The Wildlife Habitat Garden
Designed to encourage insects and mammals into the garden whilst providing a beautiful setting with year round interest. The main aim of the garden is to show and inspire you to create areas for wildlife in your own back yard, find the Habitat Garden Plant List under the more information area under the main picture.
The Garden is divided into different areas with specific planting and features to provide food and habitat for the following:
Dragonflies & Amphibians
Bats & Moths
Beetles
Garden Birds
Butterflies
Reptiles
Bees
Alongside the garden is a managed meadow which has been planted with several hundred native wildflower plants, providing companion planting for several species of butterfly and pollen and nectar sources for bees. At the bottom of the meadow a chalk mound has been created with an aim to attract Blue Butterflies.
Water is a main feature of the garden and is planted up with species that attract Dragon and Damsel flies.
Backing onto this area is a border planted with larger shrubs creating potential nesting sites for garden birds. This area is also planted with Teasels, Thistles and herbaceous perennials with seedheads that are both strikingly ornamental and useful potential food sources for birds throughout Autumn and Winter. Spring bulbs include dwarf Iris, dwarf Narcissus and Muscari. Spring perennials include Pulmonaria, Hellobores and Euphorbia. Summer flowers include Astrantia, Sedum, Verbena, Solidago and Salvia species. Meanwhile fragrant shrubs such as Daphnes and Viburnum and climbers including Passion flowers have been planted with an aim to attract Bats and Moths.
Simple woven composting sites provide shelter for a number of species during the colder months, these sit alongside large rocks placed in sunny positions for reptiles and insects to bask.
For a more natural look head out to our Wildflower Meadow taking in the splendor of the Wave Garden and Millennium Garden on your stroll around the reserve.
Imogen Checketts, Head Gardener & Chris Packham at the opening of the Wildlife Habitat Garden 2009.
Information and images of the garden can be found on our Gardens Blog.
For more helpful advice on how to attract wildlife into your garden, watch this interview with Pensthorpe's Head Gardener, Imogen Checketts and BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham.
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