Tom Marshall
Wildlife Gardening
Your garden is part of one giant nature reserve
Gardens have enormous potential to act as mini-nature reserves. There are 15 million gardens in the UK, covering about 270,000 hectares – that's more than the area of all the National Nature Reserves in the UK. Joined together, they could make one enormous haven for all species. How you garden is more important than ever. Many once-common garden species – hedgehogs, house sparrows, starlings and common frogs - are becoming much less common. This is where gardeners, like you, can make a difference, by making their own gardens and the green spaces better for wildlife.
We've got loads of ideas for you to try out, or learn more about the beasties living in your back yard.
WildNet - Tom Marshall
Every little action helps
There are so many things you can do to help wildlife in your garden and in your life. We've pulled together some of our top tips here!
Wildlife needs four things to thrive in your garden:
- Food
- Shelter
- Water
- Places to raise young
If you can get these four elements into your garden, you'll be well on the way to creating a wildlife haven. little nooks and crannies, a variety of plants and food sources, piles of wood, leaves and dirt, grass of different lengths, wildflowers, ponds - these are all little ways to start letting wildlife in.
Think about providing any (or all!) of these...
- Trees and shrubs
- Nectar-rich flowers and shrubs
- Ponds, bog gardens, bird baths
- A variety of plant shapes, sizes and heights
- Cracks and crevices e.g. rockery, climbing plants
- Long grass area
- Dead wood e.g. log pile and standing dead wood
Download your wildlife gardening guide
Wildlife-friendly gardening is about making a haven for you, as well as for wildlife. By gardening sympathetically for wildlife, you’ll be rewarded by a truly natural outdoor space, where you can get in touch with the plants, animals and birds that make their home there.
