Wilder Gardens Workshop: Introduction to Wildlife Gardening

About

Get started creating a garden with nature at its heart in this summer workshop, based at the Heather Corrie Ranger Station at West Blean.

New to gardening or keen to refresh or build on your skills? This workshop introduces how to create a garden that is both beautiful and provides space for nature.

To start, our Wilder Gardens team will talk us through the basics of creating a wildlife-friendly garden, including:

The benefits of a wildlife-friendly garden.
What plants to choose and how to maintain them with nature in mind.
Creating wildlife habitats in your outside space.
Incorporating water into your garden.
What to do with your lawn/mini-meadow.
Naturally managing 'pests' in the garden.
We'll share plenty of tips and inspiration to take home to your green space over the coming year.

Our Nature Parks & Gardens Development Officer will then take us out into the gardens to demonstrate the principles we've discussed in action and provide a tour of the ground's summer highlights. Please be aware that the grounds at the Heather Corrie Ranger Station are a work in progress and not yet open to general visitors, so don't expect an immaculate garden! Instead you'll see how the team have been working to change an overgrown domestic space into a model for climate resilient and wildlife friendly gardening, and hear about plans for the future.

This will be followed by a hands-on activity, such as sowing seeds, propagating or creating bug hotels to take home.

The first part of the workshop will take place indoors, before we head outside for the tour and activity. Please dress appropriately for both, and remember we'll be doing some planting - you may like to bring a pair of gardening gloves if you have them, or let us know if you're a complete beginner and would like to borrow a pair. We'll go ahead in most weathers, but may need to postpone in the case of a severe forecast.