Re: Homes for Wildlife Actions

How many of you on this Forum have signed up to Homes for Wildlife? If so, have you been remembering to update what you've been doing on the 'My Garden' page which you can access from the link on your Homes for Wildlife login page?

I've been doing a bit myself in the garden this year and not remembered until recently to update my actions and was pleasantly surprised when I did. I've decided to write more about it in my blog tomorrow. But, while I'm doing that, I know how much you all like a little challenge:-  

For all of you signed up to Homes for Wildlife, how many Actions and Gold Stars have you got and more to the point can you beat mine? If you’ve not downloaded any of the advice then log into HfW and return to your home pages to get the advice sheets and get ticking! If you’ve not signed up, use the link and see where it takes you. If you want to know how many I have you'll have to catch up with my blog tomorrow morning!

There is that word again “challenge”.

I’ve completed 116 of my 128 actions and have 57 of my 61 gold stars.

I do have the advantage of lots of space and I was working on my garden for quite a while before I signed up for Homes for Wildlife.

The fact sheets have helped me a lot and pointed out things I could do that I hadn’t thought of.

I’ll look forward to your blog to see what you’ve been up to and hopefully it will give me some more ideas for my garden.

I’ve got one major project on the cards for next year, a green roof.

Have just checked / updated

87 out of 124 completed...................

So still a bit behind :-( ...............

Which means there is plenty more for me to do, Hooorayyyyyyy :-)

Mainly involves creating space for House Martins, Swallows and Swifts....................

............And actually getting round to putting up that bat box I made..................6 months ago!!!!!!

Just need to borrow a longer ladder :-/

Have just signed up this evening after reading this thread and am really excited can't wait for daylight - have ticked off 7 tonight so that's a start!   - Norfolk Dipper my husband was moaning tonight that he has too many long ladders pity I cant sent one via the forum!!

Norfolk Dipper

Mainly involves creating space for House Martins, Swallows and Swifts....................

Mornin' all!
This is great - I knew you all loved a little 'challenge'  :o)  What's even better is you're able to get more Actions done than me which is fantastic. How many more of you out there can do that?

By a strange coincidence I too intend to construct a green roof next year! Plus there's the small water feature and wildlife stack. After reading Adrians blog it has given me more ideas on how to incorporate both together. I've also not taken delivery yet of my hedge plants, so...............

John Day

By a strange coincidence I too intend to construct a green roof next year!

Have you found any good sites you could point me in the direction of? Has anybody already constructed a green roof?

The roof I want to turn into a green roof is part of the house. The old flat roof needs replacing so it needs to be more than putting down a sheet of plastic.

Most of the sites I’ve found are companies that will do the job for you, this is beyond my budget. I need the materials and ‘how to’ so I can do the job myself.

The area I have to play with is not that big (about 2m x 4m)

Hi Wildlife
If, when signing up to Homes for Wildlife, you ticked any of the 'roof'/'DIY' related questions you should have access to download the HfW PDF sheet 18 'Roofs for Wildlife'. The url at the bottom of that page, as with all other HfW PDF's is a live link to more info on our website about the subject matter.

The pages that link takes you to will have more information as well as a link to the Living Roofs website, where you can buy a download of a book which should cover everything you need. I hope so, as this is what I was planning on doing when tackling mine too!

Natural England also have a publication called 'Living Roofs' as a download on their website which again should be of help.

We have only one hedge which is at the bottom of our garden and belongs to the farmer not us and I was reading last night only cut the hedges every other year - today he came to cut all the hedges - dilema?  I had to go out and when I came back the hedge was still the same - he is going to leave it to us!  Brilliant!

That's great Lucy!!

I've signed up now too! Hopefully it will give me the push to get more things done! Lol!

I signed up about a month ago just after I found all this stuff lurking here. I only stumbled on my garden- after 26 years- this summer.. I've completed 42 out of 144 actions and so have lots of room for improvement.

I have 23 Gold Stars.

But I wouldn't mind a wee bit of guidance on a couple of things. Is that possible, please?

Right now, two issues. 

1. I'm busily making leaf mould from all my leaves, but raking them off the lawn. But I've left the ones which have fallen on the flower beds. Is that right? I think so, but I'm not sure.

2. Dutch Elm disease has just reached the North East of Scotland, and we have just had to cut down 4 trees (at whopping expense). I've put piccies on my picture bit to show where they are. The question is, should we remove the stumps. The background to this is that we live in about 2 acres of ground, about 1/2 acre of which is garden, and the rest is woodland. We don't pick up dead wood, we have log piles all over the place, and we planted about 100 young trees a few years ago. I have no intention of replacing these trees. I want to let more light in. What do you think, please?

Hi Aberdeenshire Quine.

I leave the leaves which fall on the beds too, I even add leaves under the shrubs, they keep the Blackbirds and Thrushes happy.

If the stumps are not in the way and are not harbouring the Dutch Elm beetle I would leave them. We cut down two very old apple trees and left the stumps, there is all manner of insect life living in them now. I noticed only a couple of days ago that there are fresh excavations in the stumps which look very beetle like, I’m hoping it’s Stags Head Beetles.

You're so lucky to have your own woodland, it's the one thing I've always wanted. I did manage to plant a tiny woodland area, but it was only big enough for 10 trees.

What about scots pine needles?  All those that fall on the ground under the tree are left and even those on flowers beds and lawn but I have a large pile that's getting bigger from sweeping the paths - should I put these under the Rhodidendrons  as this is my area where the blackbirds and dunocks especially dig around and scratch about.  If's strange to think that a few years ago everything was raked up in the autumn and burnt now we are all looking to make use of everything.

How sad to be loosing trees to Dutch Elm still - I heard on the radio recently that they have developed one that is resistant to it but dont think its available yet.

I know some pine needles are poisonous to animals but I’m not sure about birds, so I would say don’t spread them around where your birds feed unless you know the type of pine you have is OK.

We don’t have any pine trees so I’ve not looked into what to do with pine needles, perhaps someone on this forum has found a use for them. Has anybody any ideas?

It's only reaching us for teh first time. We don't have so many elms as middle England, so it won't be so devastating to teh landscape, but still.... 4 in my garden alone