Gardening with
Wildlife in Mind

'Painting' yoghourt on rocks will provide good growing conditions for lichens.
Use unwanted rubble constructively and build a stone and earth mound – great for hibernating newts and even lizards.
Leave heaps of grass-cuttings in a sunny spot – grass snakes may use them for egg-laying.
A carefully selected oak log, placed on damp ground to slow down drying out and loss of the bark, will grow an attractive cover of lichens and moss in a year or two.
Use old logs in rockeries to make habitats for fungi, invertebrates and amphibians.
Some bumblebees will nest in bird boxes. Don't evict them: they need nest sites too!
A rotten log by a pond provides an excellent egg-laying site for southern hawker dragonflies.
Don’t throw your garden waste on to areas of wild habitat, especially if it contains non-native aliens.
Whatever the time of year, check your bonfire pile before burning – hedgehogs may be hibernating (or wrens nesting) in them.
If you have slow-worms in your garden, keep plenty of rough grass and some rocks and logs for shelter.
Ivy on trees does no harm to the tree and provides food and shelter for wildlife.
If you find bats in the loft when doing roof repairs or alterations, inform Natural England. All bats are strictly protected by law.
Don't collect cobbles and boulders from beaches for your garden. They will support more wildlife left where they are.