Wildlife gardening - woodlands

If completely left to her own devices, Mother Nature will revert land back to woodland, and certainly a woodland offers an incredibly diverse range of food and shelter for many species. The native oak can support over 250 species of insect alone, not to mention the shelter and food for birds and mammals and conditions for mosses, lichens and fungi. Trees provide us with shelter from the rain, wind and sun and provide us with ever-changing sights and sounds.

Forward planning is important when considering planting a woodland. Be sure you have the space for mature trees (especially space away from buildings) before you put saplings in. Failure to do so will result in the destruction of your woodland habitat before it reaches maturity. You want enough space (widthways and upwards!) for your trees, plus any necessary space for light to reach your woodland floor through the canopy - glades are a natural part of a woodland, allowing important grasses and flowers to grow.

Plant your trees in an uneven way, rather than in grids or rows. Choose native deciduous trees:

• Sessile oak Quercus petraea
• Ash Fraxinus excelsior
• Silver birch Betula pendula
• Aspen Populus tremula

Underplant, or surround with a shrub layer:

• Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
• Holly Ilex aquifolium
• Hazel Corylus avellana

Intersperse with honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum. On the woodland floor, plant native species of fern and woodland flowers such as wood anemone Anemone nemerosa and bluebell Endymion non-scriptus. Try to avoid the pale, stout, non-native Spanish bluebell Endymion hispanicus.

To give your woodland a head start, scatter the woodland floor with dead leaves, bark and branches, establishing shelter for woodland creatures which will colonise as the woodland develops.

  If your space is limited and you cannot grow large trees, you can still provide nesting space for birds by putting up nesting boxes and roosting pockets as well as putting out food in the winter. Boxes come in all shapes and sizes for different bird species. Basic rules for siting nest boxes are: a. not too hot; b. not too exposed; c. away from predators (i.e. - fairly high up, or very well hidden in shrub layers). If you want to treat the timber used for constructing your nest box, ensure that the treatment is wildlife friendly.

In Cornwall we are limited for space and many of the wild open spaces we once enjoyed have been turned over to development or intensive agriculture. We can take some responsibility for preserving wild Cornwall by setting aside what space of our own we do have for wildlife. Just avoiding the use of some chemical pesticides and fertilisers will benefit wildlife - avoiding the use of slug pellets would give you a flying start. Slug pellets can potentially kill more than just slugs and snails - songbirds, hedgehogs, reptiles and amphibians are at risk. There is no better place to start preserving wildlife than in our own gardens. A lot can be achieved in a small space with a little planning and determination, and the effects can be enjoyed from your own kitchen window!

• Wildlife gardening
  • The wildflower meadow
  • Butterfly borders
  • Pond and wetland areas

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