The Wildlife Garden

I was delighted to be commissioned to perform a complete biodiverse transformation for this rural property near Penzance. The brief was for an informal, naturalistic cottage style with wildlife, particularly pollinators, at its heart.

Key design elements included:

• Preserving Heritage: An established hawthorn on a traditional drystone bank was retained to provide the design's sculptural centrepiece. A substantial granite rock was also retained and integrated into a path as a feature in keeping with the site’s rugged geological character. Retaining and repurposing is ecologically sound and has the benefit of adding a sense of instant maturity to a new garden.

• Connectivity: The garden was designed as a ‘living corridor’ for wildlife and people, supporting beautiful but functional connections between the cottage, a seating area, multiple birdbox sites, a garden chalet, and the vegetable garden with a large wildlife pond beyond.

• Increasing biodiversity: The existing lawn was completely replaced by substantial, highly biodiverse planting beds, boundaried by gently curving paths that traced the natural routes through the garden.

• Ecological Planting: As well as including many of the client’s favourites, most of the plant species selected were featured on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. The palette was designed to support a full spectrum of wildlife, from bees and butterflies to nocturnal moths, which in turn support the local bat population.

• Year-Round Interest: By ensuring a continuous flowering succession, the garden not only looks good year-round, but provides a vital food source across all four seasons, supporting those brave pollinators willing to venture out even in winter!

This project represents a significant ecological shift, a garden that doesn't just sit within the wild Cornish countryside but actively contributes to its health and beauty.