Dandelion leaves only pictured here in the ground and then in context, under the wigwag at the allotment… An allotment I’m trying to make as wildlife friendly as possible, under the watchful eye of the Town Council… There are rules about keeping them neat & productive after all.
However if you saw #FrancesTophill on #GardenersWorld recently, when she said that planting annual veg, in rows, is not the way to go for wildlife, you’ll understand my growing urge to create habitats & ecosystems rather than say picture perfect monocultural cabbage patches (Mine got eaten to bits by flea beetle anyway, this year. Total fail, for me, anyway!).
Spreading brassicas out limits the risks of predation a bit apparently – we’ll see “). Pigeons & birds still pose a risk though, so hiding them amongst other taller plants is good idea?
Funnily enough I attended a wildlife friendly webinar this week from the Wildlife Garden Project) on which the speaker said the very same thing! Along with recommending perennial veg which do not need half as much water, or watering, as they are able to grow stronger root systems over time and pick up more nutes from the soil.
We are lucky to have water on site (although of course the hosepipe ban applies) but the endless watering allotmenteers were doing this year did feel a little counter productive. Not to say too exhausting, in that heat! (Bonfires on site have been banned too, because of the very real new danger of spreading fire with these soaring summer temperatures.)
Adding wildflowers and companion plants is the way to go – I now can’t wait to sow flower seeds broadly & widely next year (and perhaps earlier, like now this autumn) to see what survives & thrives. Nasturtiums, cornflower, calendula, tagetes (& basil & garlic) – the smell these give off throws bugs off the mustardy brassica scent.
But back to the dandelion … hiding in among the self-sown phacaelia seedlings, behind some willow structures and sheltered by the shed. I’m going to keep it there so that come February it might flower and feed early flying Queen Bumblebees as they emerge from hibernation.
So in a funny way, the dandelion when it flowers, will be my “funny Valentine” in the immortal words of Tom Waits, to the new burst of wild life very early next Spring.
