1. Go wild for plants

Wild plants are great for wildlife. This is because our native plants and animals have been around longer than species that have been introduced to this country. They’ve evolved together and are more likely to support and sustain each other. 

• Wildflower blossom provides food in the form of nectar and pollen for bees and other insects. Look out for them in the native plant section of your local garden supplier – don’t forget to check that they’re grown in peat-free compost too!
• Fruits and berries are important for feeding birds when food supplies are short later in the year – small trees and shrubs that are good for blossom and berries include Rowan, Crab Apple, Elder, Blackthorn and Hawthorn. 

Not got a lawn? Small bushes and trees, and many wildflower plants can be grown in pots!

2. Plan your mini (or magnificent!) meadow 

Simply leaving patches of lawn to grow longer will allow flowers to bloom for bees and butterflies and provide shelter for small mammals such as wood mice, voles and shrews.  

• Read: How to grow a wildflower meadow

Be part of Plantlife’s No Mow May movement and leave the lawn mower in the shed this summer – if you want to take it a step further, we recommend leaving some areas for much longer between mows. Different lengths of grass left in your garden for the whole year will welcome and provide a home for much more wildlife. Shorter grass welcomes clovers and daisies, and grass that has been left to grow all year is a paradise for butterflies and other wildlife.

3. Make a splash – build a pond

One of the best ways to bring wildlife into the garden is to build a pond. It doesn’t have to be big – a container such as a washing bowl or old sink will do. But it needs to have at least one sloping side or ramp so that creatures can easily get in and out. 

Put your pond somewhere partially sunny and wait for it to fill with rainwater for best results. Bring it to life with native plant species such as Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris, Water Avens Geum rivale and Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata.

In summer and during heat waves this water source will be a vital lifeline for thirsty birds, as well as a space for flies such as dragonflies and hoverflies to reproduce.