Gardeners are only too aware of the chain reaction they unleash when the first carefully nurtured seedlings are planted in their gardens. Slugs, snails, small rodents all come out to feed on the succulent new growth. But dealing with them often involves other natural predators being present in the garden to strike a balance, hopefully in favour of the gardener.
Hover flies appear for the aphids, toads and frogs for the slugs, thrushes and blackbirds for the snails, and our friendly local buzzard population for the voles and shrews.
These are all good companions in the garden to complement the tender loving care applied by the busy gardener. Our Torridon oasis is full of wildlife to offer a helping hand.