Garden Wildlife

The creation of a wildlife garden, or a wildlife area in your garden, will attract a diversity of wild creatures and go some way redressing the balance of human interference with nature, which has destroyed so many habitats in the countryside. Also, by helping hedgehogs, birds, bats, frogs and toads to survive the winter and providing places for them to raise their young, you will be rewarded by their helping to keep garden pests under control.

Let's start with our butterfly house: butterfly gardening is fun but it is much more than just planting a few butterfly plants. It is a way of gardening, a mind-set. Butterflies are important economically as agents of pollination. In addition, a few species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees.

Bat boxes: bats are amazing animals and an important part of our natural environment. There are 17 species of bat in the UK, all of which are protected by Law because their numbers have decreased so dramatically. All bats native to the UK eat insects.

Hedgehog house: a hedgehog is considered a gardeners best friend as they can help keep some of the garden pests under control.

"Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home...." for the gardener or farmer this may be better reworded to "fly INTO my home" because these useful insects can help keep garden plants and agricultural crops free from greenfly and other pests, as they favour plant-lice and amphids in their diet. Below we have a ladybird house to help entice and keep them in your garden.

And let's not forget the bumble bee. Bumble bees are beautiful, hardworking and incredibly important for pollination. The UK had 27 species but sadly 3 are nationally extinct and others are seriously threatened. Gardeners can help halt the dramatic decline by making their garden friendly to bees. Below you will find a suitable bee house to give them a safe place to stay in your garden.