Photo Gallery – Planting up the Wildlife Zone

Preparing the ground on the edge of the Gravel Pit, ready for planting.

Sorting the new plants. The tall ones on the right are Common Reeds (Phragmites australis)

Planting out Yellow Flag ( Iris pseudacorus). The woven structure in the background is a dead hedge – a good habitat for minibeasts.

Unpotting and splitting Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris) ready for planting. The sturdy roots have wound themselves round inside the pot.

Planting up the pond margins. The Lookout hide at the back is where the public can view the pond without disturbing the wildlife. The platform is for pond-dipping.

Planting up the pond margins. The Lookout structure at the back is where the public can view the pond without disturbing the wildlife. The platform is for pond-dipping.

Planting out Yellow Flag ( Iris pseudacorus). Blubells are flowering in the woodland at the back. The plants in tubes on the left are young willow trees.

Planting out Teasels ( Dipsacus fullonum) in the bottom of the gravel pit. Bees and butterflies drink nectar from teasel flowers, and the goldfinches and other birds eat the seeds.

Helping Simon, one of the Kew horticulturalists, to plant the Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). The white flowers in the woodland at the back are Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) and Jack-by-the-Hedge (Alliaria petiolata)

Helping Simon, one of the Kew horticulturalists, to plant Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). The woven structure on the right is a dead hedge – a good habitat for minibeasts.

Planting out Teasel ( Dipsacus fullonum) in the bottom of the gravel pit. Bees and butterflies drink nectar from teasel flowers, and the goldfinches and other birds eat the seeds.

Planting out Yellow Flag ( Iris pseudacorus). Blubells are flowering in the woodland at the back, behind the coppiced hazel.

Planting out Yellow Flag ( Iris pseudacorus). The pond will be more full when it is finished, the water will come right up to these plants.

Planting out Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) plants in the bottom of the gravel pit. Badgers have an entrance their sett near here, so we have to be careful not to disturb the area too much.