Eco Comment – Gardeners, it’s Time to Plant!

It’s ok, there isn’t really a TV competition about gardening but maybe there should be? Probably it wouldn’t be fast paced enough to provide enough entertainment for the 21st century though. However, it is certainly time to start thinking about planting and deciding which seeds can be started in trays and grown indoors until the risk of frost has passed. The Wakefield green waste bins will start to be collected in the next week or so, a sure indication that it’s time to clear the dead leaves and plants from our gardens and think about what needs replacing and/or pruning if you haven’t already done so. 

I had a good go at my postcard-sized front garden and have been rewarded by seeing lots of snowdrops and a solitary daffodil. I know there are more to come and when they eventually poke through the soil, I’ll be able to see them. I’m not really a gardener but there is something quite satisfying in knowing that quite a lot of plants survive despite of, if not because of, my skills as a gardener. 

Those of you who have looked at the soil circles in the triangle near Treacy Hall recently will have seen that the bulbs we planted in the autumn are shooting up and starting to flower. Margaret, who heads up the Eco Group Gardeners, is certainly getting us all moving and thinking about how we go forward. The plan is that pairs or small groups of the cathedral congregations should take ownership of planting up and caring for each area. We have some volunteers, but more are always welcome. You don’t have to know a lot about gardening because there’s a lot of information out there. Much of it is quite expensive but some is free. YouTube videos are a great place to learn ‘how to do’ virtually anything ,but … 

The RSPB produced a free downloadable Wildlife Guide to planning and planting a wildlife garden, Your Guide to a Wild Weekender. It includes basic information but most importantly it gives suggestions of plants and seeds that encourage wildlife. Suggestions include lavender, verbena, heuchera and hardy geraniums but also plants native to the UK like foxgloves and columbine. More unusual plants include herbs like marjoram, catmint and curry plant.  

Included within this guide are lots of handy hints such as: 

• Avoiding flowers with lots of ruffled rings of petals – often referred to as ‘doubles’ as they often don’t have the pollen and nectar that insects need. 
• You don’t have to buy seeds – gardeners often share seeds that they’ve gathered from plants in the late summer. You might even find some in your local library as part of a community seed swap initiative. 
• Use peat-free compost because as they say there’s no point destroying wildlife homes elsewhere to try to make our own spaces better for wildlife. 
• Growing climbers can help act as windbreaks for other more fragile plants. 
• A slightly different set of planting ideas can be found for night flying moths – these include ivy, ice plant, honeysuckle, evening primrose and white campion.  

When the planting of the circles in the triangle is better established, we’ll be including them in the wildlife survey that we’re undertaking. Offers of help for the survey and the gardening will of course be welcomed. If you can spare the occasional or even regular half hour, please let us know by contacting the office or any members of the Eco Group. 

Happy choosing and happy planting. 

Susan Morgan
Eco Group