The Little Garden
WELCOME!
The Little Garden has just opened! It is an area in the church grounds dedicated to nature and is a lovely quiet place to sit and relax, maybe with a drink from Roots.
Closely supervised children are welcome too and they can collect a short quiz from Roots that will engage them with what’s going on in the garden. When they return their questionnaire they will receive an Eco Well Done Sticker!
As a Silver award Eco church we are helped with online resources to establish eco friendly outside spaces for nature for everyone to enjoy. Do take time to walk around all the church green spaces as there is so much to see!
CREATING A HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE
Eco church encourages us to look at their “Target 25” – this is a list of habitats and wildlife that are under threat that we can help to support – for example hedgehogs (providing access and a home), bird boxes (we have hedge sparrows nesting), bat boxes and planting plants and wildflowers that provide year round nectar for our declining insect population.
We are also letting our grass grow (it’s very tempting to cut it !) as it supports so many small creatures and allows wildflowers to naturalise. Also the garden is completely organic.
You will notice two raised beds made from recycled wood and filled with donated home- grown compost from a church member. The planters are planted with cutting flowers that will be used in the church in the worship area. The flowers, whilst growing, will provide nectar for a wide range of insects. They will cut down on our carbon footprint when they are used in church. We have also planted a wildflower border and we are waiting to see how it will grow. The garden will develop over the next couple of years as we learn what thrives and what does not.
You will find that most of the plants in the garden are labelled and have been chosen to support nature. Here is a list of what we have planted so far and why we have chosen them.
Starting in the shaded border by the alley way and going anticlockwise-
INFORMATION ON PLANTS IN THE LITTLE GARDEN
Sarcocca confusa – Thrives in shade and provides fragrance in the winter and nectar for lone bees. Flowers then turn into berries that provide further food.
Pulmonaria ( or Lungwort) – Thrives in semi shade and provides spring nectar for bees and butterflies.
Viburnum Tinus - Thrives in shade and provides winter nectar and then berries.
Mahonia - Flowers from autumn through to spring with a lovely fragrance. Great for lone bees! Flourishes in shade. Very hardy.
Bluebells and Muscari - Great for spring nectar and colour.
Lavender - Provides pollen and nectar for bees during the summer.
Michaelmas daisy - attract butterflies and bees and a late source of Autumn nectar.
Achillea - attracts hoverflies, moths, ladybirds, wasps and many others.
Erysium - flowers all summer through to first frost. Attracts moths, bees and butterflies.
Rudbeckia - rich source of nectar for all daytime insects and moths.
Buddleia - very attractive as a source of nectar for butterflies, moths and bees.
In the wild flower area-
Honeysuckle - attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies during the day and moths at night. It also provides food and shelter for wildlife, as its nectar-rich flowers and berries are a vital food source for insects, birds, and other small mammals.
Sweet peas - attract bees, honey bees and hoverflies and are great for cutting with a lovely fragrance.
Mallow - good for butterflies, bees, beetles and moths.
Snap dragons - attract ladybirds, bees, butterflies and hoverflies.
Teazle - attract bees and butterflies and seed eating birds such as goldfinches.
Foxgloves - Very attractive to bumblebees, honey bees and some species of moths.
Evening primrose - Attracts hawkmoths, bees and butterflies.
Borage - Attracts ladybirds, lacewings and bees.