A partnership between Redrow and the RSPB is helping to ‘Give Nature a Home’ in Bedfordshire.
The award-winning housebuilder has worked closely with the bird and wildlife charity to produce a long-term strategy to improve the site of its new Caddington Woods development near Chaul End for nature.
Along with new homes the development will include wildflower meadows, tree planting, ponds, and pocket wetlands. New footpaths will meander through new wildlife friendly grassland around the edges of the development, next to the existing woodland.
Landscape gardeners from the TCL Group have created four interlinked show gardens to demonstrate how homeowners can provide homes for nature in their own gardens.
Redrow is working with the RSPB to provide homes for nature at Caddington Woods.
The show home gardens at Caddington Woods are designed to be wildlife friendly.
When it comes to homes for humans, Caddington Woods has plenty to offer, featuring three, four and five-bedroom designs from the sought-after Heritage Collection. Current prices start from £371,995.
The show homes, including the gardens, are open for viewing daily from 10am to 5.30pm. For more information see www.redrow.co.uk/caddington or call 01582 788 194.
Plant a variety of native and non-native trees and shrubs. Avoid invasive non-native species.
Aim to have something flowering through every month of the year. But avoid double-bloomed hybrids which have little or no nectar.
Grow herbaceous perennial, biennial and annual plants in borders.
Plants have different shaped flowers and flower heads, preventing insects competing with each other for pollen and nectar. Growing different kinds of plants helps more pollinators reach the nectar they need.
Larger gardens may have room for an area of flower rich lawn. Flower rich turf is available to purchase or you could create your own by removing an area of turf, raking the surface of the soil, sowing the seed and using the back of the rake to firm the seed into contact with the soil.
If you’re not keen on long grass, there are seed mixes and turfs with flower species that don’t mind regular mowing – providing you don’t cut it too short all the time.
Discrete piles of logs and woody cuttings left at the back of shrub beds are great for all kinds of wildlife including different invertebrates.
You can also use larger logs to create a focal feature point by laying them horizontally or vertically among flowering border plants.
Ponds are the most wildlife rich home you could create in a garden as they are quickly colonised.
Smaller alternatives include a raised water feature in an old sink or very large plant tub.
Even a small bird bath can provide water where insects and other wildlife may come to drink or bathe.
For more tips and ideas, visit www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife.
Luke Kelly explores the show gardens at Caddington Woods.