A wide range of ideas – something for everyone
Dozens of people followed the Open Gardens & Re-naturing Trail on 16 July and saw how even the smallest of spaces can help cater for wildlife.
The wide variety of gardens in Greenway Lane, Heatherfield and Bones Lane were all providing food and homes for birds, bugs, beetles, butterflies, hedgehogs and water creatures.
And the public open spaces that were featured on the trail also support a diversity of species by providing food, shelter and places to breed.
In some cases it was only necessary to devote a small part of a family garden to nature: perhaps a section of lawn which is not mown so frequently or providing a water feature or ensuring that flowers are suitable for our native pollinators for as many months as possible.
And, of course, none used pesticides at all.
In spite of the unseasonally windy conditions, a range of butterflies and bees could be seen – many in places where, only a few years ago, the environment would not have been suitable for them.
As well as catering for the tastes of scores of wild creatures, the trail provided shelter and sustenance for humans, too, in the form of the delicious cream teas and cakes which were on offer in the church.
With the decline in nature in this country (and the worrying implications for food, water, clean air and other things upon which we all depend), these refreshments provided valuable food for thought!
