The Easter weekend is dawning… Widely accepted as the biggest DIY weekend of the year, the bank holiday weekend provides an opportunity for many of us to get busy in the garden so we’ve sought to answer your questions about how to make your outside space more wildlife-friendly. Hopefully you will find some inspiration for a project or two to enhance it for you and visiting wildlife, making it a haven for all to thrive in.

Why are our gardens so important for wildlife?

If we were to combine all of our gardens nationwide, they add up to an area greater than all of the nature reserves across the UK. Collectively, our outdoor space is a vital part of the jigsaw that makes up a rich mosaic of green space and natural havens which extend into the wider countryside. Whether you have a small balcony, a window ledge, local community space, backyard or an extensive garden, it’s part of a route for wildlife that links urban and more rural green spaces with nature reserves and the wider countryside.

I’m time limited, what can I do?

Even if you only have a few minutes spare, you can make a welcome difference for wildlife. For example, you could fill a pot or a bird bath with fresh drinking and bathing water for birds, or if you have an hour or so to spare, could we tempt you to saw a small gap in your fence to allow a Hedgehog free passage? Find out how with this simple guide.

What’s the best thing I can do in my garden for wildlife?

Hands down the best thing you can do is to create a pond. Ponds create a rich habitat, providing food, water, shelter and a breeding place for a huge variety of wildlife. Now, we know there’s some extra hours to be had over the Easter weekend but that doesn’t mean you need to go all out on a huge construction and not all of us will have the space either. A container pond made from a washing up bowl can become supercharged with wildlife in a very short time – this is also a great project to take on with young people who might be looking for fun things to do in the school holidays – just follow this step-by-step guide. Of course, you might be more ambitious and want a bigger project/pond and that’s great too - our People and Wildlife Officer has some great guidance for you in his blog ‘Make a Wildlife Pond’.

Should I mow my lawn?

Nature loves us to be a little less tidy and right now is when our early pollinators are on a desperate hunt for nectar. So, it’s definitely beneficial to let your lawn grow a little longer, or leave a patch of grass unmown and rotate your cutting so there’s always a patch of long grass, where wildflowers are encouraged to bloom. Josh Kalms has written a wonderful blog ‘An easy way to help protect our pollinators’ which explains why keeping your lawnmower locked up is so effective in helping our bees.  

How can I provide a home for wildlife?

We’ve already mentioned that ponds provide great habitats for wildlife but there’s a host of other habitats you can provide in your garden with just a small amount of effort - bird boxes, bat boxes, Swift boxes, log piles, Hedgehog shelters, bug hotels, leaf litter…You can buy some of these off the shelf in garden centres, DIY stores and online but if you are practically minded and want to give it a go you could build a bird box or make a mansion for bugs – insects in the garden provide a great feeding source for visiting wildlife! Or how about going on a log hunt to create a pile or gathering the residual autumn leaves and making a leaf pile – neither will take you long, they won’t cost you a bean and yet they are extremely valuable for wildlife. You can find many useful ways to encourage bats to your neighbourhood in our blog ‘Go Batty at Home!’

What’s best to plant for bees and butterflies?

A variety of ornamental plants not only makes for an attractive garden for us, you’ll find that wildlife appreciates a show-stopping display too! Honeysuckle, Buddleia and Lavender will attract butterflies, bees, moths and hoverflies but the choice of nectar-rich species goes way beyond those – check out the best plants for pollinating insects for inspiration, as well as planting tips to get the most out of them. You can put the foundations in place now for supporting a fluttering display of butterflies this summer by growing host plants for caterpillars. Discover how to attract butterflies to your garden and you may have already seen that garden centres are now labelling pollinator-friendly seeds and plants so make a beeline (excuse the pun) for those!

How do I go about growing my own veg?

If you’d like to become more self-sufficient, find out how to grow a wildlife vegetable garden, and take advantage of the many hints and tips you’ll find here from companion planting to natural pest control.

What’s in all this for me?

There’s a direct correlation between connecting with nature and seeing improvements in one’s health and wellbeing. And what better way to reap those rewards than creating a wildlife haven in your own space. Discover the joy of watching Blue Tits and Robins raising their chicks, spot a dragonfly hovering over your pond, catch the sight of bats at dusk on a warm summer’s night, or maybe you’ll see a Hedgehog scuttling on your driveway as you put your bins out. Each of these moments can feel like a real privilege and warm your heart.

How can I find out more about wildlife gardening?

We’ve teamed up with the Royal Horticultural Society to produce a variety of ‘Wild About Gardens’ booklets, giving you more information on attracting wildlife to your garden and plenty of gardening tips. Explore the series at wildaboutgardens.org.uk