Having just read Graham's piece written today, I don't know how he knows all the plants, all the fungi, and, it would seem, nearly all the insects as well! I take my hat off to you, Graham! But you need to be told a secret about gardeners. A friend of mine married a gardener, and a delightful fellow he is, but my friend has now learnt there are two rules of gardening. First, a garden is never perfect, therefore, you are not allowed to just sit and watch for pleasure, as there is always work to be done. Second, a gardener will choose plants with foliage of any colour you fancy, except green. These two together rule out me completely, and, I suspect, Graham too. He clearly thinks he can just enjoy a garden, and I do that too, though with much less knowledge about the beasties than Graham.
This year our insect hotel has had lots of tenants, some of whom are still present. Last year was the first year the hotel was available for renting rooms, but we only had two or three takers. However, a friend told me not to worry, but seasoned holes in wood are preferred, so more visitors arrive every year as the holes get more insect-friendly. But I am sorry to say that I have no idea of the names of any of my tenants, which is a huge oversight. I cannot even say which family different ones belong to. But I do know there are many different shapes and sizes, so some of them at least must be pleased that a hotel is provided for them. One question: should I clean out the used holes in the winter, to remove the varied detritus within? Or leave well alone, as some tenants may be overwintering in there?