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The Irish Sun

Garden pro's £3 B&Q plant blooms now to the end of summer & self seeds for free flowers next year – the bees love it

GARDENING and creating outside spaces with wildlife in mind is now essential going forward. And Rebecca Bevan, who works for the National Trust - has just written a book called 3 Rebecca Bevan and her dog Rusty - in a wildflower meadow 3 Nature Friendly Gardening by Rebecca Bevan (National Trust Books, £20) is out now 3 Foxgloves are native plants that grows well in gardens and seeds itself around. Credit: Getty She said: 'Even the smallest outside space contribute to a mosaic created by the gardens across the neighbourhood. "Your 'Even if all you have is a 'If it's lumpy with anthills, so much the better - ants make up the majority of the diet of the beautiful green woodpecker, which is resident in Britain all year round.' Read More Gardening Her seven top tips for nature gardening are: PLANT A FLOWERING SHRUB OR TREE Even the tiniest PLANT LESS POTS AND HANGING BASKETS Put more perennial plants directly into the ground. Plants growing in soil need no extra water, feed, pots or potting compost and will last for years. Rebecca's favourite Perennials include... Most read in Fabulous Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) – A native plant that grows well in gardens and seeds itself around. Popular with bumblebees. Marjoram – (Origanum vulgare) Loved by pollinating insects, tolerant of sun or shade and almost any soil and useful in salads and cooking. Lungwort – (Pulmonaria officinalis) Great in shade with attractive spotty foliage for many months and flowers in early spring which are great for bees. Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) Very structural plant which flowers in late summer and has seed heads that last through winter. Sea holly (Eryngium) Great for a dry, sunny spot, these lovely spiky flowers attract many insects and their long-lasting seedheads are popular with birds. CHOOSE A FEW NATIVE WILDFLOWERS Hedgerow plants like cow parsley and red campion look great in gardens where you can admire them up close and they will attract native creatures. Kate steps out for 1st time since pulling out of Ascot to meet NHS staff & plants 'Catherine's Rose' in hospital garden DITCH THE WEEDKILLERS Especially on your MOW YOUR LAWN LESS OFTEN Once every 3 weeks will allow the grass to get lusher and some wildflowers to bloom. STOP TAKING WASTE TO THE TIP Stop taking your garden waste to the tip. Make a compost heap to recycle the nutrients and feed your soil or just make a pile for creatures to live in. LOOK AFTER YOUR SOIL It's a complex system of micro-organisms which recycle nutrients, help keep in air and water and feed plant roots. Too much digging or trampling can hurt it so keep it covered with perennial plants and stick to the paths. Also in Veronica's Column this week... Gardening news, top tips and win a Hydria Cascade water fountain NEWS! I was honoured to be a judge on the Volunteers from Day Drive Community Garden in Failsworth, Manchester plan to transform an unused garage site – to provide healthy food for those without easy access to it, offer workshops to empower individuals with new skills, and create a calming social hub in an otherwise urban environment. The retailer's nationwide competition encouraged people to nominate a green community space in their local area, which had the potential to be transformed for the mental and physical health of their community. The prize was £2.5k worth of gardening equipment and was part of Robert Dyas' ongoing Plant & Pause campaign, now in its third year, which encourages the nation to garden their way to better mental health. NEWS! A new YouGov survey, commissioned by The survey found that 52 per cent of female respondents enjoy interacting with wildlife such as birds and butterflies, compared to 39 per cent of men. Whilst 29 per cent of men enjoy mowing the lawn versus 17 per cent of women. And although all ages enjoy gardening - it's the over 55s who claim to get the most out of it. WIN! Two Sun Gardening readers can get their hands on a stunning JOB OF THE WEEK It's all about deadheading this week - to ensure future on tying in climbing plants. Train cucumber plants upwards and pick courgettes before they get too big and turn into marrows. For more gardening tips and news follow me