HERE WE ECO     

Sunday Mirror, Mar. 14, 2010 by Anonymous

BUILD A POND
ain NATURAL ponds and boggy areas are disappearing, so wildlife is becoming reliant on garden ponds. But remember, wildlife and goldfish don’t mix -they eat the eggs of wild creatures such as dragonflies, toads and newts.
Expert tip Garden water features traditionally run on mains electricity – which increases your bills and CO2 emissions. So choose solar-powered aerators, filters and fountains.
HAVE A GREEN ROOF
THE concrete in urban areas has many negative environmental impacts – it gets too hot in summer and rainwater has nowhere to go except the drains.
Giving your house, shed or garage a living sedum roof will help improve the microclimate and encourage birds and insects.
Expert tip Provide eco-friendly parking too, by replacing block paving or concrete with a honeycomb structure filled with topsoil and grass
PILE-UP SOME LOGS
BUILD a log pile in a sheltered area of the garden – it’s the ideal habitat for all manner of insects, amphibians and small mammals such as hedgehogs.
Dead branches left on trees could also become a home for bats, birds or invertebrates.
Expert tip Leave a pile of fallen leaves in a damp, shady corner – frogs, toads, newts and slugeating centipedes thrive on decay.
BE WISER WITH WATER
GARDENERS often get a bad press for using water in dry weather. Do your conserva-tiobit by collecting rainwater and recycling “grey” water from baths and sinks.
Expert tip Always cover water butts to prevent debris – and even small animals – falling in. Add Biotal rainwater treatment to keep the water sweetsmelling and healthy. Grey water especially may contain bacteria which must be removed.
USE NATIVE PLANTS NATIVE  
British plants play host to the most wildlife. A silver birch can support more than 300 species of insects and other invertebrates.
Expert tip Primroses and violets go well with silver birch as they flower insects a home with a bug before the tower leaves come out.
BRING ON THE BUGS
BUILD a bug tower. Use bundles of bamboo for ladybirds and lacewings. Add roofing tiles as nesting sites for red mason bees. Bumblebees will build winter nests in upside-down clay pots filled with leaves or straw.
Expert tip Drilling holes in a timber post will encourage solitary bees and wasps to lay eggs there.
GROW YOUR OWN FOOD
CUT your food miles by growing your own organic fruit and veg. You will have the freshest food possible – and the safest.
Expert tip To keep the soil healthy and manage diseases, rotate your crops into different beds every three to four years.
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