Summer has quietly been and gone without many of us
realising that it had ever actually arrived. The weather over the summer has
been a rollercoaster ride going from one extreme to another and back
again. Almost overnight the September
temperatures have dropped and there is a feeling in the air, Autumn is on its
way.
Despite all that the weather has thrown at us this year the
late summer borders are looking their best and are full of vibrant yellows,
oranges and reds. If you have borders in full sun the best plants for late
flower colour are Rudbeckia, Helenium, Crocosmia and Sedums. They look even
better when intermingled with grasses, in our garden we use stipa tenuissima
and deschampsia which turns a lovely golden colour in the autumn.
A lot of the plants that we use in the garden attract a
variety of bees and hoverflies. This time of year the garden is literally
buzzing, with every available plant covered in insects busy collecting pollen
and nectar. I am not a great fan of ivy and it is growing on one of the
boundary walls, but at this time of year when it is in flower, the bees cannot
get enough of it. It is a great sight to see.
Unfortunately, the volatile summer weather has done no favours
for our wildlife. According to the RSBP
the wet, cold spring has taken its toll on the number of young birds this year.
Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but the sustained rain and colder than
usual temperatures could have made it more difficult for chicks to survive. It
has also been a bad year for bumblebees especially in flooded areas. Many
species nest in the ground so their nests are likely to have been destroyed.
Whilst the warm, dry spell in parts of the country will have been too late for
many bees, it would have been a welcome relief for others. It is also thought
to be the worst year for butterflies as they can’t fly in the rain and they
need warmth to fly and breed, so little sunshine and lots of rain will disrupt
their breeding, putting local populations at risk of dying out.
So what can we do to help? We can ensure that birds get fit
for the breeding season by putting out food for them, leaving piles of leaves
under shrubs so that the birds can find beetles and insect larvae, and maybe
plant a shrub for its berries. Also, plant flowers now to boost food
availability for bees and butterflies, or plan ahead and increase food supplies
for next year. If you want to help further, you could keep a patch of long
grass for meadow brown, speckled wood and ringlet butterflies to breed in next
year.
Spring seems to be a long way off, but it will
soon be here and now is the time to be planting your daffodils if you have not
already done so. They need a long growing season, so the sooner they are in the
ground the better the flowers will be come spring. Tulips however can be
planted right up to Christmas and will still flower well next year.
