Residents create their own oasis

The urban wildlife garden on Hermes Close, Bilton Grange

Hidden away on a residential estate in east Hull is a haven of colour, acute sounds and little beasts.

Formerly a waste land where once stood a block of eight flats, this half acre patch of greenery on Hermes Close, Bilton Grange is home to a number of living organisms.

Creation of the Hermes Close wildlife garden started in 2005 by resident and avid gardener Stuart MacDonald, a park ranger at East Park in Hull, along with neighbour Kay Edwards and volunteers from the estate.

"When the flats got knocked down there were rumours of a hostel to be built in east Hull," said Kay Edwards.

"We wanted to do something with this land and we thought it would be nice to continue the greenery theme that's on the edge of the estate and create a space for the whole community to enjoy."

Ms Edwards continued: "It's harder than you think creating this wildlife garden.

"You need to think of the dimensions of everything, even though people think you just throw a few seeds down and watch them grow, you've got to maintain it and think of what wildlife you're attracting.

"You also need to think about the colour - what's going to be blossoming at what time, so it takes a lot of planning but that's Stuart's department."

The garden cost £7,000 and took two years to complete. It was funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the government's Living Spaces scheme.

Waste not, want not

Majority of the garden was created using recycled materials and plants. Features such as a nine foot boat, two anchors and a well, which are the focal points of the space, were donated.

Wildlife and garden enthusiast Stuart MacDonald

"Most of our stuff has been reclaimed like the pavers, the logs and telegraph poles which hold the bird boxes," said Stuart MacDonald.

"The children have made the bird boxes themselves and that's brought the Blue Tits to us. We've got Goldfinches, Dovecotes, Robins and we've also had an Owl fluttering in the garden."

There are roughly 500 species of plants that attract an abundance of different wildlife.

"We get butterflies, frogs and newts - the children made a bath tub, which attracts them. Last year we had the first two foxes in, they've produced four cubs and they come into this garden to play with the neighbour's cats," said Stuart.

"So the garden really took off," he added.