Herald - Issue 387

v THE HERALD - YOUR COMMUNITY MAGAZINE v 2nd April 2020 • The HERALD • Page 59 GARDEN MAINTENANCE Covering the New Forest and Totton GRASS CUTTING, HEDGE TRIMMING, SHRUBS & SMALL TREES PRUNED, WEEDING & WINTER TIDY UP etc No Job Too Small Contact Christian 07780 479776 Contact Nick 07825 662955 or 023 8017 3186 (office) • Local Domestic and Commercial Tree Surgeons • Hedging work • Tree reductions • Thinning • Tree dismantles • Arboricultural reports and Surveys • Fencing Free no obligation quotation, and free advice E: enquiries@langleyarb.com W: www.langleyarb.com RPD Landscapes Building & Paving • Patios • Driveways • Fencing • Turfing • Brickwork • All Property Repairs Free Estimates 07707 390791 023 8007 0386 | DOWN THE GARDEN PATH | Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH or email editor@herald-publishing.co.uk All animals need water to survive. By providing a water source in your garden, you can invite in a whole menagerie! Water is essential for wildlife to thrive, but it isn’t just for drinking. Amphibians like newts, frogs and toads use water as shelter and breeding grounds. Butter ies get valuable minerals and salts from slightly muddy water, and birds use water to bathe and remove parasites. Just about any stand of water in your yard, from a tiny puddle to a pond, will be used by one kind of animal or another. To make it as appropriate as possible, ensure your water source is shallow with gradual and rough-textured edges, so that anything that climbs in can get out again. Water is essential for wildlife to thrive, but it isn’t just for drinking! During hot summer weather, it is important to have plenty of water for animals and birds to drink and bathe in. But don’t stop there! It is also important to keep the water topped up during the chilly winter months as sources of water can become frozen and more di cult to nd. If you install a bird bath, make sure it has gradual edges and is roughly textured. If you want to go the extra mile, hanging a drip jug above your bird bath will attract more birds as they hear the dripping water. Top tips for providing water for wildlife: • Put water where you can watch the activity as you’re not going to want to miss anything! • Use a specially made bird bath, or just a bowl on the oor – you’ll attract di erent creatures to di erent settings. • Place water for birds near a shrub or tree as they like to approach from a place of safety. • Watch for predators such as cats. • Leave water where you can easily access it for cleaning and lling. • Introduce a small, shallow or running water feature and provide water for birds, as well as butter ies and other insects. Even an old sink can be turned into a water feature! • Dig a pond and attract even more wildlife into your garden, from frogs and toads, to dragon ies and herons! Remember to provide shallow edges so anything that falls in can get back out again. Remember: When temperatures drop, water freezes, making it di cult for wildlife to nd fresh water to drink. Break the water on bird baths daily or replace with tepid water. HOW TO PROVIDE WATER FOR WILDLIFE Information from RHS 2019 saw the construction of the Healthy Haven garden at the Red and Green Practice in Hythe. With only a few volunteers, great strides were made with the introduction of a wide variety of plants in the raised beds. e garden now has the potential to be a great resource for patients. For those who just want to sit and enjoy the quiet it is open every day the surgery is open. However, it doesn’t look a er itself and patients who enjoy working with plants and the exercise associated with gardening are invited to join the team of volunteers to help with the upkeep. How to volunteer If you have some time available contact Chris who will tell you how you can help. ere is no set time. Come when you can, leave when you must. Contact Chris Bennett on 023 8084 2006, mobile 07795 976807 or email: chrismb@hotmail.com Spring in the Garden