So thats like an Insect Hotel, but a bit more rough and ready.

And here it is, newly completed and down by the pond:

The main wooden structure is a very strong box used to deliver stone and this, along with several other items such as the three breeze blocks acting as ballast, were retrieved from the rubbish pile of our local garden centre. The Edwardian edging tiles came from deep storage in my fathers garden and the sea washed bricks and stones with holes in them holding down the roof came from the beach in front of us. The logs are from some tree work on a Holm Oak we had done here last year. Finally, the three air bricks and the slates for the roof were purchased from a builders merchant.

Well, it was great fun to do and I love the up cycling element of it. Hopefully it will become a home and safe refuge for all manner of bits of wildlife over the coming years.

All along the fence behind this insect hostel we are planning on planting a new hedgerow this autumn. I am researching it currently to see what mix of plants should go into it. It will be a big autumn project – along with an even bigger project due to start in a couple of weeks – the digging of a new pond up by the allotment and near the field shed which we will then use as a hide to lurk in and see whats going on.