My Wildlife Allotment

The wildflower area at the allotment entrance which I manage is in full sunshine most of the day and the soil is quite poor and stony. With no rain since mid June it still looks attractive thanks to naturalistic planting with grasses and drought-resistant #wildflowers, some are still in flower. The nice thing about naturalistic planting is that it still looks good even when most plants have gone to seed. It will continue to look good and provide valuable habitat for wildlife right into winter.

For several years now I have a wasp spider population (Argiope bruennichi) on my allotment. They are large colourful spiders and look quite beautiful when seen up close. The web has a wide, white zig-zag strip running down the middle, known as a 'stabilimentum', which is distinctive for this species. Wasp spiders like to eat crickets and grasshoppers so their webs are always quite low in grassy vegetation. #spiders #wildlife

This is what my allotments look like at the moment, after a very dry spring, 4 heatwaves, 2 months without rain. Sustained above average temperatures & sunshine most days. Heatwave number 5 coming this week. Still no rain in sight. There are still a few flowers but most plants have gone to seed and are crisp & dry now. I water the young trees and top up the ponds. Everything else is left. Hopefully plants will survive and come back in autumn. #climatebreakdown #garden

The allotment at the weekend. I am glad there are still quite a lot of plants flowering, we had no rain since mid June and sunshine and above average temperatures nearly every day. The plants which are still flowering are all very drought resistant such as Hypericum perforatum, Centaurea nigra and Echinops ritro. I also have some nice Evening primrose (Oenothera) and Antirrhinum flowering in the foreground. #flowers #allotment #garden

The area around the smaller pond is still looking quite colourful as the plants growing there get water from the edge of the pond which I am topping up regularly. When plants get too dry they stop producing nectar so it is good to have at least a few areas in the garden which are watered regularly so pollinators can find something to eat (same goes for caterpillars which cannot eat dry and crispy leaves). #gardening #plants #climatechange

The ponds and surrounding areas are the only really green and flowery areas left on the allotment now, everywhere else is more brown than green and very dry. The ponds are teeming with life, newts, frogs and other pond life, dragonflies, hoverflies and other insects as well as many bees and wasps coming to collect water for their hives. Birds come to drink and bath, and hedgehogs and foxes come for a drink in the night. I keep the #ponds topped up with water as they are a lifeline for wildlife.

Eryngium giganteum is a biennial sea holly, growing just leaves the first year and a tall and quite impressive flower in the second year. The flowers make good seed heads which look pretty right into autumn. But beware, it seeds everywhere but I normally leave it to grow if it is not in the way. #flowers #plants #allotment

Some colour in this area on the allotment still comes from Hypericum perforatum and Origanum vulgare which are both very drought resistant native plants, Eryngium planum and Allium sphaerocephalon are also still looking good. I have mixed a lot of native plants into my naturalistic plantings as they are often more resilient than more exotic plants. They are also a lot more beneficial for many insects especially herbivores such as caterpillars. #garden #plants

The allotment with Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Clematis 'Alionushka' and the last of the Purple toadflax (Linaria purpurea) flowering. I have a lot of the Origanum which self-seeds happily, I occasionally have to take some out but it is such a good plant for pollinators, as well as drought-resistant and completely undemanding, that I am happy to let it seed around and fill gaps. #allotment #flowers #plants

Stipa gigantea is a wonderful ornamental grass, all shimmering and glowing in the early morning sunshine. Also extremely undemanding, it just needs sunshine and well-drained soil. #grass #garden

I cut the Echium vulgare (Viper`s bugloss) back a while ago as it had nearly finished flowering (Viper`s bugloss is a biennial and dies after flowering). It has now come back with more flowers much to the delight of the bumblebees. I have seen mostly Common Carder bumblebees (Bombus pascuorum) on the flowers which are often active until autumn. #flowers #pollinators

Solidago canadensis (Canadian goldenrod) can be invasive in the right conditions (rich moist garden soil) but give it poor dry and stony soil in full sunshine and it is very well behaved and needs no care at all apart from cutting it down in late winter. Pollinators love it and the yellow flowers really glow in the sunshine. The plants in the picture have not been watered this summer and are still looking good while many other plants are flagging. #flowers #climatechange #allotment

Grapevines are doing really well now in the South of England. I planted mine (all hardy outdoor grapevines) several years ago and they regularly produce huge crops of sweet and juicy grapes. Grapes are pretty much the only fruit I have this year as all my tree fruit got badly frosted in spring, currants and gooseberries got eaten by the pigeons and my blackberries and raspberries have all shriveled up in the heat and dry weather. #fruit #allotment

One of my favourite wild roses is Rosa glauca which has wonderful blue-green leaves, pink flowers in spring and bright red hips in late summer and autumn. It is very easy-going, drought resistant and just needs sunshine and well-drained soil. #plants #roses #climatechange

I am seeing many hornet hoverflies (Volucella zonaria) on my allotment at the moment. They sound and look a bit like hornets but are harmless flies. The females lay their eggs in wasp and hornet nests where the larvae eat the detritus. This hornet hoverfly is drinking nectar from Cirsium canum, but they like buddleia as well. #insects #pollinators

The Batman hoverfly (Myathropa florea) is quite easy to recognise as it has markings in the shape of the Batman logo on its back (Thorax). The adult hoverflies like areas with lots of trees and also visit gardens, the larvae are aquatic and develop in water-filled holes and crevices in trees, but adults can lay eggs in just about any container with some standing water, and even use wet compost and cow dung. #pollinators #insects

A Common Blue butterfly, still a bit cold from the night, resting on a Carex leaf in the early morning. #butterflies #pollinators

Alliums are flowering on the allotment now, as well as Silene dioica and Hesperis matronalis, the latter attracts moths in the night as it is deliciously scented. #flowers #allotment

You might remember that back in March I asked everyone to vote for me in the 'BBC Gardeners’ World Best of the Best' competition.

I would like to let you know that my allotment made it into the top 3 and will now feature in the June issue of the magazine, out on 14 May. Thank you to everyone who voted for me!

The winner of the competition will be announced in September. I will keep you updated.

Here is a link for an article in the Oxford Mail:

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/26106148.oxfordshire-garden-among-best-best-uk-bbc/

Early morning on the allotment. #garden #spring

One of my favourite solitary bees is the Tawny mining bee, Andrena fulva. A very distinctive bee with long, dense, bright reddish hairs. I often see them pollinating my apple trees and other fruit trees in April and early May. They are ground-nesting bees and dig their nests in soil with short sparse vegetation. You can spot the nests quite easily as the excavated soil is heaped up around the nest entrance and has a hole in the middle. #bees #pollinators

The curious looking seed heads of pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris). #plants #garden

A few of the third allotment. The wooden posts are bee hotels with holes drilled into the sides for solitary bees to nest in. They also give some structure, especially in winter. #allotment #garden #spring

The allotment is still predominantly green, but there are already bursts of colour from Euphorbia epithymoides and Veronica gentianoides which you can see in the foreground. Just some more rain needed now but looks like we get some at the weekend 🙂 #allotment #spring

I am busy helping with an exhibit from my workplace UK CEH at Chelsea Flower Show in London at the moment. I am mainly helping with the planting and I am at the stand answering question on Tuesday and Friday this week. If you are there say hello :-). We are in the Great Pavilion. #chelseaflowershow

@rooftopjaxx@kolektiva.social If you mean the plants directly in front of the center tree ( a mulberry), these are Anthemis tinctoria. I have it everywhere as it self seeds and likes sun and dry soil.