Wild About Gardens, for the benefit of people and wildlife

Wildlife Gardening

Gardens have an enormous potential to act as nature reserves. There are 15 million gardens in the UK and they are estimated to cover about 270,000 hectares ? more than the area of all the National Nature Reserves in the UK.

Each garden on its own may be small, but together they form a patchwork of habitats for wildlife. You can make a difference by making sure you have the right conditions for wildlife to thrive in your garden.

The more variety there is within the structure and design of your garden, the greater the number of options for visiting and resident wildlife. Think about having a range of different heights in the garden, both with physical structures (pergolas, sheds etc) and planting. Shape borders to increase the number of aspects to the sun ? a gently curved edge provides more facets than a straight edge. Try to include contours in the garden, take advantage of an existing slope or make a bank from the spoil removed when creating a pond. Rather than having a series of isolated features in the garden, try to link them to create safe corridors along which wildlife can move.

There are many garden features that will enhance the opportunities for wildlife, and many of these are listed below.

Consider each feature below and include as many as you can.

Trees

If your garden is large enough, try to include at least one tree, as some birds like to sing from a high 'song-post'. Native trees will support a huge number of insects that, in turn, will provide food for larger animals and birds.

Walls and fences

You can effectively increase the size of your garden by using these vertical surfaces. Attach a trellis or other support to them, and grow a variety of climbing plants up them. They add interest to the garden, and provide valuable homes for wildlife. If there is no open soil by your fence or wall, then you can successfully grow climbing plants there in containers.

Hedges

Consider replacing an old fence with a hedge. One that contains a variety of species is best for wildlife and ideally one with a large number of native species. If you prefer a single species hedge, consider plants that have added wildlife interest such as berry-producing shrubs.

Lawns

An area of regularly cut lawn creates a good feeding ground for birds. However, if you have an area of lawn that is difficult to cut, leave it to grow throughout the summer and cut it at the end of the season. This will provide an excellent habitat for many insects, particularly moths, grasshoppers and beetles, and newly-emerged frogs.

Flower-rich meadows

If you are leaving an area of grass uncut, consider including some wildflowers to add interest and more wildlife value. Scattering wildflower seeds onto grass is rarely successful, it is better to plant wildflower 'plug plants'. Clear an area of grass around them initially to give them a chance to get established.more gardening ideas >>