March 2025
In every grassland there is a forest trying to get out. This ecological principle summarises succession, where small organisms are succeeded by larger ones that come to dominate them. Succession describes what nature is constantly trying to do and why humans need to know how to be gardeners if they do not want a forest to develop. Even our gardens become woodlands if left. I am constantly removing young oak (Quercus robur) and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) saplings from our Uckfield garden. These saplings come from several of our garden’s mature trees that produce seeds every year. We also have much wildlife in that garden, ranging from wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes) to European badgers (Meles meles) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). However, I am actively encouraging some succession in our French place on purpose. We are attempting to cultivate biodiversity there, allowing parts of a very large lawn to succeed into woodland. It saves on the mowing and increases the wildlife. First there were small grasses like red fescue (Festuca rubra), then umbrella sedge (Cyperus diffuses) a relative of the sedge papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), from which paper can be made, also wildflowers like vervain (Verbena officinalis), oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare), black knapweed (Centaurea nigra), and much more. Young trees, especially oaks start to appear quite quickly pushing though the grasses such as Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus), and forbs such as spear thistles (Cirsium vulgare) particularly enjoyed by insects.
In response we get many butterflies, including 2 different types of swallowtails: old world swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius). Also, a wide range of other insects including praying mantids (Mantis religiosa), wort-biter bush cricket (Decticus verrucivorus) which in past ages have been used to remove worts. We also have rare stripeless tree frogs (Hyla meridionalis), wall lizards (Podarcis muralis), field/wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), breeding European brown hares (Lepus europaeus). Another mammal in the garden is the occasional stone or beech marten (Martes foina) which we hear vocalizing at night, they are related to weasels and badgers. There are also many birds considered very rare or now absent from England such as cirl buntings (Emberiza cirlus) and black winged kites (Elanus caeruleus), little owls (Athene noctua), and Melodious warbler (Hippolais polyglotta). We have also had hoopoes (Upupa epops) and Eurasian golden orioles (Oriolus oriolus), and much more. All this is helped by the fact that we have a copse of mature elm (Ulmus glabra) trees that are loved by the birds and butterflies alike. You will notice that I am including the Latin names of the organisms, I thought you may like to see the correct scientific descriptive terms.
I am happy to say the experiment is a great success, and we have more species of living organisms since letting parts of the garden take its natural course.