Saturday 10 August 2013

The Wildlife Allotment




Vegetable Plots Designed to Benefit Wildlife

a) Hedgehog Plot. compost bins, brambles, piles of leaves
b) Bird Plot. unprotected fruit bushes, cherry trees and seeds
c) Fox Plot. strawberries to attract squirrels, trees for shade, old carpet for comfort, plastic ducks for play
d) Bee Plot. wild flowers for nectar
e) Butterfly Plot. brassica caterpillar food and flowers for nectar
f) Beetle Plot. rotting old planks & wood for larvae, aphid attracting plants for food
g) Worm Plot. bricks and old plant pots to hid under, dandelions (they seem to like their roots)
h) Snail Plot. cardoons (tasty!)
i) Rat Plot. lots of ripe squashes left uncollected
j) Mouse Plot. strawberries & broad bean seeds
k) Frog Plot. a pond with rocks and old logs.    

4 comments:

  1. How very clever. I love the idea of making plots for different things. My favorite is the frog plot. Ha-you can keep the rat plot.
    I have a plot of weeds (wild milkweed and goldenrod)I let grow on purpose right in the middle of my garden and it seems to keep the pests of the stuff I want. It's also a great conversation starter--drives my neighbor batty!
    :D

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    1. thanks Sue, I like a lot of plants that are considered weeds. Dandelions are one of my favourites and its often a struggle both emotionally and physically to dig them up. But it has to be done, except for a few token ornamental specimens. Creeping Cinquefoil is a different matter though!

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  2. I like the way it's both a plan and 3D. The fox seems to be guarding it all. But I feel you have missed out the very important slug plot - which of course would be completely empty!

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    1. thats a good point and a plot for the benefit of slugs could have almost anything planted on it. But there is a snail plot, which in the picture I've planted a solitary cardoon as a symbol of surrender, because I've given up on the one in our front garden. After years of de-snailing its still a complete wreck, I know when I'm beaten.

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