How do you enthuse your neighbours to do something for birds, insects and hedgehogs?
With the brand new IVN co-worker Jacky Wetzels (52) it goes without saying. She is so passionate that her entire street turned into an oasis of butterflies and birds. She shares five of her ‘secrets’.
‘People now come to live here especially because of the greenery.’ De Laagte Kadijk is a historic part of Amsterdam, close to the IJ and the former warehouses of the Entrepotdok. Since Jacky came to live there in 2005, a lot has changed. It started with one pot on the steps in front of her house. And then of course there were all the plants of ‘uncle Jan’, a neighbour in his nineties who had lived in the street since he was born. “In white, plastic containers, on rickety tables, he had put all kinds of colourful bedding plants on the sidewalk,” says Jacky. “I used to help him with watering. But when he passed ten years ago, his son removed everything in one evening and then it was suddenly very gritty here.
The IVN posted Jacky’s 5 tips on the website:
Tip 1: choose organic, native and flowering
Tip 2: make mistakes and learn from them
Tip 3: start small, dream big
Tip 4: share your seeds and plants with neighbours
Tip 5: Give concrete planting tips
Read the full Dutch article about Jacky and the plants on the Laagte Kadijk here.
Handy Flower Calendar
A garden full of colour all year round? It is possible! The free IVN Bloom Calendar helps you on your way. Fun for you and good for the insects.
A good flowering arch means that there are different plants, shrubs and trees in your garden that flower in turn. This way, bees and butterflies can find enough nectar and pollen from early spring to late autumn. And your garden is full of plants that bloom in succession.
Download the free IVN Bloom Calendar in Dutch here