The importance of our gardens in protecting Britain’s wildlife has never been greater. As more and more of our wildlife habitat is taken up by farming, industry and housing, many native species are in decline.
Our gardens hold enormous potential for helping to reverse this. With the right plants, some special habitats and a more relaxed approach towards garden maintenance, gardens, patios, balconies and even window boxes can all become important refuges for wildlife.
Encouraging more creatures into your garden needn’t be difficult or time-consuming either. A wildflower bed can be just as effective as a meadow and a pile of logs can provide shelter for a whole host of insects in just the same way as an elaborately built bug hotel. Even if you only have a tiny space, you can do great things for bugs, such as installing a window box or planters with herbs and flowers, putting up wall-mounted bug houses or even making a container pond.
Remember, whatever space or time you have available, a few small changes and your garden will soon by full of life. And the more you do to welcome creatures in, the more you’ll enjoy the space as you sit and listen to the wildlife around you.