to help reduce the pollutants in the air we breathe; see Green City Solutions . So why are we still pre-occupied with killing it? Because our lawns and borders look better without it?

The moss that grows in our lawns tell us that there is moisture, shade and the lawn grass is lacking vigour. In the UK we inhabit the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere which correlates to wetter weather, combine this with lower light levels during the winters it is not surprising that most lawns will break out in moss. We will always be ‘fighting back against moss’ as it happens to adore our natural climate.

As a grower at heart, choosing the right plant for the right place is the most logical solution in dealing with all sorts of ground condition scenarios. Damp, wet, even waterlogged areas in people’s gardens is rife here in the North West and there are many design and planting solutions that will be far more appropriate and sustainable than turf. Bog gardens, bio-swales, wet woodland areas and yes, moss lawns, could provide so much more interest, habitat and actually play a role in cleaning up our environmental mess.

I know we are all consumed by so many responsibilities and it’s difficult to look after everything. But this one is really easy to action. Resist buying those moss killers, try to reset your perception of moss and maybe enjoy watching the blackbird collecting this life-supporting plant to make its nest.

Salvia x jamensis Nachtvlinder | Plants for pollinators

I love things that have more of a purpose than just looking good and this plant has this in bucket loads. I first bumped into this plant during a garden visit to Wollerton Old Hall, drawn by its delicate, rich velvety blooms, I bought one. At the time I had no idea how adeptly bestowed this specimen was, until quite recently listening to a pod cast via Sarah Raven’s Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange.

I discovered a couple of years previously that planting this Salvia underneath roses was meant to be a good way to deter the dreaded black spot fungal infection. With a newly installed rose arch at the garden I maintain weekly and the year-old roses showing early signs of this disease I planted drifts of Nachtvlinder underneath to monitor its effectiveness. At the time I wasn’t sure what chemical aspects of the plant contributed to safeguarding against black spot…just that it was a good companion.

The podcast is very enlightening. To sum, it is believed that the scent make-up of this Saliva exudes sulphur which is a well-known fungicide used to treat black spot and other fungal infections in plants. In theory making this a super natural way to help keep our roses healthy. Some have very good results and swear by it. We may have planted slightly too late for it to have a massive effect, although the black spot hasn’t got any worse. For better results, it is recommended to plant the Salvias at the same time you plant the new roses.

The name Nachtvlinder translates to moth, night moth or night fly and usually Latin names tend to give us a clue as to something unique about the plant itself. We know it is an amazing plant for pollinators in general but the emphasis on potentially benefitting night time pollinators elevates this plant’s worthiness.

This particular Salvia is also hardy down to -15 so a good choice for our cold winters. This year we recorded -11 in Bolton so we definitely need to be careful in what we select for our gardens. If you do choose to grow this, leave all the foliage on as late as possible… and I mean late, do not trim back till at least the end of March/beginning of April and keep an eye on the forecast.

One last little icing on the cake to add… the petals of Nachtvlinder can be eaten. Use in salads and yes, sprinkle to decorate your home baked desserts.

Fruit trees, fungi & wildflowers

Once a week I happen to inhabit a beautiful two acre garden that I have had the privilege to design and maintain for the last eight years. You can have a glimpse at some images from past seasons here. I have always had a hands-on approach to my garden design business, from shadowing a landscaper in the early days and being involved in the up-keep of a range of garden types. Seventeen years in I still find this element of my job really useful and a great way to keep connected to the spaces that I am designing. There is a natural cycle to gardening work which I love, dictated by the seasons, the needs of the plants and the client’s dreams.

These past few weeks have focused on giving the orchard and wildflower meadow some tlc, to set it up for the new season. Fruit tree pruning is the first job to get underway, older trees still need to be opened up to allow air to circulate more freely around the branches and let more light through. I always tend to err on the side of caution and aim to take out just two or three substantial branches so as not to upset the balance and generate water shoots [they don’t bear fruit or very minimal whilst stealing all the plant’s energy]. Always starting with the classic three D’s, dead, damaged and diseased shoots come out first. Finally the tips are reduced to keep a check on its height. If you are looking for guidance on how to go about pruning your fruit trees check out the RHS advice.

A few year’s ago we discovered Honey Fungus marching its way from adjacent parkland to an old poplar stump. This explained the slow demise of some of the older, weaker apple trees in the orchard. Now there’s not a lot that can be done battling the deadly bootlaces of honey fungus but we are attempting to increase the resilience of the remaining trees in the hope they will remain strong enough to withstand an onslaught. Every year we add mycorrhizal fungi around the roots of the trees and add a fresh layer of home composted mulch. Mychorrhizal fungi are the goodies, they live in symbiosis with plant roots and help to improve the nutrient and water uptake of plants. Giving plants an extra boost nutrient wise should help them become more disease resistant. So far we have not lost any more than what we initially predicted …so watch this space.

We are also at a timely point to be able to add additional wildflowers into the orchard to increase the flower potential for this season. Leucanthemum vulgare freely self seeds in other areas of the garden so we have left them to grow on in situ to be able to re-position them now. In fact any wildflower that self seeds in the borders can be hoicked out and planted in a wilder patch in your garden space eg teasel, achilleas, corn flowers, poppies, burdock, ribwort plantain…

A gardening habit is a good habit

Some of the clients I meet often request a ‘low maintenance’ garden space because they lead busy lives, are juggling too many work/home commitments and are overwhelmed with how to manage their garden spaces. It has taken me a while to get my home gardening hacks fine tuned to relinquish more time to spend how I want it, albeit, doing more gardening at the plot …

I do see many gardens designed and landscaped with the obvious go-to ideas for a ‘low maintenance’ garden… smaller borders so less plants to worry about; less soil for weeds to take hold; raised beds for a more contained [and again smaller] border space; increased lawn and very often no lawn at all but artificial grass installed along with larger hard-landscaped patios. I’ve even seen plastic plants planted in front gardens.

Our gardens could be our saviour mentally, physically and environmentally and I do believe that doing some good old gardening is achievable even in our time-restricted lives. There are ways to help a garden become easier to manage without creating sterile or nature-deficient spaces. There are lots of informative tips out there to help the non-gardeners and time-restricted to be able to get hands on in their own space. Check out Laetitia Maklouf’s five minute garden approach.

We all know that spending time outside, including in our gardens, really is good for us. It does improve our mental health, it can keep us active, connect us to nature, give us a sense of achievement, responsibility, teach commitment and patience. Ten [or five] minutes weeding the border or clipping the hedge can sneakily put us outdoors amidst something natural. I love that.

Good gardening also happens to be beneficial for our planet too. Creating spaces in our back yards that seek to enhance local wildlife by creating different habitats is something a lot of us have the opportunity to do… and we can still integrate our outdoor dining areas to be able to relax, eat and cook alfresco if we want to do so.

If you are lucky enough to be able to have a look at re-doing aspects of your garden then do think about the following ideas to help keep maintenance down but also keeping/creating habitats for a range of pollinating insects and birds.

1. Reduce your mowing. Imagine a mown circle within your lawn area. Everyone loves a circle. It will create a crisp contrast to the longer un-mown areas so will still create an illusion of 'neatness’ within an albeit wilder outer. You can also mow a pathway to the circle if you have a more rectangular or mis-shapen lawn. Mow a pathway around the outer so you can access your borders too. If you have the budget you could think about replacing those un-mown parts with wildflower seed or turf [latter gives you quicker results and less initial maintenance].

2. Reduce your lawn. Caring for your lawn is actually very time consuming and costly… especially if you add in all the ‘traditional’ maintenance aspects such as fertilisers, moss killers, aeration, scarifying, over seeding and regular edging to keep it looking pristine. Biodiversity wise they are not that great either so reducing your lawn area could work for you.

3. Gravel garden. Replacing some of your lawn [for example] with a gravel garden will help to increase the biodiversity of your space. You will be replacing a monoculture with a much diverser range of plants and you will be reducing your weeding by covering an expanse of bare soil. Do plant lots of small shrubs, perennials and grasses.

4. Groundcover and perennial plants. The more plants in a border the more chance you have of covering your soil to a point where little or no weeds will take hold. This is the approach I take with my own garden. Groundcover plants are really useful as they will provide dense growth that will spread. Try Persicaria affinis, Epimediums, hardy geraniums [go for the longer flowering varieties like Rozanne or Dreamland for a not so vigorous option] and Betonica officinalis ['Hummelo' is one I use often].

5. Steel edging. These are simple to install and really do help to keep your lawn separate from your borders. They are positioned so the edge is flush to the lawn so that a lawn mower can go over and help to reduce the time you need to keep your edges trimmed.

Agastache Blue Fortune | Plants for pollinators

There is always opportunity to hone good habits and learning to let go of our clinical, neat-freak nature in our gardens is one we need to master. We all need to plant more for the pollinators and we all need to resist the big perennial chop till as late as we can push it. Agastache Blue Fortune is a regular on my planting palettes, not only for its attraction to pollinators but for its long lasting seed heads which, I have recently observed, provide a winter snack for passing Goldfinches.

Agastache will flower for four months [July - Oct]. The flowers will then fade to a beige/blonde and will give you structural interest for another four months. That’s a whopping eight months of flower power and structural performance.

Leave the secateurs, in fact lock them away, till at least mid-March or even later would be better as the finches will miss out on free seed if they end up in your compost too soon.

It’s a versatile plant, flowers can be cut for the vase lasting easily a week in water with a bit of conditioner. Foilage has a lovely liquorice aroma too.

• Needs sun and moist but free draining soil to thrive. If it is happy in its place it will self seed so you will never be without and can pass around and share the spare with your friends.

• There are other varieties that are equally good looking and have the endurance for providing long flowering/stem interest. Look out for ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Blue Boa’.