Welcome to the May edition of our wildlife-friendly gardening blog. 

May is arguably one of the loveliest months in the British countryside. Uncut verges of ‘Dorset lace’ (cow parsley), sweet vernal grass, stitchwort and hawkbits, to name just a few, look stunning at this time of year and provide important food and shelter for insects, small mammals and birds. Since the 1930’s we have shockingly lost over 97% of our wildflower meadows. So, appropriately managed verges are good for wildlife and for us – it is estimated that road verges may be the only daily contact with nature for over 23 million commuters - another shocking statistic.  

You can help by creating a mini wildflower meadow in your garden. Check out our mini meadow guide for top tips on how to bring your patch to life with a blaze of colourful wildflowers. The easiest thing you can do, however, is to stop mowing your lawn and wait to see what comes up. You can do this for a month with No Mow May or, even better, pack away the mower for the whole summer! Think of all that free time you will gain and the energy (yours and the electricity/petrol) you will save. There is lots more information in our wild-about-lawns guide. 

One of the native wildflowers that may already be in your garden is our species of the month: mouse eared hawkweed. This pretty plant will provide pollen and nectar for lots of insects, including the shiny green, and appropriately named, thick-legged flower beetle. Another visitor to your garden in May, especially on warm evenings, are common cockchafers. These harmless, but awkward and noisy, flying beetles are also called ‘May bugs’ and are attracted to light. 

As wildlife friendly gardeners, we are spoilt for choice with the range of plants in flower this time of year. Short lived perennials like foxgloves, summer bulbs like alliums and native shrubs such as elderflower all provide food and shelter for insects and other invertebrates. Think about filling any gaps you have with later flowering perennials such as hardy geraniums, Phlox, Astrantia or sea holly. Look out for the RHS ‘plants for pollinators’ logo on garden centre plants or, if you are buying from a local nursery or at a plant sale, choose plants that the insects are visiting - they know what they like! Don’t forget to look for plants grown in peat-free compost. 

Containers and tubs provide a great opportunity to increase your wildlife friendly space. Don’t be tempted by the ‘frilly’ doubles – as mentioned before these aren’t particularly good for pollinators. Instead choose simple flowers which insects can access. Herbs, for example, can make an attractive display if left to flower, and as containers are more susceptible to drying out, drought tolerant plants such as thyme, sage, and oregano are a good choice. There are lots of things you can do for wildlife in a small space – take a look at our leaflet for more ideas.  

With lots of lush growth appearing on hedges and shrubs, it may be tempting to give them a haircut. Remember it is illegal to disturb nesting birds during the bird nesting season (March to September). The best thing is to leave everything until September, but if you do need to trim, you must be completely confident there are no nesting birds present. If you have watched an area for several days and there is no sign of birds regularly popping into the vegetation, it should be safe to trim. You must, however, still check the vegetation before starting. Hand tools are recommended as these are easier to stop if you encounter any wildlife. Have a look at our birds and bushes leaflet for tips on the best shrubs for wildlife. 

If you have got space for trees and shrubs, it may be worth creating a woodland edge garden. This habitat can offer wildlife the best of both worlds – sunny open areas for butterflies and shady, quiet areas for small mammals like hedgehogs.  

Could you join our team of wildlife-friendly gardeners? If you take at least six actions for wildlife, you might be eligible for one of our garden plaques. 

Look out for more wildlife friendly and sustainable gardening tips in next month’s blog. 

Thank you for helping wildlife! Working together we can help create a Wilder Dorset!