I hope you are all enjoying being outside and having fun whatever the weather. Here are a few more activities to keep you busy whether indoors or out. As the weeks have gone by, I’ve learnt how to do so many more things on the computer. The pictures have links!

Why not try some of these activities:

If you’re stuck inside

If you’ve got a balcony or limited space outside

• Plant herbs, like lavender, thyme and mint, in pots. Not only will you get tasty treats, so will insects!

Why not reuse yoghurt pots or a milk container?

If you’ve got a garden

• Leave a patch of your garden to go wild! Choose a patch and leave it all summer. Keep checking to see what wildlife has moved in. How tall will the grass grow? How many different types are in your lawn? Are there any flowers?

• Help butterflies, moths, and other insects by planting Ivy against a wall or trellis or if you already have some, don’t cut it back until late Winter. Let the Ivy flower; the nectar, pollen, and berries of ivy are an essential food source for insects and birds during autumn and winter when little else is about.

If you’ve got a bit more space

• Scatter wildflower seeds in a flowerbed or create a border.

• Make a pond. A pond is one of the best things you can provide for wildlife. It doesn’t have to be big, even ponds, made from old washing up bowls, can make a difference. You won’t believe what creatures will find their way to it!

After digging a big hole, I sank the bath into the ground and let it fill with rainwater. I added the plants in the Spring and 9 tadpoles.

Over the last 14 weeks we have had creatures come and go. The tadpoles became cute little frogs that have now left. I still have pond skaters, snails, whirly gig beetles and some larvae which could be caddisfly, alderfly, dragonfly and damselfly. Plus, there maybe more.

It has been so exciting to see it change; there is always something new. I really recommend creating one in your garden. My first pond was as small as a washing up bowl and a frog came to stay for a while, so however big or small something will visit and maybe stay for a while.

https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/discover/in-your-garden/ponds 

Have fun!

Mrs Morris