Herald - Issue 403

Page 46 • The HERALD • 11th March 2021 v GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE HERALD v | DOWN THE GARDEN PATH | 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 Innovators in Metal Quality Iron Works Guaranteed. Small and Large jobs undertaken, from gates and railings to weathervanes & Curtain Poles. Call Nathan on 07500 016546 customerservices@phoenixironworks.co.uk www.phoenixironworks.co.uk Unit B, Brokenford Business Centre, Brokenford Lane, Totton, Southampton, SO40 9LZ Surfaced spaces needn’t exclude wildlife! Gravel can o en be the most wildlife-friendly solution for a particular area. Surfaced spaces have all kinds of uses. You may need o -street parking, or a low-maintenance alternative to a lawn; a path running between ower beds, or just somewhere to sit and enjoy the garden. ere are many surfaces to choose from – paving slabs, poured concrete, granite sets, bricks, decking, turf… But, on balance, gravel can be one of the more hospitable options when it comes to wildlife. Not only is it low-maintenance and relatively cheap for you, but it provides the perfect environment for drought-tolerant planting, attracting wildlife when other parts of the garden may not. Planning your gravel garden: • Find a sunny position for your gravel garden as this is best for drought-tolerant plants. • Decide on the shape of the area you want to gravel and mark it out, including areas for planting. Make sure that you give the plants room to spread about. An informal, uid shape is most suitable for this style. • Consider incorporating a gravel pool into your garden to maximise its wildlife appeal. • Research your planting. A gravel garden naturally lends itself to Mediterranean-style, drought-tolerant planting, so lavender, Euphorbia, rock rose, cotton lavender and Phlomis are ideal and provide plenty of nectar for visiting insects. Gravel provides the perfect environment for drought- tolerant planting, attracting wildlife when other parts of the garden may not Establishing your gravel garden: • Rake the area to gravel. It should sit about 5cm (2in) below the surrounding ground to allow for the layer of gravel mulch. • If your soil is not naturally sandy or gravelly, it might be necessary to dig to a depth of about 5cm (2in), incorporating plenty of grit or gravel and some well-rotted organic matter. • Plant up the bed with suitable drought-tolerant planting. Laying a weed-suppressing membrane at this stage helps prevent weeds, but also makes it more di cult for your chosen plants to self-seed, so you might choose not to – the wildlife will be happier too. • Once planted, the bed can be mulched with 5cm (2in) gravel or shingle. Try to match the colour to other paved or stone structures in the garden. • A gravel pool is easily built by digging out a shallow hole to an approximate depth of 30cm (12in) in the centre with sloping sides. Like a normal pond, this is lined with a butyl liner and the edges are buried around the sides in a trench or under large stones. Lay a thin layer of soil over the base and then a 5cm (2in) layer of 0.5-1cm (1/4-1in) gravel or shingle, adding a few larger stones for variety. Fill How to Make a Gravel Garden for Wildlife Information from RHS and The Wildlife Trusts Continued on page 47