Create a beautiful garden haven for dragonflies

Posted on October 26, 2015

Britain’s leading dragonfly expert, Ruary Mackenzie Dodds, is buzzing with ideas for how to make your garden a wonderful sanctuary for both you and dragonflies to enjoy.

The Dragonfly-friendly Gardener, published on 25 February, offers top tips on attracting these stunning insects to your own outdoor space. From creating a pond and choosing the right plants, to long-term pond care and identifying dragonfly species.

Why be a DFG (Dragonfly-Friendly Gardener)?

• You’ll be creating a new and delightful dimension in your garden.
• You’ll come across a new range of quietly colourful plants.
• You’ll be providing a home for a species that lives in two worlds, the aquatic and the aerial.
• You’ll find yourself discovering a whole new universe without leaving home.
• You’ll have a great deal of interest and fun.
• You’ll be getting quite a bit of exercise.
• And you’ll be making a serious personal contribution to conservation.

Ruary says: “They are the most amazing insects, extraordinarily beautiful. Once on the wing, their flight characteristics are phenomenal: they can cover 15 metres in less than a second, they can hover, spin on their own axis, fly backwards, and travel huge distances.

“But vast amounts of wetlands – perfect dragonfly habitat – have disappeared in the last 400 years. So making a home for dragonflies in your garden pond really can help; you can tip the balance back in nature’s favour.”