The Hundred Parishes Society

By Tricia Moxey, Trustee

One of the pleasures of taking a stroll round any of the towns and villages within the Hundred Parishes is enjoying the variety of gardens which enhance the settings of homes. They are thriving testaments to those within these communities whose horticultural skills add to the local sense of pride.
Last October the RHS published its State of Gardening Report which highlighted the many reasons why gardens are so important. Within the UK they cover almost a million hectares, more than three times the area of National Nature Reserves. Many local gardens include a variety of trees as well as an increasing range of flowering plants, some from other parts of the world so that the flowering season is extended. This provides not just winter and spring colour but also pollen and nectar for any pollinating insects that are active at that time. Well-vegetated gardens are havens for other forms of wildlife too including hedgehogs and many common birds, especially if supplementary food and nesting sites are provided.
Last spring the Essex Wildlife Trust asked residents to complete records of house sparrows visiting their gardens as these once common birds are now in serious decline. The reasons for the decline of urban populations include the reduction of invertebrate food such as caterpillars, which are essential for rearing nestlings, and a shortage of suitable nesting sites in modern houses. 501 gardens were surveyed and the information gathered suggested that older properties were more likely to provide nesting sites for these birds who also favoured gardens with a pond. By growing a wide variety of flowering plants and installing clusters of nest boxes in your garden you may be able to provide a suitable habitat for encouraging house sparrows to thrive.
For information about the project visit:
www.essexwt.org.uk/house-sparrow-project

For further information please see www.hundredparishes.org.uk