| The habitats of a great amount species of plants, | | | | ponds can incorporate the attraction of fish and larger |
| animals and insects have been seriously reduced in | | | | water plants. |
| recent years. This has occurred through the general | | | | Building a pond requires more than making a hole in the |
| decrease in wilderness areas, and the erosion of our | | | | ground and lining it. There are numerous books which |
| countryside by modern agricultural methods, urban | | | | advise on their construction. To have success you |
| encroachment and road building. For instance frogs | | | | need to understand how water quality can be |
| and newts, which are useful predators, are in serious | | | | maintained, and the needs of the species you wish to |
| decline due to the reduction in ponds and wetlands. | | | | support. Alternatively you can simply provide the water |
| In other parts of the country, many species of plants, | | | | and wait to see what develops! One of the valuable |
| birds and insects that lived in hedgerows before they | | | | byproducts of setting up a pond will be a better |
| were grubbed up, have also been left without a | | | | understanding of this particular ecological niche, which |
| suitable habitat. Even bats, which used to find a refuge | | | | you will be able to pass on to others. |
| in our roofs or behind timber weatherboarding, have | | | | Boundary habitats |
| suffered severely from a reduction in suitable loft | | | | Nearly all our gardens have some sort of a wall, fence |
| spaces and the unnecessary universal toxic treatment | | | | or hedge to mark boundaries. In the past each area of |
| of timber. In our gardens we have the opportunity to | | | | the country had its own vernacular form of barrier and |
| help redress the balance. If we wish, we can make | | | | in many places these are still very much a feature of |
| conscious decisions to encourage particular species by | | | | the landscape-hedges, stone walls or earth mounds, or |
| understanding their specific needs. We can also | | | | even a combination of all three. The older this feature |
| encourage wildlife generally by avoiding the use of | | | | is, the greater the number of species that become |
| chemicals, by growing hedgerows and thickets or | | | | accommodated. The best boundary habitats are ones |
| constructing a pond. And if the garden is big enough, | | | | that provide the most variety. The ideal boundary |
| having an area of controlled wildness can lead to | | | | habitat for wildlife would be a mound of earth with |
| interesting surprises. | | | | stones to keep it from falling apart, topped with a |
| As we gain more knowledge, we may want to go | | | | hedge, and the whole covered with plants of all types. |
| further and provide a more complex ecology. With | | | | This type of boundary is common in parts of the |
| insects, for instance, there are some that are pests | | | | country such as south-west Wales and Devon. If there |
| and eat the plants we want to keep and others that | | | | is a suitable opportunity, there is no reason why we |
| are allies and are the natural predators of these pests. | | | | should not produce our own version of an attractive |
| With a bit of study, it is possible to find ways of | | | | vernacular boundary and provide for a wide range of |
| supporting colonies of insects that are allies by | | | | species. |
| providing the right environment of plants etc. This | | | | Birds & butterflies |
| ecological form of pest control and general line of | | | | Birds are attracted and supported by the provision of |
| thought can be extended to many different types of | | | | suitable food and nesting sites, whereas butterflies are |
| interaction between soil, moisture, plants and other | | | | attracted by particular plants. Tall dense hedges or |
| organisms. It takes a different sort of knowledge than | | | | thick wall creepers make good nesting sites for |
| that required for understanding the labels on bottles. | | | | birds-alternatively, special birdboxes can be bought to |
| Ponds | | | | encourage particular species. Your local ornithological |
| The provision of a pond is an important ecological | | | | or natural history society should be able to help you to |
| asset; they can be incorporated into most gardens, | | | | choose one and to decide where to position it. If there |
| however small. They provide habitats for many water | | | | are cats in the neighbourhood, care should be taken |
| creatures whose numbers are threatened and larger | | | | with the siting of any bird-table or nesting box. |