Wild About Gardens – every pond counts!

June 05 2019 | Garden

As frog numbers continue to decline, newts become rarer and pond-life in general remains under threat from plastics and microbeads, gardeners are being encouraged to create ponds and care for existing water installations.

Hever Castle is supporting the RHS and Wildlife Trust’s annual campaign ‘Wild About Gardens’ which celebrates wildlife gardening and encourages people to use their gardens to help support nature.

This year the campaign focuses on ponds, and Hever Castle are keen to show the important role the ponds and famous lake plays in the ecosystem at Anne Boleyn’s childhood home.

An RSPB study last year stated that sightings of toads had fallen by nearly a third and frogs by 17% since 2014.

Hever Castle has placed an increased importance on the careful upkeep of their intricate waterways which include a double moat, ponds and an impressive lake created in 1908 by William Waldorf Astor.

Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle & Gardens says: “we know that many of our garden visitors like frogs, newts and toads are increasingly under threat and campaigns like ‘Wild About Gardens’ really help to make a difference by connecting gardeners, gardens and nature reserves around the country and encouraging them to invite wildlife back in.

Wild About Gardens started on 12th March. As an RHS Partner Garden, Hever Castle has taken a quantity of the RHS booklets which highlight the importance of ponds and their benefits to wildlife. These booklets will be available to visitors (free of charge) in the Garden Exhibition at Hever Castle & Gardens.