davinag4lmg

Gardening For Wildlife

Small apple trees might be useful, if you have room.  The apples this year were very small and late (not a good summer here in the Highlands) but the birds are very busy eating all the windfall apples. Birds seen recently:  siskin, chaffinch, greefinch, bluetit, coletit, field sparrows, pheasant, starlings  (lots),  crows, blackbirds, hedge sparrows, house sparrows.  Lots of seagulls at themoment. The house martins have departed, we hope to see them again next year.  NOT good gardening conditions this year in this area, but the birds have been really good.

Gardening For Wildlife

What about some fruit?  raspberries could do well - birds love them, so do we. They did very well this year in the highlands, still got some frozen ones in the freezer, and a lot of jam. Blackcurrants could also be successful -easy to propagate, I stuck the prunings from the 3 bushes I had in pots in the polytunnel, they took and are produing a lot of fruit - makes good blackcurrant juice which stsores well.

The pond is a good idea - ours has no fish, but frogs and toads appear during the year (there is a burn running along behind the fence at the bottom of our garden). The willow arbour planted near the pond is well used by us and by the birds - near the pond and the burn.

Hostas make a good display.