bee & butterfly garden
Bees need pollen & nectar in order to feed the colony. In return, the bees pollinate the flowers, which later in the season produce fruit and seeds. This is beneficial to us as well as a multitude of birds and other wildlife which visit our gardens.
herbaceous and herb gardens
special butterfly gardens to attract native species
Wild Copse
Where the trees have been allowed to grow naturally and fallen twigs and leaves make the soil suitable for all sorts of insects and bugs to inhabit. The children can explore the mini beasts here.
Tropical Bird Aviary
Our tropical Aviary was added this year and is becoming established as the birds have started to raise youngsters in the nest-boxes provided. You can sit quietly and watch them feeding and preening, don’t forget your camera. The birds’ plumage changes as they go through the breeding season, so keep visiting to see the exotic colours.
The plants that help us to do this are, either brightly coloured or highly scented, so in this garden there are...
Solidago (goldenrod), Kniphofia, (red hot pokers) Buddleias, digitalis (foxgloves), Yarrow, Geraniums (cornsbill), Lupins and everything that bees like.
herb gardens
We have planted an herb garden as herbs help to attract bees especially to plants like Borage Rosemary, sage, Bergamot (known as Bee balm) and lavender. On a warm day, the scent is relaxing and is full of bees and butterflies to watch and identify.
Fruit Orchard
This was planted many years ago when it was a cropping farm, but now a trail meanders through the orchard offering a pathway to explore. In spring it is full of blossom, and autumn it bears fruit.
Our Tropical Birds
You might ask why these birds if they are tropical are not in a warm indoor house. Well they have been breed especially in the Northern Europe and they have adapted to the climate. This is good for us as you would not be able to see such birds flying around freely as they do in our aviary. There are over 100 birds in the aviary (not that you will think! as a lot are quite shy and they are nesting too.)
Soft billed means they are seed and fruit eaters and they comprise species you might recognise as household names but slightly more exotic like the Amethyst starling, Emerald starling, Mexican Sparrow, Laughing Thrush and Senegal Doves. As they come into the breeding season they adopt a most exotic plumage so it is worth checking on these rare beauties. We have put up lots of nesting boxes for them to roost in a hopefully to breed.
