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LIFE

Aug/Sept 2011 www.esb.ie/em

How to bring wildlife into your garden this summer…

Bring your garden to life

GERRY DALY

GARDENING

The ideal garden for wildlife has a bit of everything and that is the direction in which gardening has been going in recent years. The more varied the plants grown, the more varied the habitat and the greater the number of wildlife species that can be accommodated in their needs.

WILDLIFE OF ALL kinds can use a garden, from the tiniest bacteria that decompose plant material in a compost heap to large, not always welcome, visitors, such as badgers or deer. It is not necessary for wildlife to live permanently in a garden but simply to visit occasionally. The visit might be to feed, or to rest, or to hide, sometimes to nest or to hibernate.

To make your garden suitable for wildlife, it should have flowers, shrubs and trees, including some of the evergreen and berrying kinds. Areas of lawn, some weedy corners, a compost heap and a wildlife pond each extend the attractiveness of a garden. Trees and shrubs offer shelter and food to a wide range of creatures, insects, birds and small mammals. Even bats can be encouraged by the shelter of trees and the still air that encourages moths to fly at twilight.

Birds need places to hide from attack by hawks and to make nests so that they can raise fledglings successfully. Feeding birds from a table or nut-feeders all year round helps to sustain the population of garden birds. Many species of birds feed on the ground, eating seeds and insects, others feed over lawn areas, eating worms and grubs such as leather jackets.

An area of dry soil will encourage solitary bees. Bumble bees like holes in a dry bank. There should even be tolerance shown to wasps, which feed on caterpillars and are harmless if not disturbed. Butterflies can be encouraged by nectar-rich plants such as buddleia, sedum and origanum.

A garden pond encourages all forms of wildlife — many kinds of animals come to drink, including swallows that drink on the wing. Lots of aquatic kinds of insects, including spectacular dragonflies and damsel flies will breed in a pond, along with diving beetles and whirligigs. Make sure the sides of a wildlife pond slope very gently to allow safe access. Place a layer of soil in the bottom of a wildlife pond to make a layer for insect life.

Fruit and vegetables can encourage wildlife that come to eat or to eat the eaters, such as slugs. Fallen fruit is valuable food for birds, butterflies and small mammals. The compost heap is an important habitat for compost worms and insects, these in turn are food for birds.

Some weeds are important, especially a clump or two of nettles, which are important food plants for several kinds of butterflies, notably the small tortoiseshell. Dandelions are important food for bees in early spring. With small adjustments, the garden can be a haven for wildlife!

SHASTA DAISY

An old-fashioned cottage garden flower, Shasta daisy has been popular in gardens ever since its introduction from America just over a century ago. Although it looks like a wild plant, this was deliberately bred by an American nurseryman who like the wild white daisy of roadsides and wanted something as pretty for the garden. He succeeded well and the Shasta daisy became a great hit. It is easily grown, produces masses of brilliantly white daisies and never suffers from pests or disease. It was popular in cottage gardens because any small piece could be used to make a new plant. Try it will blazing red crocosmias, blue aconitum and yellow lysimachia – superb!

Ask Gerry

“I have a small boggy area near my house and I want to grow some trees or shrubs in it but it is regularly visited by a family of deer! What can I sow that they will not be interested in eating? I also have a slope in the garden which they also invade?”

The best trees for a small area of wet ground are alder and willow. Alder is a quick-growing native tree and white willow is also native and thrives in wet soil. Of the two, alder is a better bet because deer like to eat willow on occasion, as do most grazing animals. Deer tend to visit a garden only occasionally and do not stay long, but they can do some damage. Fortunately alder is robust and not much damaged.

Plenty to do in Dubrovnik

TONY CLAYTON-LEA

TRAVEL

Whether it’s the marble streets, the exceptional seafood, the sparkling azure sea or the great surrounding beaches, one thing is for sure: Dubrovnik is a destination that lures visitors back again and again. There is surely nowhere better in the world to combine an urban adventure with a relaxing beach-style break on one of Europe’s most dramatically beautiful coastlines.

Contained within imposing medieval city walls, the pale marble streets of Dubrovnik give the city a uniquely aristocratic air that speaks of its wealthy status in the 15th and 16th centuries. No wonder it has been such a popular holiday destination with writers, royalty and celebrities in the past, from George Bernard Shaw to the late Pope John Paul II. And all around you are great city beaches, glorious luxury hotels and the breathtaking scenery of the wonderful Croatian Riviera.

One of Dubrovnik’s most recognisable features is its walls, which run over three kilometres around the city. Walking around them is a brilliant way to experience some breathtaking views, but make sure you bring a hat – there’s very little shade up there! The late 15th-century Rector’s Palace is an exceptional Gothic-Renaissance structure and the atrium here is often used as a concert venue during the summer months. Plus, during this seasonal period you’ll find the city is set alight thanks to the oldest cultural festival in the world – the Dubrovnik Summer Festival – which finishes at the end of August. And whatever happens, don’t miss Dubrovnik’s best beaches with their famously clear turquoise waters – try Banje, Copacabana and Lapad for starters.

Hungry? You won’t go without for long. It’s hard to imagine a restaurant with a more idyllic location than Lokanda Peskarija (Na Ponti; www.mea-culpa.hr) with its large white canopies that flutter over neatly packed harbour side tables. And with delicious servings of fresh seafood, it’s the kind of place you walk into for a quick lunch and still find yourself there several hours later.

If it’s super-fresh, uncomplicated seafood you’re after, then don’t miss Kamince (Gunduliceva poljana 8), with mussels, oysters and grilled fish. The outdoor tables buzz with informal atmosphere and prices are very reasonable.

For something a little more special, try Nautika (Brsalje 3; esculap-teo-hr), with a stunning terrace at the edge of the sea by the entrance to the Old Town.

As with restaurants, you’ll find a wide range of hotels that will suit your pockets. Most of Dubrovnik’s hotels, however, lie outside the city walls – the exception is the stylish and exceptionally boutique property, the Pucic Palace (www.thepucicpalace.com). With only 19 rooms, a feeling of exclusivity dominates here with polished parquet flooring, stone walls and three restaurants. For something a little less pricey, the little cottage of Vesna (www.vesna-cottage.com) at Lapad is perfect for families looking for a relaxing, calm break – it has a lush garden and refreshingly bright, quirky décor, it comfortably sleeps four, and is located just three kilometres from the Old Town. For a mid range option with a little bit of luxury at a reassuringly reasonable cost, try the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa (radissonblu.com), which delivers modern rooms, a cool spa and excellent amenities.