The Gardens

This page shares the Gardens through the years.

The Gardens - 2018

Now into our third year as a community gardens we are seeing fruits and nuts growing more profusely on our orchard trees. This year Sally made up a natural bug spray that has successfully kept green and black fly at bay - it really works!

RECIPE

1tbsp garlic powder -dissolved in boiling water

1dsp cayenne pepper - dissolved in boiling water

1 large handful fresh mint - roughly chopped

1 large squirt washing up liquid

1 pint warm water

Place all ingredients (except washing up liquid) in a pan over a gentle heat and bring to a simmering/rolling boil. Turn off and let stand until cold. Add washing up liquid, strain and put into a spray mist bottle. Use every two weeks during spring to deter bugs.

A purple hairstreak has been spotted and some meadow brown butterflies and this year sees our first water lily in the pond. Several species of butterfly and dragonfly have flitted through during June and July but were so fast it was impossible to take any photos!

redcurrants from the Orchard

meadow brown butterfly on a daisy

a pair of treecreepers were spotted in the woodland habitat on July 15th

our buddleias are attracting bees as

well as butterflies

Jersey Tiger Moth seen in the Orchard

Speckled Wood Butterfly

water lily in the pond

one of the fledged robins born in the Gardens this year.

a snail up a tree!

another first for us this year -

a leaf cutter bee

planting out the sunflowers and sweet peas

The Gardens - 2017

We attracted several wildlife species in 2017 including two badgers, a dog fox, a long tailed field mouse, emerald dragonflies, a holly blue butterfly, a painted lady butterfly, honeybees and a wide variety of bumblebees.

This year we have created a night garden for the benefit of bats and moths. Because of the Lime trees nearby we often spot the stunning Lime Hawk moth.

Ongoing work on the pond and mini meadow are reaping their rewards now as our snake's head fritillaries begin to show, primroses nod gracefully, and the water plants are establishing well. We introduced some tadpoles into the pond in May and two frogs have recently been spotted

Our local badger Long Tailed Field Mouse

Lime Hawk Moth

Adult Dog Fox

Two Badgers

Tadpole Release - May 4th 2017

The Night Garden

for the benefit of moths & bats

Work began in May 2017 to establish our Night Garden by putting up two bat boxes and preparing a new flowerbed along with further development of the woodland habitat to include moths.

We ordered night scented flowers, including jasmin, honeysuckle and white buddleja plus a blacklight and lantern to attract them to the area.

Bats are a protected species and so we will be leaving their boxes well alone now they are up. We will be checking regularly for signs of use by looking out for bat guano at the base of the tree.

Bats have been regularly seen on the Estate and it is hoped that a bat expert will visit us sometime in the future so that we can have a bat hunt.

We've had one or two other noctunal visitors including a ferret/polecat, a fox and two badgers. Considering this is an urban environment it is very active at night!

Poplar hawk moth

elephant hawk moth

Bufftip moths

Buffarches moth

Scalloped oak moth

Black arches moth

Our Moth Watch - July 15th 2017

Frog & Toad Hotel

Paradise Gardens Wildlife - 2017

We installed our Frog & Toad Hotel on 14th November 2017 using large stone slabs, pebbles and earth. We filled the habitat with dry leaves and twigs so that it was all snug and cozy for any amphibians passing through. We also met a new Paradise Gardener - Mark - who will be helping out around the Gardens. Hello and a very warm welcome Mark!

Mark found a beetle that he took away with him to try and identify......he knows rather a lot about bugs, so I have a feeling that there sure to be a bug hunt happening at some point around the Gardens!

AUGUST 2016

Wildlife Pond Area

The pond area is coming along nicely - we have planted purple loosestrife, knapweed, water mint, yarrow, water avens, irises, marigold, teasel, geum, vetch and more and next year should see a wonderful showing of colour there.

Wildlife Habitat Area

There is now a corrugated slab for creepy crawlies in place plus a

mini logpile and plans are afoot to build our own hedgehog

hibernation house shortly. Spring bulbs are also going in soon.

Community Orchard

We will be re-planting raspberry canes as they didn't take in the Spring

Bumblebee and Bug Border

An ongoing project that did extremely well planted out with green manure this year - now moving into planting out perennials

And not forgetting what we have already established in the honeybee and butterfly flower beds which should have an excellent showing of pollinator plants this year.

The Gardens - 2016

Bufftails on Echinacea

solitary bee species

Describe your image.

Red Admiral

Describe your image.

Busy being a Bee

Holly Blue butterfly

Describe your image.

Bufftip moths

Describe your image.

Buffarches Moth

Describe your image.

Scalloped Oak moth

Blackarches moth

Male & Female badger

Dog Fox

A Polecat or Ferret

April 2015 saw the reclaiming of two flower beds which have had a wonderful showing of flowers this year. We have made a start on our 3rd flower bed area which will be dedicated to bumblebees and includes a mini stumpery. Plans have now turned to our small woodland area where we have just created a wildlife pond and will be planting out woodland flowers like bluebells, primroses, fritillaries and foxgloves to provide flowers for the pollinators.

Here are a few images of our first year's wild flower and shrub plantings in the bee and butterfly gardens. September until first frost will see us creating more flower beds to autumn sew seeds ready for a spring and early summer showing in 2016.

Waiting for the Others

Prize Giving

We were the 2016 1st prize winners of a county wide Gardening Competition. Well done us!

Planting Trees

Little Treasure

We found Wormsies

Friends

Each child was given their own mini gardening set as part of their prize

Get Set Grow

Learning how to care for our Orchard

Get Set Grow

Tea break in the Orchard

Compost Making

Very Interesting!

Self Watering Tubs

We learnt how to do this and planted out strawberries and herbs

Gardening Gloves very important!

The Gardens - 2015

1000 wild flower seeds

A diverse range of colourful flowers to sew between March and May

Fritillary for our pond area

Generously donated to us from Houndwood Community Project. Thank you Guy and Jackie!

bird box in the wildlife garden

2 birdboxes now occupied with blue tits & robins!

From Seeds to Flowers

One of our pollinator patches

Sunflowers

In the bee and butterfly border

A Young Toad

Toad's Toadery!

Sedums

An absolute must for any honeybee border.

Painted Lady Butterfly

A visitor to our Gardens in 2015

Hedgehog

We appear to have several hedgehogs that visit various gardens every night. We will shortly have a hedgehog house and feeding station ready for hibernation