Biodiversity

You may think not but it has been estimated that Britain’s private gardens cover between 1 and 3 million acres which implies that, combined, our gardens do in fact make up Britain’s largest nature reserve.

And experiments have proved that biodiversity in urban gardens is thriving. Your back garden offers a haven for wildlife by providing a mini-habitat of grassland (lawn), woodland edge (flowerbeds) and hillside (rockery) as well as a broad range of plant species and nesting or roosting places.

What’s more, a garden rich in wildlife will provide you the opportunity to watch a whole range of creatures as the seasons change.

Follow these tips and create biodiversity in your garden:

1. Consider cutting back some of the perennials in spring instead of autumn. If left, many grasses and perennials with bold seed heads, stems and foliage will provide a winter food source for birds and mammals and enhance the overwintering potential and survival rates of beneficial species.
2. Use ornamental plants such as Buddleias and Roses that provide a food source over a long period. Include nectar and pollen-rich plants for bees, butterflies and other flower visiting insects, and fruiting trees and shrubs for mammals and birds. Night flowering or scented species will benefit moths.
3. Recycle the plant material in your garden as compost. Leaf litter, in particular, makes superb compost. Always check your compost heap for wildlife before disturbing.
4. Reduce the size of your lawn, or consider leaving part uncut. Long grass can be beneficial to many species.
5. Install bird feeders, bird, hedgehog and bat boxes, solitary bee nests, ladybird and lacewing homes and so on. Remember, birds should be provided with food and water throughout the year and not just winter. Many birds will benefit from the wide range of insects, worms and other invertebrate animals in your garden.
6. A water feature without fish will enable amphibians to spawn. They will return the favour by controlling slugs and snails.

For more information, have a look at the RHS website