Foxgloves and the wild patch

Foxgloves, Don’t you just love them? Seeing honey bees enter the gloves to get at the pollen is that bit of nature that appeals to me since honey bees are rapidly disappearing. We didn’t intend to do our bit to help save bees from extinction, dedicating part of the garden to the welfare of our wonderful wild life just evolved. Without realising we had already provided an environment that bees and birds and unseen insects could enjoy. And we ain’t finished yet! This is the first season of new ideas, hopefully the rough patch will thrive for a few more years.

The ground beneath the enormous Beech tree was always a sort of wilderness. At one time there was a mossy bank where you could sit under the shade of the plum tree and read in peace and quiet, that is until the midges moved in. Several bites made me reluctant to read outside and the garden maintenance in that area came to a halt, hence the idea of actually turning that section into a wildlife garden.

The area is out of sight from the house and you have to go three-parts of the way down before you come upon it. It’s not the place for visitors anyway, they’d just think leaving grass uncut was lazy. So it is … but for a good cause. Long grass is essential for wildflower seeds to germinate in peace and for insects to crawl through, unseen and unhampered except by birds. It’s a veritable treasure chest for those that eat insects. Our wild bit of garden is a place to stand beside, to watch and wonder at nature’s natural beauty.

The rest of the garden will be maintained as normal but my interest will be ‘that rough patch at the bottom’.