Innehållsförteckning för Garden for Wildlife 2023 från BBC Gardeners' World

Look outside your window and you may see a garden full of flowers, the odd weed, carpeted with grass, enclosed by a hedge. But look again through the eyes of visiting wildlife, and it becomes an irresistable café, campsite and playground, all rolled into one. Yes, our humble back gardens really are vital to a whole host of creatures and, whether you knew it or not, you’re the custodian of a real-life nature reserve! With natural habitats disappearing, there’s so much we can all do to welcome in wildlife, while still creating the gardens we want – it’s what we champion every month in BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. Wildlife gardening is a great way to involve all ages on the plot, and start the young on what can become a…

Even in the heart of our towns and cities, it’s wildlife that adds a really dynamic dimension to gardens, bringing them alive with sound and movement. The song of a blackbird or the lazy, bumbling flight of a bee can be enough to distract the senses away from the background hum of our busy lives and create a haven that’s beneficial to our health and the environment. But gardens, by definition, are managed and although it would be wrong to label them as unnatural, few of us allow our plots to revert to a wild state. Not intentionally, at any rate! In fact, left to their own devices, gardens would probably support fewer species of insects, birds, amphibians and mammals than if carefully controlled and managed with nature in mind.…

Blackbird Turdus merula Did you know? Originally a woodland species, blackbirds are well suited to gardens that feature small trees and shrubs. Only the males are black. The females are brown and sometimes have spots and streaks on their breasts, while juveniles are reddish-brown with pale spotting. Albinism (lack of pigment) and leucism (weak pigment) are common, particularly partial albinism, where just the bird’s head or patches of wings, are white. Diet: Insects and worms in spring and summer, and fruit and seeds in autumn and winter. Blackbirds mostly feed on the ground, so won’t visit hanging bird feeders. They’ll readily take mealworms from the ground, so consider leaving some out on a daily basis during the breeding season. Lifecycle: Breeding starts in March. The female makes an untidy cup-shaped nest…

It’s easy to make this colourful, biodegradable basket for a bird feeder and bird bath using the prunings from dogwoods (Cornus) and willows, which need cutting down in late January or early February. These attractive baskets should last a couple of years or more. What you need ● Coloured willow or dogwood stems ● Plastic ties or wire ● Drinking bowl or feeding tray (we used a plastic plant saucer)…

1 Aquilegias These delicate flowers appear from late spring to midsummer and provide a valuable source of nectar. They self-seed readily, often cross-pollinating, meaning you’ll never be without them once you introduce them to your garden. Flowers that are rich in pollen and nectar are fast becoming an essential element in gardens, now that our busiest insect is under threat. You may find that bees’ favourite flowers are also yours. They spurn the double-flowered and blowsy types for nature’s simpler forms, and favour a tasteful range of purples, whites, yellows and blues. The various bee species have different feeding methods – some like foraging from lip-shaped petals (such as those of catmint), others prefer the pincushion flowerheads of globe artichokes or scabious. So include a broad selection of plants to…

Nursery web spider Pisaura mirabilis Elegant and long-legged, with beige and brown streaked markings, it hunts through herbage or sits and waits on a leaf. The female binds a domed silk tent to shelter her bundle of eggs, which she guards until they hatch. Zebra spider Salticus scenicus Strikingly monochrome, dark grey to almost black, with white flecks on the legs and chevrons on the abdomen. It hunts by jumping on its prey across walls, fences and tree trunks. No web, but it trails a silk safety strand to abseil down if it misses its target. Pale crab spider Misumena vatia The female is plump and can range in colour from pure white to pink, yellow or pale green. The male is smaller, narrower and darker. Its hunting strategy is…

1 Water lily, Nymphaea The quintessential pond plant, ideal for shading the surface of water. Varieties are available for all sizes of pond, ranging from the small pygmy water lily (Nymphaea ‘Pygmaea Helvola’) to N. ‘Escarboucle’, which is suitable for large ponds. Choose native plants where possible, as they tend to attract the greatest variety of wildlife. Pick a few plants from each of the following groups: deep-water plants (such as water lilies), shallow-dwelling marginals, floating plants and oxygenators. The more plants you grow, the more species you will attract. To keep the water algae-free, cover at least half of the pond with foliage. Floating plants are a quick way to do this. For oxygenators, allow five bunches per square metre of water surface. 2 Water forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides Has…

Urban gardens, especially those with a pond, can be pocket-sized havens for insects, amphibians, small mammals and birds. You’ll be amazed at the wealth of wildlife that water attracts, so take the plunge and make this simple small pond. Start by marking out the position on the ground. Use canes and string for a formal, geometric design, or a garden hose for a more informal shape. When calculating the size of liner for your pond, measure the length and multiply it by twice the depth, adding 15cm for an overlap. Repeat this for the width to get the right size. What you need ● Spade, rake, wooden mallet, saw ● 60cm-long wooden pegs ● 4 sturdy retaining boards ● Timber planks for edging ● Protective underlay ● Butyl pond liner…

Bat Conservation Trust bats.org.uk 0345 1300 228 Find out more about Britain’s species of bat, how to garden for them and how to get in touch if you find a bat colony. British Hedgehog Preservation Society britishhedgehogs.org.uk 01584 890801 Get tips on how to garden for hedgehogs and use the helpline to find details of your local hedgehog carer. British Trust for Ornithology www.bto.org 01842 750050 Find out how the BTO is helping us understand more about British birds, and how you can get involved. Bumblebee Conservation Trust bumblebeeconservation.org Learn how to identify different types of bumblebee, and discover how bee-friendly your garden is. Butterfly Conservation butterfly-conservation.org 01929 400209 Learn about the fascinating lives of butterflies and moths and get tips on creating habitats for them. Freshwater Habitats Trust freshwaterhabitats.org.uk…

Alan Titchmarsh Alan has been a committed organic grower for most of his career and shares his garden with a wide variety of wild species. Bill Oddie A veteran of radio and TV for five decades, Bill is an avid birdwatcher and champion of wildlife and nature conservation. Chris Packham Springwatch presenter Chris has held a fascination for wildlife since childhood, and has a passion to pass it on to a new generation. Sir David Attenborough Perhaps the most influential TV naturalist of our time, Sir David is famous for his BBC series such as The Private Life of Plants. Kate Bradbury A keen grower and wildlife watcher, Kate is author of The Wildlife Gardener, and a contributor to Gardeners’ World Magazine. Mick Lavelle Author and lecturer, Mick has devised…

A well-designed wildlife garden is a far cry from the old image of an unkempt and overgrown patch. Indeed, wildlife gardens are arguably among the most exciting, colourful and rewarding outdoor spaces you can make. Much of our wildlife depends on habitats that are increasingly rare in nature. Gardens form a vital mosaic of green spaces, often linking urban and rural areas, and allowing wildlife to travel easily between them. Just a few simple changes will transform your garden into a valuable natural resource, full of beauty and excitement. And with so many wonderful plants to choose from, you’ll find that making your garden more wildlife friendly is both creative and a whole lot of fun. Here are some of the best planting options. 1 Butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii It…

With its frame made from recently pruned branches, this rustic bird table is ideal for a wildlife garden. Not only is each one unique, but it’s also much cheaper than a mass-produced version. Put it in a quiet spot in your garden, where you can get a good view of the visiting birds. What you need ● Forked branch or log, at least 150cm long ● Selection of thinner branches and straight sticks ● Short plank or offcut of treated softwood (from a DIY store or timber merchant) ● Small piece of reed screen ● Drill, bits, screws, and auger bits or jigsaw ● Bow saw and wood saw ● Secateurs ● Plastic plant ties or garden wire ● Spade…

When you watch birds, you in fact resemble a predator – stopping, looking directly at the bird and slowly moving towards it. But if you make a hide, you avoid this problem and can actually get quite close. This simple hide is great fun for children, and you can dismantle and store it when you don’t need it. Take your place in the hide and wait – morning and evening are the best times to spot birds, and you should see various species across the different seasons. What you need ● The biggest cardboard box you can find ● Selection of poster paints, plus rollers, brushes and sponge ● Four or five sturdy stakes – dahlia stakes are ideal ● Rubber mallet or club hammer ● Wire twist ties or…

Red mason bee Osmia bicornis Did you know? Red mason bees often make their nests in holes in bricks or in the mortar between them, which is where the name ‘mason’ comes from. Diet: They forage for pollen and nectar from a wide range of flowering plants and are important pollinators of fruit crops, including apples, plums and strawberries. Lifecycle: Adult bees emerge from their cocoons from late March onwards and go in search of a mate. After mating, the male dies. The female makes a nest in a narrow hole in a wall or in a hollow plant stem. She creates a number of cells inside the hole and forages for pollen and nectar to fill each one with food. Once she has filled a cell, she backs in and…

Your garden provides a variety of habitats for insects and other minibeasts, each attracting a range of species. Ponds, log piles and compost heaps all supply different creatures with shelter, food and even a place to hibernate. But if you want to give nature a helping hand, try making this simple, open-fronted bug box. If you hang it from a fence, tree branch, arch or shed, it will soon be home to a host of beneficial creatures, including spiders, ladybirds and solitary bees. What you need ● Piece of softwood timber to make six pieces (four 10cm x 15cm, and two 10cm x 10cm) ● Wood nails ● Wood saw and hammer ● Twigs, pieces of bamboo or other hollow plant stems ● Sections of larger branches with holes drilled into…

Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Did you know? A hedgehog has up to 6,000 spines on its back and sides. When threatened, hedgehogs curl up into a ball, which protects them from most predators except badgers. Diet Various invertebrates, such as worms, beetles, caterpillars, spiders and slugs. They also eat carrion, eggs, fruit and fungi, and dog or cat food. Lifecycle Hedgehogs live alone except when a mother has young, which she cares for on her own. Adults mate in spring after emerging from hibernation, and four or five hoglets are born a month later, in a sheltered nest made of leaves. By eight weeks old the young have left the nest and the mother may have a second litter. In the daytime hedgehogs shelter in long vegetation, using the same spot…

Garden frog Rana temporaria Did you know? The colour of frogs’ skin varies – in spring, males may have a bluish throat, while females can take on a pinkish/red tinge. Diet Adults eat slugs, snails, beetles, worms, spiders, caterpillars, flies and other insects. Young tadpoles feed on algae and unhatched frogspawn. Lifecycle Frogs overwinter in a sheltered spot or in the silt at the bottom of a pond. Submerged frogs breathe through their skin. When the night-time temperature reaches 5°C they come out of hibernation and head for their breeding pond, travelling at night. A female can lay more than 1,000 eggs, with tadpoles hatching two to four weeks later. In summer, the froglets leave their pond – many are eaten by predators, but the rest will start to breed…

Many of today’s youngsters are missing out on one of life’s greatest joys – encountering wildlife close up. Unlike computer games and TV programmes, nature can give them a truly interactive experience, touching, picking up and collecting the things they find, from tadpoles to tiddlers and wildflowers to caterpillars. It can also give them opportunities to find their limits by taking controlled risks – climbing trees, making dens and discovering the outside world for themselves. Most gardens are full of life, so they’re the perfect place for children to have their first brush with wildlife. Birds are the most obvious garden animals and can be seen and heard all year round. Flying insects such as butterflies, bees, flies and wasps abound, especially in summer, or lift any stone or dig…

Feeding birds is a fascinating but messy process. Birds have a brazen disregard for food hygiene, spilling seeds as they bicker over them, picking out favourite items and leaving others to rot, scattering empty husks, and defecating at will. So it’s important to clean feeding areas regularly, otherwise they get clogged with mouldy food, and discarded seeds sprout a forest of weeds on the ground below. Worst of all, you may unwittingly help to spread infections among the birds you love. Certain birds are particularly messy eaters. Starlings gobble food at a rate so alarming that you fear for their digestive systems. Coal tits live in fear of bullying, so always rush to a feeder and make a fast selection before zooming away. Finches are wasteful, not only because they…

This is a great way to combine a traditional festive wreath with food for birds. Just remember that birds probably won’t come to the wreath if it’s on your front door. Instead, hang it on your shed or fence and it should attract lots of visitors. The pine cones can be gathered from your garden or a local park to make the fat-and-seed feeders. These can be replaced with fresh ones whenever necessary. What you need For the wreath ● Willow or dogwood stems ● Wire or plastic plant ties ● Berries such as cotoneaster, or rose hips, and leaves such as aucuba For the cones ● Several pine cones ● Fat/suet and bird-seed mix – either make it yourself or buy ready-made from garden centres ● Copper wire…

MAKE A NESTING BUNDLE Building a nest is a time-consuming activity for birds, especially as they need to do it on top of their daily business of finding food and water. Providing smaller birds like robins, sparrows and tits with a ready supply of nesting materials gives them a head start. This simple nesting bundle is made from recycled materials collected from the home and garden. Hang up several bundles around the garden from late winter, replacing them when they’re used up throughout spring. What you need ● Selection of nesting materials, such as wool, straw, dry grass, feathers, down from old pillows, string, hair from combs and brushes, shed hair from cats and dogs, threads and small, thin strips of cloth ● Forked stick, 30cm long ● Garden twine…

Comma Polygonia c-album Did you know? The comma was really struggling for surival, almost to the point of extinction, although it has seen a remarkable revival in recent years. It hibernates, although there’s a chance you’ll see it on the wing during warm winter days. It’s quite inconspicuous and sometimes resembles a dried leaf, so you may struggle to spot it. Diet: Like all butterflies, the comma is attracted to plants that are rich in nectar. However it also favours rotting fruit, so look out for it among windfall apples. Its caterpillars feed on nettles, but are also fond of elms, hops, currants and willows. Lifecycle: The comma’s lifecyle is dictated purely by the weather, although there are usually two generations a year if conditions are warm and dry. There’s…

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Spring checklist ◻ Plant varieties with single flowers that will provide easy access for insects, such as Verbena rigida, calendula, alyssum, French marigold and nasturtium. ◻ Look out for solitary bees, including the red mason bee (Osmia bicornis), nesting in holes in the walls of your house. Don’t be alarmed – they won’t cause any damage. ◻ Help hedgehogs recently out of hibernation by leaving out a shallow dish of water and some meat-based dog or cat food. ◻ Sow cornfield annuals such as cornflower, corn cockle and field poppy in a sunny spot, to attract a range of pollinating insects. ◻ Rake thatch from the lawn and hang it in a ball for nesting birds. Dog hair can also be used. ◻ Wait until April before emptying or turning your compost…