Gardens at night
Tips for a Wild Night Out
Matthew Wilson, Curator of RHS Garden Harlow Carr, offers tips on how to get the best out of your nocturnal garden safari.
1 Start your Wild Night Out just before sunset and carry on in the dark for as long as you want. That way, you may get to see a bigger range of species and watch how your garden scene changes from day to nig ht.
2 You know your garden well, but you may be inviting guests along to your Wild Night Out. Make sure everyone takes particular care around water and on uneven ground, and always carry a torch with extra batteries so you won’t be walking anywhere in total darkness.
3 It may be summer, but make sure you wrap-up warm and are prepared for any rain. 4 Print out and take this guide which includes a list of common garden species that you may see. Don’t forget to take a note-pad and pen and jot down anything that you don’t recognise so that you can do an identification afterwards. 5 Make sure you take a close look at all the different habitats in the garden - the flower beds, the pond, the trees, the walls. Each area will be a hive of activity for different creatures. For instance, if you examine a plant by torchlight, you are likely to see a variety of insects including earwigs, caterpillars and moths. 6 To attract moths, hang a white sheet on a washing line and shine a light onto the sheet. Moths will flock to the light and you’ll be able to examine them more clearly against the white background. Sugaring is also a helpful trick to attract these creatures - mix black treacle with water to thin it, and then paint on trees or fence posts to attract moths, slugs, millipedes and other creatures with a sweet tooth. 7 Make a note of which plants are attracting which insect species so you know how wildlife is using your garden. For a list of the best plants for a night-time garden click here 8 Spend a few moments in silence and your ear will tune into a cacophony of evening sounds that can include owls, grasshoppers and small mammals such as hedgehogs. Try and keep a note of everything you hear. 9 Be careful not to disturb any sleeping creatures. Turn over stones and logs slowly and carefully and put everything back as you found it. 10 Above all, have fun! Even if you don’t see as much as you were hoping, gardens at night can be truly magical places offering an entirely different experience of sights, sounds and scents. The best plants for a night-time garden
How to identify some common species you may encounter