In the last few years, we’ve all become aware of the need for protection for pollinators, and for wildlife in general. The pandemic and the various lockdowns led to areas that were previously mowed regularly being left to grow for a while, and the resulting increase in wildflowers, butterflies, bees, and animal life was directly visible. As a result, we now see the bee signs on motorway verges, indicating that they’re left uncut to accommodate insect life, and there are signs in the corners of many green areas in housing estates across Ireland reading “Managed for Biodiversity”, or the like.
It’s entirely possible to plant things that will help, as well as leaving areas un-mowed or un-pruned, or just not uprooting the dandelions. Among the easiest things are wildflowers, which are best in areas that will be mowed once a year, like old-fashioned hay-meadows. While some wildflower seeds will need to be sown into the soil, there are a number of kinds that can be scattered across what was previously a green lawn or an area of waste ground.
Most of the native plants will appear naturally if you leave an area unattended, mow it once a year (in September, ideally), and take the cuttings away. You’ll see dandelions, yellow rattle, dog daisies, red and white clover, vetch, self-heal, yarrow, knapweed and the fabulously named devilsbit scabious all cropping up.
Trees and shrubs are less easy to predict. Almost any site in Ireland will generate elder, blackthorn and whitethorn (hawthorn) all by itself, and ivy will fill in the gaps, and all of those are good for pollinators and wildlife.
But if you’re reading this, you probably want to be more deliberate about your planting. The following are all excellent choices, with flowers and some berries in season, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit any garden.
- Willow : https://hedging.ie/product/willow-salix/
- Blackthorn : https://hedging.ie/product/blackthorn-bush/
- Crab Apple : https://hedging.ie/product/crab-apple-hedges/
- Hawthorn/Whitethorn : https://hedging.ie/product/whitethorn-hedges/
- Rowan/Mountain Ash : https://hedging.ie/product/mountain-ash-trees/
- Spindle : https://hedging.ie/product/spindle-bush/
- Hazel : https://hedging.ie/product/hazel-hedge/
- Holly : https://hedging.ie/product/holly-hedges/
- Dog Rose : https://hedging.ie/product/dog-rose-hedges
Many of these will also make excellent hedging, and Holly is evergreen. Ivy will, again, appear all by itself, and since it provides wildlife shelter and berries in a season where not much else is available, it’s good to have some. It’s generally understood these days that there are more benefits than drawbacks to it, so you can leave it on trees without doing any harm.
Some careful planting can establish a garden that both looks good and benefits pollinators and wildlife, and by their very nature, they’re low-maintenance. Mow the grass in the autumn and take away the cuttings, and you’re pretty much done!
