Cities are often seen as ecological wastelands; this
couldn’t be further from the truth. That is to say that the urban landscape
provides different habitats than some rural or natural areas. Also parks and
gardens –the more natural elements of the urban landscape- provide important habitats
for both plants and animals.
The use of pesticides has all but wiped out wild bee
populations in many rural areas. For some species the urban garden is the last
refuge. All those paved gardens are certainly no help, but as long as there is
food the animals will come. Some species are very picky, but others will happily
feed on cultivated Lavender. Some wild plant –here Marjoram- are so beautiful
that they deserve a place in the garden, thus attracting insects like this
butterfly. In parks and on road verges the trend is to create more natural
vegetation thus attracting wild bees, like this bumblebee on a thistle.
It is not just insects that are attracted to gardens
and parks. Friends in Germany have these lizards living in their garden wall.
This appropriately named Wall lizard favours man-made structures over natural
rock formations. In some places parks and gardens are the last refuge for the
Hedgehog. A messy corner in the garden makes them very happy indeed. Especially
if there are lots of snails and slugs. The Black slug –which can also be brown-
is common everywhere where there is vegetation.
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