Stillingfleet Lodge Wildlife Day

30 Days Wild, day 26: Today I've been to the annual wildlife day at Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens. The gardens are divided into a series of separate areas, each with its own theme. It is all beautifully maintained, while retaining a wild 'cottage garden' feel to the flower beds.

 The Avenue

My trip started with a 'Wildlife Garden Tour' with Vanessa, the garden's owner. She showed us the log piles for beetles, the 'bug hotel' for bees and spiders, the wildlife pond and the wildflower meadow they have created. Many of the wild flowers have not been planted, but have just appeared when the right conditions were provided.

 Thyme bench attracts insects

 Wildlife pond

 Great diving beetle

After a look at some of the exhibition stands, I went on a bumblebee identification walk with Alison Reboul of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Ten species of bumblebees have been recorded in this garden and we found most of them.

Giant tansy beetle on the Buglife stand

Examining a bumblebee

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