insects:

Before i developed an interest in gardening for wildlife,i never really noticed the amount of insect life that i had in my patch. Doing away with the pesticides and chemicals has given the smaller creatures a chance to flourish. Every time i go out into my garden these days,i seem to find something new.I never knew that there were so many different types of spider, some of them have quite exquisite markings,and their webs are beautiful to see,especially on late spring mornings,when covered in dew.

The majority of insect life will be fairly unremarkable,but you may provide a home for Stag beetles,if you have a log pile.

Ponds attract insects,too.Pond skaters will arrive,as if by magic,almost as soon as a new pond is made,and Dragonflies will soon appear.

The insects that i see everyday in summer keep me entertained.If i have time i may get down on all fours and watch ants going about their business. It`s rather humbling when you think that insect life was around long before we arrived on the scene,and will be here long after we`re gone. Next time you see an ant,don`t crush it beneath your shoe,take some time to watch,and somehow these tiny creatures make our own lives seem very insignificant.

	I used to fear spiders,but now i spend time,watching the hundreds that i get here in my garden
Life and death is all around us.Here we see a ladybird helping to keep the aphid population down.		All insect life is valuable to my garden.Many help to control pests while others provide food for birds and mammals.

jamie white.JUNE 2006.