Hazelwood Bee and Butterfly Garden
We have been working here in Silverdale on a whole variety of projects for over 30 years! The owners, Glenn and Dan Shapiro, bred pedigree Blue Faced Leicester sheep and managed the land in an environmentally friendly way. Our first job was clearing scrub to allow the flower rich limestone meadows to flourish. Many dry stone walls have been repaired over the years to aid stock management but also they are a valuable habitat in themselves. All the nooks and crannies give homes to many small mammals and invertebrates. Since the owners retired, the National Trust now manage most of the land which is a testimony to the valuable work which has been achieved. However, Glenn and Dan still own a woodland and a wonderful garden, in part of which we have jointly created a ‘bird, bee and butterfly garden’. Look at the photos which prove that wildlife gardens are not all about brambles and nettles! There are still walls to repair so we can keep up with the skills and teach others to tackle this intriguing art.
In winter clearing old growth to make room for new planting in spring
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Plenty of scope for autumn work, clearing away plants which have become too prolific and apt to smother others, and making room for planting spring bulbs.
One of the three large compost bins needs a new post. The amount of growth on this summer's plants was amazing but now it's time to remove prolific seedheads from such as buddleia and knapweed to stop them taking over. Plenty of weeding to be done too.
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The garden in its summer glory. The first picture shows Scabious, the second mainly Vipers bugloss and Lychnis chalcedonica
When we arrived at the garden the riot of colour hit us amazingly as we came through the gate. Four of us had a socially distanced gardening session with our two wallers also keeping their distance.
Although the group hadn't been meeting because of lockdown the garden came into bloom beautifully because our leaders popped in now and then to keep things ticking over.
Click on the arrows to see how it looked at the beginning of summer and click on an image for a larger picture.
This is how the garden looked in spring. In the first picture the new path shows off the divided beds, with new fruit trees, greengage on the left and plum to the right. Newly sown wildflowers are also clearly visible to the right. The second picture shows the new path with its fresh bark and the overall impression on a lovely spring day two weeks later. Plenty of work still to do!
Glenn and Liz
Into the secret garden
Glenn and Liz
A wonderful summer display. David and Pete improved the exit with steps to the field