Norbury Cottage

Rather than pulling up all the native ‘weeds’, we are encouraging many native plants to grow and then flower to attract bees, insects and birds into the garden.

The wild iris (pictured) is being allowed to spread around the shaded areas of the garden. The bees ‘love’ these flowers. We have wild bees that nest between the roof slates of the cottage. The berries of the wild iris are poisonous to humans, so these are removed as a precaution.

Also in the garden we also have Red Valerium, native ferns, wild primoses and Forget-me-nots. Following the successful introduction of Purple Toadflax last year, this year we have introduced Lily-of-the-valley and foxgloves (both native to the UK).

We have also recently introduced the policy of not trimming the hedges and large shrubs in the spring time, as it’s known that birds (Dunnock, Sparrow, Wren, Blackbird and Robin) nest in the gardens every year.

It is hoped that with the introduction of more native plants, we’ll successfully increase the biodiversity present in the grounds surrounding Norbury Cottage, doing our little bit for the environment.

More information about the garden can be found on our dedicated garden web page.