Bobservation No. 58: Wildlife Gardening


Gardening for Wildlife

The global decline in wildlife should encourage us to try to redress this trend in our gardens. Accordingly we should break away from ‘tidy’ gardening and now do whatever we can to encourage wildlife . Our garden flower beds should be almost entirely stocked with shrubs and flowers that are bird, bee and butterfly friendly, and the number of bees of various types will improve a great deal and butterfly numbers will increase. Vegetable areas should incorporate wild flowers extensively to encourage bees. Wildlife can be helped by leaving unkempt areas wherever possible, for instance small piles of fallen wood, and we can introduce an insect ‘hotel’ perhaps based on unwanted pallets. All garden waste should be composted and bonfires should be unnecessary. Our efforts should include lawn mowing as little as possible and by trying to let clover, daisies, buttercups etc. increase on either side of  paths. Carbon footprints can be reduced by allowing saplings to flourish into mature trees.

The point I am making is that it is not terribly difficult to join the ecological revolution in an attempt, however small, to protect the world we are passing on to our children and grandchildren.

Fulking Fair

Just another reminder that Fulking Fair and Allsorts Fun Dog Show will be on Sunday 28 July. Please make every effort to encourage friends and family to come along. We have some great stalls, many in the Street, music, food, drink and games for everyone. The Social Committee have put a lot of hard work into making this a really enjoyable event and need your support. It would help if villagers could avoid driving in the Street from 12 till 5pm if at all possible.

Hedgehog Awareness Week starts today

Hedgehog house
Recapitulating the great migration of English agricultural workers to the cities of 100+ years ago, rural hedgehogs are now moving to suburbia. If you would like to keep Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle in your Fulking garden and discourage her from moving to Mile Oak, then you need to offer her some incentives. You could, for example, provide a hole in the fence that would allow her to enjoy the fine slugs that your neighbours breed on their lettuce patch. Or you (or your children) could even build her a house.

Newtimber Place Gardens

Newtimber Place NGS
The gardens at Newtimber Place will be open as part of the NGS (National Gardens Scheme) on Sunday 14th April between 2:00pm and 5:30pm. The gardens are lovely at this time of year with stunning daffodils and beautiful fritillaries. Beautiful Grade I listed C16/C17 moated house (not open). Gardens and woods full of bulbs and wild flowers in spring. Herbaceous border and lawns. Moat flanked by water plants. Mature trees. Wild garden, ducks, chickens and fish. Tea and home-made cakes in aid of the church. There are ducks, chickens and guinea fowl wandering around so dogs need to be kept on a lead. Admission £5.00, children free.

Saddlescombe Farm

Feeding lambs

Lambing Open Days — 30th and 31st March plus 6th and 7th April 2019, 10:00am–4:00pm. No need to book — just turn up.

Please join us on our working family farm for our annual lambing open days. We open the farm gates for visitors to see us at our busiest time and share with us the hustle and bustle of our farmyard during lambing. Visitors will see newborn lambs and maybe a lamb being born, an amazing experience. We are keen to share the respect and care we give our sheep and the vital role they play in managing the precious species rich chalk downland on the South Downs. Other highlights include bale climbing, pigs, tractor and trailer rides (weather permitting), BBQ, and vegetarian food from the Wildflour Cafe.