Wildlife Gardening - June

Plant a nectar café

The garden will now be coming alive with bees, butterflies and other nectar-loving invertebrates, which you can help by creating a nectar café.

1. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden and mark out a flower bed.
2. Remove the turf and turn over the soil in preparation for planting.
3. Plant out a variety of plants to try and ensure that nectar is provided from spring right through to autumn. 
4. Choose native varieties over cultivated plants, which are unlikely to produce as much nectar.
5. Add climbers that also produce berries and hips for added bonus e.g. Honeysuckle, Dog Rose, Ivy and Black Bryony.
6. Attract moths with night-scented plants like Evening Primrose and Night-Scented Stock.

Create an abode for toads

An easy thing to do for wildlife this month is create a place where toads and frogs can shelter from the heat of the sun and from predators. In a grassy area, near the pond if you have one, dig a chamber 3-4cm deep with a sloping entrance. Cover
this with a paving stone to  create a perfect hidey-hole. Alternatively, get an earthenware flowerpot and gently knock a small hole in the side. Place in a grassy area.