It’s early August and for the time of year my wild garden is as strangely fresh and leafy green as if it was still spring.
It’s too wet to cut a part of the meadow lawn which is growing, as I watch in dismay, into a lush grass monoculture. In June, when parched and bleached to straw, I found that a sharp seeded arable grass had invaded, the emergency cut was too late even then to halt its take over and I can only hope that I catch this second crop in a dry spell before it seeds again.
My attempts at ‘selective herbivory’ need to be more ruthless next time, a very hungry whole herd of herbivores more like!
I think last summer’s heat as well as dog wee enriched soil were the initial reasons for this severe loss of diversity and resulting invasion, but wherever the blame lies the results show how very fragile our well intentioned attempts at habitat restoration are.
As the weather patterns we’re used to seeing inevitably change, we must adapt as well as try to ameliorate the damage where we can, so while I ponder whether to try a rooting pig impression over winter and hope some soil bank wild flower seeds will germinate, I also have a packet of yellow rattle seed as back up.
But there is really very little space in my wild garden for doom and gloom. On the east facing slope there may be losses, but the areas of long grass leading down to the now nearly full to the brim again pond are a frothy confection of wild carrot flowers below which dozens of lower growing plant species are bouncing back and a few like birds foot trefoil are flowering again.
They are just in time for the butterflies, the sunny intervals last week were perfect for seeing them dancing over the garden and having the Big Butterfly Count a great excuse to watch them. Gatekeepers were the most numerous but also red admirals, holly blues, peacocks, small and large whites and a spectacular big bright orange fritillary. They and lots of other insects seem to like the wild oregano which will soon be over so to keep them in nectar for as long as I can I’ve been browsing on the buddleijas, which if nibble away at the terminal flowers with my secateurs, will just keep on flowering all summer.
They seed around when they’re happy, I realise I do have eleven of them now so I think they are fairly content and I hope the bees and butterflies will be pleased too.
