How to turn your garden into a wildlife haven

Back in the day, when Percy Thrower was the king of horticulture and a perfect, green-striped lawn with neatly edged floral borders sat at the back of nearly every suburban house, weeds, untamed climbers and shaggy grass would get you talked about. And not in a good way.

Every homeowner worth their salt had at least one pair of long-handled shears, a manual lawn mower and plenty of bottles of weedkiller in the potting shed.

Fast forward 60 years, however, and really, who has the time for daily gardening? Percy Thrower never had to deal with cyberbullying, virtue signalling or body shaming, let alone keeping on top of your socials while living your best life.

So (and be honest—we’re all friends here), are you too tired or overworked to keep your garden in pristine order? Do you enviously eye up your neighbour’s perfect lawn, but simply cannot muster the enthusiasm to get the strimmer out?

Help is at hand! Why not join the ever-growing army of wild gardeners, those who mindfully cultivate weeds, love a bit of biodiversity and want to help the planet?

If you let thistledown blow across your borders and allow your grass to grow shaggy, you’re actually helping wildlife to find shelter and nutrition, tapping into a massive trend (rewilding anyone?) and putting your fussy neighbours to shame.

It’s not that you’re lazy (binge Netflix all morning? Moi?) but more that you care so much about the environment that you’re falling on your own floral handled secateurs and giving up daily trimming.

Planting wild flowers in your garden will do wonders for your local wildlife

Here, then, are our top tips on being a responsible gardener:

As native populations of bumble bees, hedgehogs and butterflies fall dramatically, people are starting to realise that picture-perfect gardens aren’t really helping anyone.

Stop mowing at least one part of your lawn and plant some wild flower seeds, either in springtime or September. How proud you will be when showing off your wildlife-friendly meadow to envious visitors.

These little creatures are in real danger from so many elements of life. Busy roads, bonfires, deep garden ponds and a lack of habitat are all contributing to dwindling populations.

Seventy years ago, there were around 30 million in Britain. Today, it’s thought to be less than a million.

It’s easy to make your garden a haven for the little chaps. Your wild flower meadow will be a mecca for them, as they love somewhere wild to search for insects.

While you’re at it, go the whole hog (as it very much were) and think about constructing a hedgehog hotel. No need for clean towels every morning or individual shampoo bottles. Simply make a large chamber from some plywood and add in a small entrance hall that will keep them safe from predators.

Fill the main compartment with a layer of small, dry, dead leaves and voila! Don’t forget to add in ventilation—sections of drainpipe will do the trick.

Plant cornflowers and milkweed to support your local butterfly population

Buddleia has attractive purple flowers and dark green leaves and you’ll find that butterflies absolutely love it. Goldenrod grows like a weed (Percy wouldn’t approve) and is another garden favourite that will attract wildlife.

If you want to go all out and really burnish your rewilding credentials, why not think about putting in a butterfly garden?

Plant milkweed, zinnias, asters, salvia, sunflowers, cornflowers, lavender and hollyhocks and you’ll be supporting the entire life cycle of a butterfly.

Hollyhocks and cornflowers self-seed, so you’re saving valuable time planting those pesky little seeds next year.

Butterflies love privet, so if you’re lucky enough to have one, don’t waste hours of your valuable time hacking at it with a hedge trimmer.

Your local bird population will thank you as you’re providing them with plenty of opportunities to nest and reproduce.

Let it go au naturel. Chill out with an Aperol Spritz or similar and listen to your grass grow, basking in the glory of being a proper biodiversity warrior. It’s all the rage, honest.

Leave a pile of logs out to give shelter to pollinators

Beetles love dead wood and, as natural pollinators, they do the environment no end of good. In slightly less happy news for them, they are also one of the favourite foods of hedgehogs and birds, but there we are.

Get your mulching groove on instead. It’s natural, good for nature and will really enrich your soil. The wildlife will thank you for it too.

So cut down on the mowing, plant some bee and butterfly-loving plants, put in some wild flowers and let your hedge go shaggy. You’re saving the world and shedding your garden guilt as part of the bargain.

Read more: How to identify British wildflowers

Read more: Help Britain's hibernating animals this winter

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