Its officially the worst start to the year in history, we have had the wettest January since records began more than 100 years ago and it looks like the rain wont be stopping anytime soon! I am itching to get up my allotment and start getting it ready for the year ahead but alas, like everyone else I am stuck inside watching my potatoes slowing chit away and dreaming about Spring time. There is a plus side to this bad weather mind you, I have had time to actually sit down and plan my little wildlife friendly flower patch so when it comes to planting all the flowers and making the houses I will be well away (hopefully!)
I have always wanted to grow flowers and I am in love with wild flower meadows, the small delicate flowers simply look beautiful in a small vase on the table. Some of the flowers which I would like to grow are ox-eye daisies, field poppies, cosmea dwarf, gypsophila and scabious. I also want to grow some Verbena which I just adore, as well as some sweet peas and some dill which I think look beautiful as a cut flower! Giant sunflowers will also grace my plot, I just love everything about sunflowers and they would look great lined up next to my shed (and afterwards they can be a treat for the birds!) Another reason for planting flowers in my allotment is the beneficial factor of the bees and what they will bring with them. My fruit bed which will consist of blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries will all rely on insects to bring about pollination. Some of my vegetables will also benefit from the bees, such as my broad beans, french beans and my pumpkins.
Along with catering for the bees I also would like to create a haven for other wildlife such as hedgehogs, bugs and birds. My plan is to try and make some houses using reclaimed wood and materials which I already have at home or I can pick up at my local reclamation yard. I already have my hedgehog house all planned out and I have been inspired by Pinterest with all the pretty bug houses which have been made using bricks, tiles, bamboo, fircones etc. My bird house is painted to match my shed and is ready to be put up, I have a bird bath and a floor feeding station which I might change to a hanging feeder simply because it will stop the pigeons swooping in. Now all I need is some sun and I can get started!