Gardening for nature

Create a naturefriendly space

*Clean water is as important as food, whether it’s a larger pond or a small dish. Frogs will soon find a container of water lowered into the garden (provide a ramp on one side) and birds will drink and wash in even a shallow dish of water. Creating a garden pond, whatever the size, is one of the best ways to increase biodiversity.

* Planting native trees and shrubs, and climbing plants against fences, provides shelter and nesting for birds and insects. Trees and shrubs producing berries provide a natural food source for birds in the autumn.

* Provide homes for wildlife, like bug hotels, bird houses and hedgehog homes. Dead wood piles, garden trimmings and old foliage are valuable hiding places for hedgehogs and creepy crawlies, and encourage fungi and moss.

*Flowering plants provide pollen and nectar, attracting bees, butterflies and other insects. Sow wildflower seeds in a container, a new border or amongst other plants.

Keep some 'weeds': they provide breeding areas for insects which are attracted to their scent and taste.

*No-mow May is a great way to see the range of plants growing in your lawn. Wildflowers, along with flowering grasses, provide food

Flowering plants provide food for many insects and shelter for insects and other small creatures, in turn providing food for birds, mammals and amphibians. Keep a small area of your lawn wild.

*Make a small hole in your boundary fence so that hedgehogs can move from one garden to another. Providing a pile of logs and other garden trimmings in a quiet corner, along with a regular supply of clean water and small amounts of supplementary feeding, should keep hedgehogs visiting your garden.