Trudi Wynn from Selby explains how she has created an inspiring, smaller garden for wildlife
New beginnings
Three years ago I downsized, leaving behind a very large wildlife garden my late husband and I built over 20 years. Apart from mature trees and overgrown hedges on the boundary, a lovely cedar tree in the middle of the lawn and a large overgrown laurel, my new garden was a blank canvas.
I have been a keen wildlife gardener for the past 30 years so wanted to create a garden that embraced the natural world. I set about lifting turf to make new flower beds; removing lots of bricks and old bits of flag stones was hard work. I planted some wildflowers and scattered wildflower seed and added a new hedge and some trees. dge newts
Adding habitats for wildlife
One of my biggest projects was to dig wildlife ponds, which are filled mainly with native plants. Now in their second year, they are teaming with life. I have seen newts, beetles, dragonflies and damselflies and was thrilled to have my first frog spawn this year.
I built bug hotel seats from some gabion baskets and even had a go at making the wood lids myself. As well as the wildflowers I grow a lot of perennials to encourage bees and other insects. Last year a neighbour got some bee hives and I love seeing all the honey bees collecting the pollen.
Natural methods
I haven’t used chemicals for years, once the diversity of wildlife grows things tend to take care of themselves. I don’t feed the birds but the garden has lot
