Post by braided-rug on Jun 28, 2007 10:21:28 GMT 10
"Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Stinging Nettles Although stinging nettles are not especially attractive-looking plants, they have great potential when it comes to attracting wildlife into your garden. In my opinion every wildlife garden should have at least one patch of stinging nettles. However, if the very thought of growing nettles in your garden fills you with horror, or if you are worried about what your neighbours might think, consider positioning your nettle patch somewhere where it will not be too obvious - behind a garden shed, or by your composter, perhaps.
Stinging nettles make excellent wildlife plants, providing food for the caterpillars of many butterflies including the red admiral, peacock, comma, painted lady and small tortoiseshell. Do, however, bear in mind when deciding where to site your nettle patch that butterflies will only lay their eggs on nettles that are located in a sunny position. The caterpillars of many moths also feed on stinging nettles and birds including bullfinches, siskins and reed buntings will eat the seeds. Caterpillars that are feeding on the plants also provide food for insectivorous birds like tits. Incidentally, have you ever noticed that nettles are often covered with aphids early in the year? These aphids provide food for ladybirds at a time of year when other food is often scarce. Nettles can thus be used to entice ladybirds into your garden and who knows once they have eaten all of the aphids, they could well decide to stick around and polish off other undesirable garden competitors for you too...
Usually a magnificent yellow in colour, with a brown or purplish centre, sunflowers are exceptionally attractive plants with flowers that will brighten up any garden between August and October. With some varieties reaching over six feet in height, sunflowers could well attract admiring glances and comments from your neighbours, as well as enticing wildlife into your garden."
This is an excerpt of a great article found here:
www.btinternet.com/~bury_rd/autthree.htm
Stinging Nettles Although stinging nettles are not especially attractive-looking plants, they have great potential when it comes to attracting wildlife into your garden. In my opinion every wildlife garden should have at least one patch of stinging nettles. However, if the very thought of growing nettles in your garden fills you with horror, or if you are worried about what your neighbours might think, consider positioning your nettle patch somewhere where it will not be too obvious - behind a garden shed, or by your composter, perhaps.
Stinging nettles make excellent wildlife plants, providing food for the caterpillars of many butterflies including the red admiral, peacock, comma, painted lady and small tortoiseshell. Do, however, bear in mind when deciding where to site your nettle patch that butterflies will only lay their eggs on nettles that are located in a sunny position. The caterpillars of many moths also feed on stinging nettles and birds including bullfinches, siskins and reed buntings will eat the seeds. Caterpillars that are feeding on the plants also provide food for insectivorous birds like tits. Incidentally, have you ever noticed that nettles are often covered with aphids early in the year? These aphids provide food for ladybirds at a time of year when other food is often scarce. Nettles can thus be used to entice ladybirds into your garden and who knows once they have eaten all of the aphids, they could well decide to stick around and polish off other undesirable garden competitors for you too...
Usually a magnificent yellow in colour, with a brown or purplish centre, sunflowers are exceptionally attractive plants with flowers that will brighten up any garden between August and October. With some varieties reaching over six feet in height, sunflowers could well attract admiring glances and comments from your neighbours, as well as enticing wildlife into your garden."
This is an excerpt of a great article found here:
www.btinternet.com/~bury_rd/autthree.htm