June is a fantastic month in the wildlife-friendly garden!
All the hard work over the previous months and years will be paying off in the
shape of colourful flowers, ponds bursting with life and a garden buzzing with
insects. From the garden’s smallest visitors to some of its largest there are
lots of fascinating creatures who will be appreciating your efforts to garden
in a more wildlife-friendly way.
If you’ve been taking part in No Mow May you might be
interested in giving your lawnmower a bit of a longer break and extending your
lawn neglect into Let it Bloom June. The flowers and plants that have started
to emerge in your lawn will, if left a little longer, continue to provide vital
food and shelter for pollinators.
At the end of May we experienced an unusually hot spell. If
the hot weather continues into this month, wildlife will be grateful for a
source of fresh, clean water. A bird bath is great, but even a saucer or small
bowl will provide much needed refreshment for garden visitors.
Hotter, drier summers are likely to become more prevalent as
a result of climate change, and it will be important for gardeners to adapt as
much as possible. When planting, consider plants that will withstand drought or
require less watering. Rainwater capture is also a great idea if you have the
space.
Think also about when you water your garden and what you
water. Watering in the early morning or later in the evening will prevent your
efforts from being evaporated by the hot sun. Mulching or planting ground cover
plants are also good ways of reducing evaporation and encouraging water
retention in the soil.
Finally, this month is a great one for spotting butterflies
in the garden. Red admirals, such as the one pictured, will be arriving in the
UK for the summer, having migrated all the way from Southern Europe and North
Africa! The females will lay eggs that will emerge as caterpillars and
eventually more red admirals, who will make their way back to sunnier climes as
our weather cools. Red admiral caterpillars feed on nettles, so if you have
some of these much-maligned ‘weeds’ in your garden it’s good to let at least a
small patch grow.
As always, don’t forget to get outside, relax if you can and
enjoy your wildlife-friendly garden this month - there's just so much to see,
hear, smell and feel!
