Have gardening habits changed over the past few years?

[deborah4]

Is it my imagination or have gardening habits in the UK changed over the past few years?

]'Barbies are out 'Wild' is beautiful'

In the '80s and '90s, gardening became a very popular hobby but I do recall 'changing room' gardens was the thing among the 'new generation of gardeners' - potted non-indigenous plants, decking, barbies etc etc. Then Garden centres seemed to provide a wider range of indigenous 'wild-garden' plants and the trend seemed to change as more people became 'real' gardeners. We have also an increasing elderly population who (perhaps through the demise of allotments?) have time for higher maintenance gardening. At the same time birdwatching became more popular perhaps stimulating the trends in 'native' gardens. I have certainly noticed that urban gardens in my locality are taking on a more English 'feel' with a much wider variety, not just of shrubs, but higher maintenance bedding plants, and traditional 'wild' flowers grown from seed readily available now in supermarkets.

The point being, I have noticed a wider variety of garden birds in the locality generally (especially in my own garden) and thought there may be some interesting links here to social trends.

[willowa]

I think there is a tendency now towards wildlife and organic gardening. More chemicals each year are being withdrawn, so people are finding other ways for pest control.
So there are more pest and more predaters to eat them.
I have rosemary and lavender both get some sort of caterpillar that the bluetits find irresistible and hang upsidedown to get.

[deborah4]

I think there is a tendency now towards wildlife and organic gardening. More chemicals each year are being withdrawn, so people are finding other ways for pest control.
So there are more pest and more predaters to eat them.
I have rosemary and lavender both get some sort of caterpillar that the bluetits find irresistible and hang upsidedown to get.

Hi Willowa

I didn't realise rosemary & lavender were good for caterpillars, I planted several bushes last year so thats good news. I planted budlia tree last year too and have good supply of stinging nettles (in pots so they don't take over!) so hopefully my garden will have plenty of caterpillars and blue tits.

Cant wait for spring!

By the way, Ive never used any form of slug/snail pellets and its finally paid off, the songthrush and blackbirds have become regulars so hopefully they will stay til snail pilgrims make their way to my garden too!

(all I need now are a few toads and hedgehogs!)

[willowa]

Hi Willowa

I didn't realise rosemary & lavender were good for caterpillars, I planted several bushes last year so thats good news. I planted budlia tree last year too and have good supply of stinging nettles (in pots so they don't take over!) so hopefully my garden will have plenty of caterpillars and blue tits.

Cant wait for spring!

By the way, Ive never used any form of slug/snail pellets and its finally paid off, the songthrush and blackbirds have become regulars so hopefully they will stay til snail pilgrims make their way to my garden too!

(all I need now are a few toads and hedgehogs!)


They are not normal caterpillars but a pest that folds the leaves over.
I also get scale on the bay that they and the sparrows eat. I have a pond and get Toads, frogs, and hedgehogs. but sadly the hedgehogs don't last long they get killed on the roads around here. Don't know what to do about that.
We had 7 blackbirds a few weeks ago. We have had a thrush( Song I think) over the past few days. I put died fruit + suet out every day and one night early spring found the hedghog eating it.