Where the wild things are

Carrying on from last week and the theme of grasses, I had a perfect example this week of how meadow grass can prove to be the perfect addition to a garden.

We have a client who has a lovely garden but who is plagued (and I know I am going to be deeply unpopular here) by badgers. Now, to those who suffer from badger visitations as opposed to watching them on television, and who are up in arms at the idea of proposed culls, the vision of trampled on plants, lawns that looks as if there has been an invasion of miniature alien life-forms crash landing small spaceships is all too familiar. Badgers, like much else are fabulous when they are doing what they do best – fossicking around in native woodland – and when there are not so many of them that they wreak havoc (and they do and can). In short when you are on the receiving end of badger visitations there is not a lot that you can legally do to discourage them – talk to any poor farmer whose fields are pockmarked with badger setts. You can stop up the fence lines (try and stop a fully fledged male badger – they are the countryside equivalent of a tank but that will not last long. They are entrepreneurial and smart. So if your garden has been earmarked as the next best thing to a living online delicatessen, it will not be long before your fence will be trashed and the familiar spaceship invasion takes place. Sooooooooo; having looked at the problem it was decided that the best thing to do was to create a wild grass meadow in the bottom half of the garden. The area nearest the house which was not invaded with badgers (thankfully) retained its beds and the wonderful profligate abundance of alchemilla mollis, sweet rocket, hostas and roses, and the lower area which was damp (soft on snouts and providing a never-ending supply of badger delicacies) and had been an old orchard was left to get on with it. Perennial weeds such as nettles, docks and thistles were removed (there were not many of these) and paths were mown through the meadow grass to give it form and access – for humans. We then let nature take its course. The results after three years, particularly this year are simply stunning. The meadow grass is cut twice a year, and the paths fortnightly so everything is kept very very simple. And it is the paths that give the whole context and link the meadow to the existing garden.. The short green grass is a fabulous contrast to the ever-changing moving, seed heads and heights of the different meadow grasses. And you do not need a large patch of garden to do this too. You can have a small corner of your garden put aside. But it is very very important that the soil is not in good condition – else it will not support meadow grass. It is quite simply too rich. And the huge bonus is the incredible number of butterflies and moths that will add to your continuing delight. And of course, the badgers are still there – as evinced by the narrow trail that makes a beeline straight across the meadow. So a win win situation all round.