Country diary: A young shieldbug has found a safe place to hide – or so it hopes | Nic Wilson — SkimNews
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- Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health, founded three years ago by Tom and Sue Stuart-Smith, serves as a therapeutic resource for local schools, community groups, and charities on the edge of the M25
- Hairy shieldbug nymphs (Dolycoris baccarum) are harboring in the papery alcoves of Crete scabious seed heads, where their golden-brown abdominal bands and connexivum markings break up their oval outlines against the plant's sepia tones
- The Plant Library's drought-tolerant plants thrived through summer in a six-inch layer of sharp sand without being watered once, even as temperatures soared
- Almost 350 invertebrates, including five species of shieldbug, have been recorded across more than 2,500 herbaceous perennials, low shrubs, and bulbs in the Plant Library
- Crete scabious is one of many Mediterranean species planted as part of the project's research into climate-resilient landscapes — and the sheltering nymphs suggest the planting is working as habitat as well as aesthetics
Why it matters: The garden's biodiversity count — 350 invertebrates across 2,500 plants, including five shieldbug species — recorded on a site a mile from the M25 motorway, shows that drought-tolerant Mediterranean plantings designed for resilience can also deliver real habitat value in urban-edge locations where conventional gardens might not.
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