< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY GARDENS B utterflies are a welcome sight for most gardeners and a perfect complement to flowers, but with many species in decline as a result of climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use, there are now fewer fluttering around our gardens. There are a number of actions, however, that can be taken in the garden — no matter its size — to make it a butterfly sanctuary. First, consider what is being planted. Butterflies need nectar-rich flowers to feed, and in turn gain the energy to fly and find a mate. Fortunately for garden-lovers, this means integrating lots of beautiful plants that bloom at different times of year to provide nectar throughout butterfly season. Whether grown in pots, hanging baskets, or borders, some butterfly favourites, as highlighted by charity Butterfly Conservation, include, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Wild Marjoram, Knapweed, Honeysuckle, Verbena bonariensis, Scabious, Red Valerian, Sedums, and Heather. Butterflies enjoy warmth, so select sunny spots sheltered from the wind for your nectar plants and remember to keep them in good condition by watering well, mulching with organic compost and deadheading flowers to prolong blooming. One might look to incorporate caterpillar food plants too, allowing butterflies to live their lifecycles in your garden. Consider leaving a section of nettles or dandelions to grow, or simply let your grass grow a little longer to provide food and shelter for caterpillars. In gardening for butterflies, ensure to avoid insecticides and pesticides, which kill not only butterflies, but many pollinating insects. Butterflies can be poisoned accidentally due to the airborne Butterfly-friendly gardens With butterflies under threat, gardening with our fluttering friends in mind is vital. 22 ÁLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 21 GARDENS © stock.adobe.com/MartinaABBEY TREE SERVICES Professional tree care n OUR SERVICES: n All aspects of tree care n Hedge cutting n Dangerous trees & call outs n Wood mulch/chip & Logs We cover Woodhall Spa, Coningsby, Horncastle & surrounding areas in Lincolnshire CALL FOR A FREE QUOTE 01526 352 573 n abbeytreeservices1@gmail.com abbeytreeservices-woodhallspa.co.uk 01526 352 573 / 07717195089 abbey_treeservices abbeyts 22 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY GARDENS drift of insecticides and pesticides, water runoff, and nectar contamination. Alternative options include natural pest control methods like companion planting and promoting predatory insects. Reconsidering use of weedkillers is important as well, as they often remove key caterpillar foodplants. Giving butterflies a boost by making them a snack is also an option, and particularly helpful when plants finish flowering. It only requires dissolving sugar in water in a saucepan (the Wildlife Trust suggests a quarter cup of sugar to two cups of water), soaking a bright cloth in it once cooled, and then placing the cloth near flowers. Leaving overripe fruit in a sunny spot is another recommended snack. One can also construct somewhere for them to drink with a puddling area, by filling a shallow container with soil or sand and adding water until it puddles, alongside a few rocks as perching spots, to be positioned in a shady area near flowers. Puddling patches provide essential nutrients and minerals that butterflies cannot get from plants, helping females lay fertile eggs. Butterflies may be assisted further by creating somewhere for them to shelter, such as a habitat pile with logs and leaves, a butterfly house (either built or bought), or in a larger garden by incorporating a hedge or ivy. Place these shelters in sunny, visible spots that are protected from the wind and close to nectar-rich flowers. Butterflies additionally like somewhere to bask in the sun, raising their body temperature so they are able to fly and remain active, such as big stones or large leaved plants. Not only long-loved visitors to gardens, butterflies are also vital pollinators, an essential part of the ecosystem, and a key indicator species (when they are in trouble, it indicates the wider environment is in trouble too). By creating a garden that attracts butterflies you can simultaneously support the local ecosystem, offer a helping hand to butterflies under threat, and add beauty to your outdoor spaces. With Butterfly Conservation’s most recent ‘State of the UK’s Butterflies’ report revealing that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s, and the charity last year declaring a national ‘Butterfly Emergency’, the time to help our fluttering friends is now. © stock.adobe.com/phototrip.czESTABLISHED IN 1780 PENNELLS LINCOLN Newark Rd, South Hykeham, Lincoln, LN6 9NT Tel: 01522 880033 PENNELLS CLEETHORPES Humberston Rd, Cleethorpes, N E Lincs, DN36 4RW Tel: 01472 313600 PENNELLS SLEAFORD London Rd, Silk Willoughby, Sleaford NG34 8NY Tel: 01529 304970 GARDEN FURNITURE | GIFTS | HOMEWARE | GARDEN ACCESSORIES | FOOD OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK * *excluding New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, & Boxing Day For more information visit: www.pennells.co.uk Explore our wide range of plants & see what each of our Gardeners Restaurants has to offer!24 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY LINCS & NOTTS AIR AMBULANCE lives Saving LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 25 LINCS & NOTTS AIR AMBULANCE T he Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance isn’t an uncommon sight in our skies, responding to four potentially life-threatening incidents every single day. In November last year, in fact, they recorded their 30,000th mission near Market Rasen in the dark hours of the night. This dedication to saving lives has had a huge impact on people across the county, especially those who are hurt in difficult to get to conditions where an ambulance might arrive too late, if at all with today’s wait times! The LNAA work closely with the EMAS (East Midlands Ambulance Service), though the air ambulance is a charity first and foremost. This enables the EMAS to divert the air ambulance to critical cases 27 Á The Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance has saved countless lives across our region, but as costs continue to rise the charity needs the help of everyone more than ever. 26 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY High Quality Print & Design in Lincolnshire PRINTING | COPYING | GRAPHIC DESIGN • LOGOS • BRANDING • BUSINESS STATIONERY • FLYERS & POSTERS • BROCHURES • NEWSLETTERS • A0 COPYING & SCANNING • OS MAPPING • CAD & PLAN PRINTING • PRINT FINISHING N 01522 546118 E sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk If you have any questions regarding your printing requirements or would like a quotation please contact one of our team who are here to help. Your Ifor Williams Trailer Distributor Trailers from small domestic to 3500kg gross Sales • Repairs • Servicing • Spares Sole Distributors in Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Pickup canopies also available You are welcome to view our stock of Trailers T: 01526 860317 W: www.scott-trailers.co.uk E: office@scott-trailers.co.uk Opening hours: Mon to Fri 8am-5pm Sat 9am-12 noon Horsebox Commercial Livestock Unbraked KEVIN JOHNSON “For those times when you need a helping hand on farm or on land” 4 Church Road | Wittering | Peterborough | PE8 6AG Tel: 01780 782924 | Mobile: 07860 608825 enquiries@kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.uk www.kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.uk •Fertiliser Spreading 12m to 36m •Lime Spreading •Maize Drilling •Grass Mowing with Triple Mowers Keeping Your Business Moving Commercial Trailer Specialists in Stallingborough, Grimsby T: 07739 644398 E: glcommercials@btinternet.com W: www.glcommercials.com Winter Storage Only £75 include a Service for only £25 extra Scooters kept securely and charged weekly Service & Repairs We have an up to date fully equipped Service Centre to help with any breakdowns or repairs 207 Roman Bank, Skegness, Lincolnshire Tel: 01754 768006 Hire WheelchairWheelchair £5.00 per day £25.00 per week £25 refundable Deposit Scooter Scooter £15.00 per day £75.00 per week £50 refundable DepositLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 27 LINCS & NOTTS AIR AMBULANCE where an ambulance cannot hope to arrive in good time. What makes the air ambulance especially integral to Lincolnshire’s wellbeing is the sheer size of the county. Lincolnshire is the largest administrative county in central England and has a lot of fen and countryside that inhibits ambulance coverage. In past years the ambulance has been seen responding to incidents at county shows, farmland, and in other hard-to-reach places that an ambulance would have real trouble getting to. From the air, the ambulance can drop paramedics to see to the injured party and provide live-saving or life- preserving treatment as they are rushed to a waiting hospital in a fraction of the time it’d take by road. It’s little wonder that such speedy response has saved so many lives and made such a large impact on families and communities across the county. Of course, it’s neither cheap nor easy responding to so many cases across both counties, all the while supporting a dedicated team of paramedics and specialists – and the titular helicopter itself. The LNAA relies on generous donations from individuals, organisations and businesses to do what it does, and that’s only become more apparent as costs have increased. LNAA’s team of specialist paramedics, 28 Á28 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY LINCS & NOTTS AIR AMBULANCE DIRECT GASKETS LIMITED We are pleased to show our support for Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance Showroom open 7 days a week on Tritton Road, Lincoln Tel: 01522 512020 or get a quote online www.starglaze-windows.com For over 35 years we have been market leaders in the manufacture of Gaskets. Gates, Fencing, Garage Doors, Auto Gate Systems, Sawmill, Structures, Hardwood, Softwood, Treated Softwood, Decking, Cabins, Garden Furniture, Aged Oak, Building Timber, Sheet Materials, Tools & Firewood. t: 01522 754207 • e: sales@b-knightandson.co.uk www.b-knightandson.co.uk 30 Main Road, Langworth, Lincoln, LN3 5BJ B Knight & Son Ltd Timber Merchants & Manufacturers Family Business Bringing Timber To You Since 1874 n Servicing n MOTs n Repairs n Brakes & Tyres n Engine diagnostics n Car Batteries n Exhausts n ECU Remapping n Air Conditioning Testing/repairs/Re Gas VW, AUDI, SEAT & SKODA SPECIALIST Tel: 01472 812130 www.lincsvwa.com Unit 3, Woodside Park Station Road, Tetney Grimsby. DN36 5HX doctors and pilots responded to almost 1,500 life-saving missions in 2024. October proved to be an extremely busy month and the crews were called out to 141 incidents of which 58 of these were undertaken during the hours of darkness. With the aid of night vision goggles (NVGs) the crew are able to fly at night to reach patients involved in the most serious of incidents until 2am every day. Each pair of NVGs cost £14,000 and it is thanks to the generosity of people living and working in the communities of Lincs & Notts that we can equip the crew with this state-of-the art equipment allowing them to provide pre-hospital emergency care to those in need whilst everyone is asleep. Karen Jobling, CEO of LNAA says: “We need £13 million this year to provide this 24/7 service, every day of the year. We receive no direct Government funding, and have only come this far, thanks to everyone who continues to support us, giving our patients the best chance of survival and recovery.” LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 29 LINCS & NOTTS AIR AMBULANCE To find out more about LNAA and to donate to the charity visit www.ambucopter.org.uk If you have ever needed the services of LNAA and want to share your story, contact media@ambucopter.org.uk The history of the LNAA begins in 1993 when a number of consultants at the Pilgrim Hospital proposed a helicopter to help ferry patients in serious conditions to other specialist hospitals. The LNAA became operational at RAF Waddington in 1994, originally meant only for Lincolnshire, but its range was extended to include Nottinghamshire in 1997. Nowadays the group needs support from the local community more than ever, and thankfully there are many groups rising to the challenge. Some make donations, others hold events like business golf days and raffles, and individuals raise money with walks, marathons and even knitting events to help keep the air ambulance in the sky. Donating to the LNAA helps directly, but if you’d like to do more then anyone is free to fundraise on their behalf. You can request a fundraising guide on their website (www.ambucopter.org.uk) for free, and they also include plenty of ideas of things to do – inspiration taken from previous fundraisers who have helped in the past. Businesses and shops can also request a collection tin to raise money via spare change, and the air ambulance team are often involved in public speaking, events and charitable organisation themselves.Next >