Awards for Dorset's Best Wildlife Gardens

Dorset’s most wildlife-friendly gardens will be celebrated at a grand Award Ceremony at Castle Gardens Centre, Sherborne, on Thursday 15th July.  Dorset Wildlife Trust teamed up with The Gardens Group earlier this year to run the Wildlife Friendly Gardening Competition and judges have been busy with the enjoyable task of assessing gardens from right across the county.

What is the prize for best garden?

The awards will be presented by the internationally recognised expert on wildlife gardening, Clive Farrell of Ryewater Nursery.  Clive, a leading expert on butterflies and moths, is the creator of the world’s biggest butterfly park and research centre, Butterfly World, at St Albans in Hertfordshire, which opened last year.  He will present wall plaques to the winners, who will also receive a wildlife friendly collection of plants, books and other prizes. 

What makes a garden wildlife friendly?

Competition categories included large and small gardens and even balcony gardens or areas that incorporate woodland, be they rural, in a street or town.  Joy Wallis from Dorset Wildlife Trust is the competition co-ordinator: “The competition entries prove that Dorset’s gardeners are showing the way with wildlife gardening.  In looking at these diverse habitats, the judges assessed the suitability of plants, as well as the maintenance skills and management capabilities adopted.  Gardens that provide a variety of food sources, such as nectar-rich flowers, seed and fruit plants, together with sources of water, shelter and suitable breeding sites have been highly rated.” 

The Award Ceremony, with informative wildlife gardening talk from Clive Farrell, is open to all, on Thursday 15th July from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.   Tickets, costing £5 to include light refreshments, are available from Joy Wallis at jwallis@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk or 01305 264620.