My wild space

Creating a sharing space

I am surrounded by gardens that are well kept with tidy lawns and no hint of anything wild. Everything is managed by the human soul. My garden could not be more different. It is wild. It is a space I share with wildlife that decide to call it home. This includes deer who take up temporary residence in the early morning among the bluebells. I am yet to see them but I can see where they have been…..

My pond is a bit overgrown offering excellent protection for its inhabitants. I could lose hours watching the wee tadpoles darting about. Last year I watched a dragonfly navigate my entire garden. This year I have seen more native ladybirds than I have for years and it is only May. The butterflies feed from the Buddleia that also doubles up as protection for the birds peering into my wild gravel garden looking for seeds and insects.

Earlier in the season I am awash with solitary bees as they come out of hibernation seeking food and water. I always have water for bees lying around the place. I have four sycamores that send the bees bonkers when they flower and then they rest in the grass that I never cut. About now the grass is populated with early wild flowers to include the cuckoo flower, wood anemones, lesser celandine, pink purslane and speedwell. They are like beautiful nuggets nestled among the blades of grass.

The dandelions in the gravel garden and along the path are just beginning to turn to seed so I give them a helping hand by blowing them into new areas of the garden. I do control some plants as they would take over otherwise. My main plant in this category is the, not so humble, fern. It would march across the meadow if I let it and sadly ticks like to rest there in wait for their host to walk by. I also had to rid the garden of Japanese knotweed a fews years back as it is incredibly invasive. But my rhododendrons are just kept in check rather than removed. For me, it is all about balance in my wild space. There needs to be some gentle intervention from time to time. I collect seeds throughout the year and scatter them into new places.

I preserve some flowers and herbs by drying or pressing but I forage very sensitively. We also forage for food and every year I discover something new. Last year it was plantain seeds which are a lovely addition to early summer salads.

We have let wild strawberries become vital ground cover and I harvest them on a daily basis from the end of May onwards. I also have a polytunnel where I grow their cultivated cousins but the wild strawberries are my favourite. A few years ago I planted some raspberry canes and they have now marched well beyond their original space but that is fine as they have jumped into the ornamental poppy space and they can cope with the odd visit from a raspberry cane. I have nettles throughout the garden as they are so important for wildlife especially butterfly caterpillars. Hubby also makes a mean nettle soup with the early shoots.

My wild space is a haven for all of us to inhabit and share. I think the key word there is ‘share’. If I had one wish it would be that humans learn to share the planet they call home better than they do. Let’s all have a wild place, however small, to share.