Your Wildlife Garden. Jackie Bennett

dead or diseased stems at ground level.

       Cut back any long straggly stems to one third of their length to keep the plant tidy.

       Finally, snip off a few centimetres or inches from the tips of all the stems to encourage side shoots, which will bear flowers in later years.

      PLANTING LILY OF THE VALLEY

      Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), best known for the delicious fragrance of its white, bell-shaped flowers, is so widely planted in gardens that it is sometimes forgotten that it is a native of our woodlands, although not so widespread in the wild as it used to be. It spreads rapidly if given the right conditions and makes an excellent woodland floor plant for a wild part of the garden. Existing clumps can be divided now or individual crowns can be bought from nurseries.

       Choose a shady spot with moist soil into which some leaf mould has been added.

       Plant the crowns point upwards, 8–10cm (3–4in) apart. They should lie just beneath the surface of the soil. Clumps of crowns can be placed 15cm (6in) apart.

       Water in well.

      TRIMMING BACK PERENNIALS

      Border perennial plants which were not cut back in autumn (leaving the stems for over-wintering insects) should be trimmed now to make room for new growth. Cut off any dead or straggly stems to just above ground level with secateurs.

      In mild winters, young leaves and stems will already be appearing. Removing the old growth rejuvenates the plants and allows these new leaves and stems plenty of room to grow. Add the cuttings to the compost heap.

       PERENNIALS TO DIVIDE

      Globe thistle (Echinops ritro) B, N Golden rod (Solidago canadensis) B, N Greater knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) B, N, Nat Michaelmas daisy (Aster nova-belgii) N Sedum (S. spectabile and ‘Autumn Joy’) N Yarrow (Achillea millefolium and A. filipendulina) B, N, Nat

       SHY-FLOWERING LILIES One of the reasons lily of the valley often fails in gardens is that it is planted in dry, open, sunny beds, when it really needs a moist soil and the cover of deciduous trees.

      plants

      OF THE

      month

      ALDER

      (Alnus glutinosa)

      The tall-growing native alder is happiest beside a freshwater river or stream, but it is also very adaptable to garden sites. It is particularly useful in cities and towns because of its resistance to air pollution.

type	Deciduous tree
flowers	Catkins appear in late winter/early spring. Male catkins are long and yellow; females are round and purplish
height	10–15m (30–50ft)
spread	3m (10ft)
planting	Plant young trees from mid-autumn to early spring
site	In a marshy area or at the back of a woodland belt
soil	Prefers damp, waterlogged soil
care	No special care needed
propagation	From seed collected in autumn
varieties	A. glutinosa ‘Imperialis’ is smaller and slower growing — more suitable for average-sized gardens
wildlife value	There are around ninety insect species associated with alder, including the alder fly and alder moth. As the weather warms up the male catkins open and disperse a cloud of pollen to fertilise the female catkins. In autumn and winter the tree is a good source of seed for siskins, redpolls and other small birds

      HAZEL

      (Corylus avellana)

      An ancient native shrub that forms thickets in the wild and bears the distinctive ‘lambs’-tails’ catkins and edible hazelnuts or cobnuts. Traditionally coppiced to produce flexible lengths for woven fencing and basket making.

type	Deciduous shrub
flowers	Catkins in late winter. Male catkins are yellow; female are tiny red tassels
height	4–6m (12–20ft)
spread	5m (15ft)
planting	Plant young trees between mid-autumn and early spring
site	Sunny or partly shaded. In a shrub border or amongst larger trees
soil	Any well-drained soil
care