Go Wild In Your Garden!

To most of us, gardens are our closest contact with nature.  This contact can be made much more exciting.  It's not just a nettle patch, it can be beautiful too. We want to make our Biosphere Reserve a beacon for environmentally friendly gardening.

Look at our fact sheets to learn more about beneficial bugs and how to support them in your garden

Ten Top Tips to help you get the most out of your garden for wildlife and you.

1. Nurture a range of garden habitats (grass, pond, hedge, trees, etc) benefitting a wide range of species.
2. Provide homes for wildlife. Bird and bat boxes are familiar, but how about a sculptural log-pile for the mini-beasts (the predators that will eat your pests!) or a bee box. And remember to put a bell on the cat. You don't want your birds eaten too.
3. Turn part of your lawn into a mini-meadow to encourage wild flowers and animals. You may well get some lovely surprises, like a rare orchid or butterfly.
4. Grow plants known for nectar, pollen, fruit and seed, throughout the year. They'll attract more wildlife than bird feeders alone. And how about your own food needs? Home-grown food is more nutritious, as well as good green fun.
5. Create a water feature, however small. Whether pond or bird-bath, all sorts of wildlife will be drawn to the oasis. Save the air miles and go 'little game hunting' down at your very own watering hole. Don't forget your camera!
6. Save the burden on our sewers, as well as your wallet, and harvest the rain. Whether from pond, tank or water butt, your plants will prefer natural water. They'll also like it if you mulch around them, holding that water.
7. Conserve vital nutrients too: home compost kitchen scraps and garden waste. It's better than the council having to do it, and it's free. Compost heaps are also whole food chains in themselves.
8. Think about emissions (your carbon footprint, not your compost). Choose garden products for energy efficiency - in both manufacture and use. Impress with funky recycled or reclaimed creations. They're the new black!
9. Ensure nothing you buy is putting a habitat under threat elsewhere in the world. Look for eco-certification. It's silly to exploit resources like peat or tropical hardwoods when there are more sustainable alternatives.
10. Develop a safe haven in which to relax, open eyes and heart, and breathe deeply. Enjoy the wild beauty that's always there for you. Take the ‘fence' away. Reconnect with your environment. Become whole.

For more information on gardening with wildlife, visit these websites:

Wild About Gardens

RSPB Gardening for Birds

Natural England Gardening Pages

Garden Organic