Need help on two things (1 Viewer)

[TheBirdGarden]

I am not really too fussed on gardening and what looks easy always ends up in disaster. I would like to know a good U.K native plant that would attract insects bees and butterflies. I need it to be low maintenance and be able to grow without much human influence.

Also my neighbours have six huge conifers and when i say huge i mean huge they are twice the size of the house. I was thinking if there is any bird that will only live or nest in conifers and i am looking away of exploiting those trees for any conifer living birds to feed in the garden?

 

[Adam M]

I am not really too fussed on gardening and what looks easy always ends up in disaster. I would like to know a good U.K native plant that would attract insects bees and butterflies. I need it to be low maintenance and be able to grow without much human influence.

Also my neighbours have six huge conifers and when i say huge i mean huge they are twice the size of the house. I was thinking if there is any bird that will only live or nest in conifers and i am looking away of exploiting those trees for any conifer living birds to feed in the garden?

i'd recommend a buddleia (aka butterfly bush) non native though.

http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/o918-butterflybush.php

other than that try sowing some wildflower seeds and creating a bit of a wildflower meadow area. being wildflowers as well they will be pretty hardy and low maintainence, maybe just the odd watering in long periods of sunshine.

you can buy wildflower seed online in packs containing individual species or from any garden center in pre mixed packs, think the RSPB do a mixed one as well. be carefully buying premixed if them all being native is important to you though as they dont list whats in the pack and there could be non native species in there.

other than flowering plants you could plant a tree (ok some of them flower as well) hawthorn is brilliant for moth caterpillars as are similar species like blackthorn. but for species diversity oak is best, attracting thousands of insect species, having one just depends how big your garden is.

not sure about conifers though.

adam

 

[Sleeper]

Regarding the Conifers- Collared Dove, Woodpigeon often use these. I have seen Wren, Greenfinch and a carefully hacked in Tit box being used.

Whilst not native I would agree that the Buddliea as a good idea.

When you say plant can you elaborate? A tree? Perennial? Flower? etc.

 

[TheBirdGarden]

Flowers really. I have plenty of trees and two conifers growing of my own. You are right about the Wood pigeons and collared doves. I know that there are currently nesting wood pigeons in there, I have also seen greenfinches take there for cover.

Not too sure what a pernnial is but I will look into buddliea

 

[bellow]

I would agree,Buddlia is great for butterflies,Scymia is also good,flowers last forever and can go thro"the winter.Also one of my favourites is Majoram,the blue butterflies love it.
Be careful how close you plant next to the conifers,they take alot of life out of the ground.
Hope your efforts are rewarded,
Roly. :t:

 

[Adam M]

just remembered something from last year. during the painted lady invasion i went to the local garden center and basically just looked for the plant attracting the most butterflies and brought it. i ended up with butterfly blue (a type of scabious) and sweet rocket. might be worth doing one sunny day over summer and just see what the butterflies prefer.