Tom Marshall
Wildlife Gardening
Together, our gardens are a vast living landscape. With an estimated 24 million gardens in the UK, the way they are cared for can make a big difference to the natural world.
Go wild in your garden! Large or small, ledge or yard, your garden can be a mosaic in a wider network of natural havens linking urban green spaces with nature reserves and the countryside.
Hedgehogs, bats, sparrows, song thrushes and stag beetles are all declining species in the UK, but if we manage our gardens to benefit wildlife, these creatures and many more will find refuge. It’s not hard to be help. Consider a whole host of wild ideas and features – or just pick one and then sit back, enjoy the view and see who visits!
Why have a plain, ugly fence when a green, living boundary can bring the riches of flowers, scent, berries, rich autumn colours and wildlife? Ever thought about which heavenly-scented plants provide night-time nectar for moths? Or digging a pond? If you introduce a water feature, not for fish but for newts, dragonflies, pond skaters, you'll also be providing water for birds. Plant up the edges with the golden blooms of marsh marigolds and the lush spikes of purple loosestrife and you'll have nectar stations for insects and beauty to dwell on.
Working together, people can change the natural world for the better. We can achieve a wilder future! Find ways to take action for the wildlife in your garden by clicking on our guides below.
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.
Download your guide to creating a pond
Creating a pond is one of the best things you can do in the garden for wildlife. And it doesn't have to be big! Even mini container ponds can create essential habitat to garden wildlife.
Download your guide to helping butterflies
Butterflies and moths aren’t doing too well at the moment, with many species declining in recent years. But, the good news is that we can help through gardening!
Download your guide to helping worms
These wriggly fellows are well known to gardeners all over. At first glance they might not seem particularly special, but they’re essential for our soils and wildlife.
Download your guide to helping hedgehogs
Small, round, brown and famously covered in spines, the hedgehog is one of the most familiar of Britain's wild mammals.
Download your guide to helping bats
Bats are stars of the night, seen swooping through the night sky in the pursuit of their prey. Little understood, just what is the truth about these enigmatic mammals?
Download your guide to helping bees
It’s no secret that many pollinators are facing threats. Insensitive land use, a reduction in plant species diversity and the use of insecticides have all been linked to declining bee numbers. This is bad news for us and for them. But you can help...
Join Us
Thanks to the passion and generosity of our members, we have been able to protect precious wild spaces across Birmingham and the Black Country for over 40 years!
Please help us do so long into the future.