The Scottish Wildlife Trust have officially partnered with this year’s Ideal Home Show Scotland, to create a unique, natural wildlife garden outside the ‘Prince’s House’, designed to inspire visitors to ‘go native’ in their own gardens, that will be on show between the 27th – 30th May at the SECC Glasgow.
Positioned around the entrance of the ‘Prince’s House’– a traditionally built low carbon home made from natural materials pioneered by the Prince’s Foundation for the Built environment, the special feature garden offers a demonstration to visitors of how to create a natural habitat that will attract wildlife and help support the environment from your own home.
The garden is designed to create a variety of areas and shelters for wildlife using a mixture of short, medium, tall and densely packed plants that offer a choice of places to live, and by using mainly native Scottish plant species it ensures that the garden is adapted to Scotland’s climate, and naturally attractive to wildlife.
A selection of nectar and pollen rich plants have also been chosen to attract insects such as butterflies, moths and bees.
A bird bath provides a cleaning station and watering ‘hole’ for birds and will also provide a micro-site for aquatic insects to colonise.
Jonny Hughes Director of Conservation at the Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “The Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Princes Foundation for the Built Environment share the same goal of achieving a more harmonious balance between man and nature. To reflect this shared philosophy, we wanted to create a garden for The Princes House which is both simple and natural.
“Most of the plants used in the garden are native to Scotland and are therefore adapted to our climate as well as being naturally attractive to wildlife such as bees and butterflies, many of which have suffered sharp declines in recent years. Our hope is that the garden will inspire people to ‘go native’ in their own gardens. With time, if enough people across Scotland plant native species, the gardens of the nation could collectively become one of our most important nature reserves.”
Once the exhibition has closed on the 30th May, aspects of the wildlife garden including the planting and the wildflowers, bird bath and table will be donated by the Ideal Home Show to the local Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and Killermont Primary School.
A local company Garden Rescue will be taking some of the planting from the SECC to Yorkhill Children’s Foundation to make over their courtyard area for free, and the Killermont Primary School will also be given some planting for their outside area for their pupils to enjoy and learn about natural plants and wildlife gardens.
Dr. Maggie Keegan, Scottish Wildlife Trust's National Planning Co-ordinator, said: “Thanks to our partnership with the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, our appearance at the Ideal Home Show has given us the chance to promote the value of turning garden space into areas which can positively benefit local wildlife.
“Our demonstration garden shows how easily this can be achieved. After the event, we are delighted that the Ideal Home Show has agreed to donate the wildflowers, bird bath and table to the Yorkhill Children's Foundation. We hope the children enjoy the wildlife garden and feel more connected to Scotland's fantastic natural environment.”
The Prince’s House and the Scottish Wildlife Garden are expected to be a focal point of interest for visitors to this year’s Ideal Home Show Scotland, which takes place at Glasgow’s SECC from Friday 27th May – Monday 30th May 2011.
The Ideal Home ShowScotland, will open its doors for 4 days from the 27th – 30th May 2011, at the SECC Glasgow. Tickets can be either booked online or by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0844 481 , or for further information about the show visit the website http://www.idealhomeshowscotland.co.uk. 50p per ticket sold goes to the Ideal Homes For Heroes appeal supporting ABF The Soldiers’ Charity – see www.idealhomeshow.co.uk/ideal-homes-for-heroes/ for details.
Notes:
1. HRH Duke of Rothesay is Patron of the Scottish Wildlife Trust
2. The Scottish Wildlife Trust is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 35,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. The Scottish Wildlife Trust seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 reserves Scotland-wide. www.swt.org.uk
3. The Scottish Wildlife Trust receives financial assistance and support from Scottish Natural Heritage and the People’s Postcode Lottery.
4. There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With over 800,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species, whether they be in the countryside, in cities or at sea. 135,000 of our members belong to our junior branch, Wildlife Watch. We manage 2,200 nature reserves covering more than 84,000 hectares; we stand up for wildlife; we inspire people about the natural world and we foster sustainable living. www.wildlifetrusts.org
5. The Prince’s House:A major attraction of the 1935 Ideal Home exhibition was the presentation of a brick-built house to HM King George V by the Royal Warrant Holders to mark his silver jubilee. This was called 'The King's House' and was designed by C.Beresford Marshall FRIBA and built by Mowlem. It used the best of British and Empire materials. The house was gifted to His Majesty to be given on to someone who had given outstanding service.
Because of height and building constraints at Earl’s Court, the Prince’s House has been re-created using teel-framed modules, and is smaller than the prototype at BRE Watford. The Prince’s Foundation is grateful to Tingdene for enabling us to create this model.
The Prince’s House is capable of being built to the same cost, as other like eco-housing.
In a report by the Good Homes Alliance 40% of homebuyers were more likely to buy an eco home if it comes in a traditional form.