Enhancing Biodiversity in Your Garden: A Handy Guide
A recent BBC article noted that in some urban gardens in the UK, tree cover is more extensive than in some of our most rural landscapes. This reminded me how invaluable the humble garden can be for biodiversity, through provision of food, shelter, breeding habitat and green corridors, which increase connectivity within the landscape.
Data shows that gardens form a significant percentage of the British landscape, covering up to 10 million acres of land. This rivals the 12.3 million acres legally designated in the UK as nationally and internationally important for nature. This means that collectively, we have an opportunity to make a measurable difference.
WHAT CAN I DO?
Recently, wildlife organisations have been strongly advocating for improving biodiversity in the garden, and there are many approaches available. Some of the easiest and most popular are listed below, which can be used alone or in combination.
Install a bee house or bug hotel in a warm, sheltered spot
Install bird boxes or bat boxes if you have mature trees
Include gaps in the base of your fence (approx 13x13cm) to allow hedgehogs to safely commute
Create log or brash piles for hedgehogs, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates
Retain dead wood where possible for stag beetles and other invertebrates
Put out a bird feeder with water dish or bird bath
Include patches of wildflower or nectar rich flowers (bees especially love purple flowers)
Add a small pond (ensure there are rocks or gently sloping planks around the water’s edge to help hedgehogs and other small mammals escape)
Reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides
LESS IS MORE
I was lucky enough to live near Knepp Wildland; an extensive and pioneering rewilding project in rural West Sussex. The premise is to largely leave nature to its own devices, while maintaining low density grazing across the site. Although large scale projects such as this are vital in protecting and increasing biodiversity, a combination of smaller-scale efforts can also be hugely effective.
I previously had a small garden space, and while this leaves less room to manage the space for wildlife, I observed that minimal changes made a big difference, and quickly. We let the grass, nettle and bramble margins grow freely, while keeping the rest of the grass relatively short. Over time, there was an observable increase in the number and diversity of bees, butterflies, moths and beetles within the margins. In turn, more birds began feeding in the long grass, as it provided a food source in a sheltered location. I also let the honeysuckle hedge grow denser, allowing dunnocks to nest. We agreed with the neighbour to leave a hole in the bottom of our fence, as this provided a commuting path for a hedgehog that frequently visited the gardens along our terrace.
NO GARDEN?
If you don’t have a garden of your own, you can try volunteering at a local community garden, or if you are able to, plant up some insect friendly window boxes/planters on a balcony or windowsill.
Given how grateful people were for the solace that garden spaces provided throughout lockdown this year, improving biodiversity in your garden couldn’t seem more apt.
More detailed resources for increasing biodiversity in your garden can be found below.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens – Community Gardens
British Hedgehog Preservation Society – Basics and Helping Hedgehogs
Butterfly Conservation Trust – Gardening for Butterflies
National Trust – Creating a Wildlife Garden
RHS – Encourage Wildlife in the Garden
RHS – List of Plants for Pollinators
RSPB – Gardening for Wildlife
RSPB– Wildlife Gardening in Small Spaces
RSPB – Feeding Birds
The Wildlife Trusts – Wildlife Gardening
Wild About Gardens (The Wildlife Trusts and RHS) – Gardening for Wildlife
Written by Emma Baker - MSc ACIEEM