Throughout 2011, Harvest will be working to promote the ways that food growing and wildlife diversity ('biodiversity') can go hand in hand. Wildlife is not just for the countryside, it’s an essential part of urban life too! Bees, insects, birds and frogs can all help with food growing and we can help them too – in our gardens, allotments and window boxes. Download the leaflet (pdf, 1.2Mb).

• Three things wildlife can do for you
• Three things you can do for wildlife
• Year-round edible plants for wildlife
• Further information and links

Three things wildlife can do for you:

1. Pollination: Bees, beetles and butterflies can all pollinate your plants, helping to ensure a more bountiful harvest.
   
   
2. Pest control: Frogs and toads eat slugs, many birds snack on caterpillars, and insects like ladybirds eat aphids and flies.
   
   
3. Improved soil: Beetles, earthworms and other insects help to break down dead plant material, which is an essential part of making healthy, fertile soil.

Three things you can do for wildlife:

1. Cut out the chemicals: Use peat-free products and organic methods wherever possible or you might end up hurting beneficial wildlife as well as pests. Slug pellets are particularly harmful –try surrounding young plants with plastic bottles, watering in the morning or using organic pellets or nematodes instead.

 

2. Create habitats to support a range of wildlife, such as:

• Trees and hedges provide food for birds and flowers for bees
• Flowers and wild grass provide nectar and shelter for bees and butterflies
• Ponds will be a home for frogs and toads and provide drinking water for birds
• Build boxes to provide shelter and food for birds, bats and insects
• Compost heaps and log piles provide shelter for a range of wildlife over the colder months

3. Plant and save heritage seeds: Many seeds used in food growing today are ‘F1’ or hybrid seeds, which means that they can’t be saved and replanted. In many cases these seed types are replacing traditional ‘heritage’ or ‘heirloom’ seeds which can be saved. Saved seeds are often better adapted to your environment and soil. By using more of these seeds we can safeguard the future diversity of our plantlife.

• Spring – Love in a Mist (Nigella), Lavender, Oregon grape, Violets, fruit trees and bushes.
• Summer – Cornflowers, poppies, calendula, sunflowers, raspberries and flowering herbs such as sage, oregano, rosemary, mint, comfrey and borage
• Autumn – nasturtiums, raspberries, sedums
• Winter – fruiting bushes or seed-heads can provide food for birds

Further information and links

If you want further guidance on how to support wildlife in your veg patch, you'll find loads of information at the websites listed below.

• Harvest training courses - Course topics include introductions to organic gardening and beekeeping, dealing with pests and diseases organically, seed saving, and more...

 

• Wildlife gardening advice from Natural England - this useful website has lots of informative booklets, simple tips and a discussion forum. We particularly liked their booklet about wildlife on allotments - it's packed with useful ideas for any food growing space.

 

• Wild about gardens - a joint project from the Royal Horticultural Society and the Wildlife Trusts with lots of information about species, habitats and things you can do in your own garden, allotment or containers! Be sure to check out their leaflets on a variety of wildlife topics such as organic pest control and plants for bumblebees.

 

• Perfect for pollinators - The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has produced a helpful list of plants that provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects. At many garden centres and nurseries these plants are now labelled with the RHS 'perfect for pollinators' logo.

 

• The Big Wildlife Garden - use this handy tool to map your space and all the ways you are supporting wildlife, plus get ideas for what else you can do.

 

• Access to Nature - A project from the Sussex Wildlife Trust that helps people engage with nature and improve their local greenspaces. They have created a handy map of wildlife activities around Brighton & Hove.

 

• City Wildlife - The wildlife website for Brighton & Hove. Find out about the huge variety of plants, animals and special places for wildlife and how you can help conserve them.