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Wildlife of a garden

Jennifer Owen

Open Door - February 2011 pages 12-13

Jennifer Owen Jennifer Owen

Passersby in a suburban street in the east of Leicester may not realise that one of the gardens has been the site of a scientific study spanning thirty years. Here, Jennifer Owen has observed and identified over two and half thousand different species of plant and animal. She explains how this remarkable study came about.

Having completed my zoology degree at Oxford and a doctorate at the University of Michigan, I spent the late sixties in Africa, teaching, writing, conducting research projects and starting a family. From here we moved to the University of Lund in Sweden where I worked on an ecological journal for several years, before returning to my home town of Leicester in the mid seventies.

In 1975, I lost the use of my right leg. I saw a neurologist, but was given no indication what the problem might be, and over the next few months I regained feeling and mobility in the leg. All went well until late 1976 when I lost feeling and muscle control down all my left hand side. At that point I was told I had MS, a condition I knew nothing about. Again I recovered although with some residual weakness, and I reduced my hours at the girls' grammar school where I was now teaching. In autumn 1977, while teaching a class, my voice began to slur so badly that I'm sure the girls thought I had a bottle under my desk! My general coordination was affected and I decided enough was enough, and gave up the teaching job. Since then, I have only once seen a neurologist. My GP practice is understanding and has arranged several courses of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy which have been very helpful.

Instead, I worked from home as a writer producing several zoology and natural history books and also taking part in three series of a BBC2 quiz show, What on earth...?

During our time in Africa, I discovered how very rich our gardens were in wildlife, particularly insects. The garden in Sierra Leone had more butterfly species than the nearby rainforest, because it also harboured savannah species.

I applied the same approach to my medium-sized garden in Leicester with astonishing results. Over Passersby in a suburban street in the east of Leicester may not realise that one of the gardens has been the site of a scientific study spanning thirty years. Here, Jennifer Owen has observed and identified over two and half thousand different species of plant and animal. She explains how this remarkable study came about. 30 years I have identified 2,674 species of animals and plants (both wild and cultivated). This includes 474 plants, 1,997 insects, 138 other invertebrates such as spiders and woodlice and 64 vertebrates including 54 species of birds and seven mammals. The garden was so rich in species I even, tongue-in-cheek, tried to get it designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), to no avail.

The Leicester garden became my project and led to many scientific papers and the books Garden life in 1983 and The ecology of a garden: the first fifteen years in 1991.

Gardens are extraordinarily rich habitats. I didn't attempt to create an artificial countryside - it was a typical suburban garden growing flowers and vegetables. I enjoyed it and I was not an overly tidy gardener. I used to love working in my garden, sowing seeds and taking cuttings. I didn't use pesticide or poison on any creature because I was interested in what shared the garden with me. You never get blasé because there is always something odd turning up. Once you start looking at a habitat in some detail and start collecting records it becomes an exponential process. The more you do, the more valuable the records become because there is more to go on, so you find out more and more.

Although the MS started causing increasing problems as I got older, I was able to complete 30 years of garden research which I wrote up as another book. The Royal Horticultural Society stepped in as publisher and Wildlife of a garden: a thirty-year study appeared in November 2010. It's been a good year, because I also received a Gold Veitch Memorial Medal from the RHS and an Ecological Engagement Award from the British Ecological Society.

My daughter and her family live with me - I couldn't manage without them. I can no longer get out into the garden, but Sue has taken over the gardening. I am so relieved that the entire garden study is being published, but it's ironic that the recognition of the work comes when MS has rendered me virtually housebound and unable to travel to awards ceremonies and suchlike. I don't know to what extent the MS is to blame, but as I get older, my eyesight is deteriorating, which troubles me as I spend most of my time reading or writing. Nevertheless, I don't define myself as someone with MS, and have steadfastly refused to join support groups, preferring to spend time with my close family or with my many old friends. There's always something to talk about! I have a great deal to be thankful for.

Jennifer's garden
Blooming marvelous - Paula Barrett has written about gardening with MS
For more information on gardening, see the Staying Active pages

Fun and fundraising in the garden

Though we can't all aspire to the heights of Jennifer's dedication and scientific expertise, those of us who are lucky enough to have gardens find them a great source of pleasure and relaxation - and as much exercise as we can manage.

In 2010, some of our wonderful supporters raised funds for the MS Trust by opening or holding events in their gardens. They held open days, garden parties, barbecues and plant and craft sales. They sold gallons of tea and mountains of cakes. They played games in the rain and ran raffles and tombolas. Their gardens ranged in size from a small courtyard garden in central London to an expansive hillside in Tuscany. They raised enough money to cover the cost of publishing and distributing this issue of Open Door.

Along the way they all had a lot of fun, and were touched - as were we - by the generosity of their friends and local sponsors. Most enjoyed it so much they are planning to do it again this year. So how about joining them? We are hoping as many people as possible will open their gardens between 4 and 19 June 2011 - but if you can't manage that, do it whenever your garden is in bloom and you have the time.

My Garden for MS
To find out more, please contact us at fundraising@mstrust.org.uk or visit www.mstrust.org.uk/mygarden

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