Wonderful Wildlife Gardens

There is plenty of inspiration for wildlife friendly gardeners this spring, with a new series of open gardens. The Wildlife Wonder Gardens are being opened on behalf of Dorset Wildlife Trust by gardening members, letting you behind the hedges to see how you can make your garden wildlife friendly.

Something for all the family

Wildlife Wonder Gardens have something for all the family, with Dorset Wildlife Trust staff joining the owners to provide gardening and wildlife advice as well as activities for children. All the gardens have an abundance of wildlife and great examples of what you can do at home on your own patch.

Start gardening with wildlife in mind

Fiona Sansom, Supporter Development Manager at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to all the hosts for opening up their gardens so that people can enjoy and explore their wonders.  It is a great opportunity to see some unique gardens which are not normally open to the public, but are definitely open to wildlife. Visitors can also learn how best to make their own garden a bit more wildlife friendly. We hope that they will be encouraged to start gardening with wildlife in mind.”

The first Wildlife Wonder Gardens of the season are:

Sunday 18^th April - The Old Vicarage, East Orchard, Shaftesbury, SP7 0BA, by kind permission of Miss Tina Wright.  Tina’s wildlife friendly 1½ acre garden has a natural swimming pool, a wildlife pond, bog garden and bug hotel. With mixed shrub and herbaceous borders she combines spring flowers and bulbs. Activities for children include pond dipping, and Tina will be able to talk to visitors about her nearest neighbours, the bats that live in her roof space. 

Saturday 12^th June -  Shepherd's Cottage, Whitcombe near Dorchester,  by kind permission of Mr & Mrs R Holehouse and Mr & Mrs A Walters.   This beautiful garden has many wildflowers, birds and animals as well as good examples of how to enhance your garden features for wildlife, including hedges, margins and use of water.  You can also enjoy a walk and visit the historic church where Dorset poet William Barnes preached his first and last sermons. 

The Wildlife Wonder Gardens are open from 10am to 5pm. Entry £3.50 for adults, children free. Refreshments are available or bring a picnic. For more information, ring 01305 264620. 

For more about wildlife friendly gardening, visit www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-gardening.html