MAKE YOUR GARDEN wildlife friendly

Welcome bees, butterflies and birds for an on-trend outdoor space

- MICHELLE HATHER

Whether your garden is the size of a postage stamp or something much grander, our outdoor spaces make the world greener, in more ways than one. A gorgeous garden that benefits wildlife will be a haven for you all summer long. And a slightly wilder space means less work and more time to relax.

PLANT A NECTAR BAR

Welcome pollinating insects with a border or pots filled with colourful and budget-friendly plants, such as catmint (nepeta), fuchsia, lavender, and yellow cosmos. A cheap and cheerful buddleia shrub at the back of your border will be a hit with butterflies. Don't know what to choose? The RHS has a free list of plants and wildflowers at rhs.org.uk

GET THE BUZZ

Bees pollinate one-third of everything we eat, so we should all do our bit to halt their declining numbers. Roll out the green carpet for them and other bugs with an easy-to-make insect hotel - it's a brilliant summer holiday project for visiting kids. Check out how to make an easy, small one on TV gardener David Domoney's website. If you have space, use an old wooden pallet and fill the slots with natural materials - pine cones, hessian, jute, grasses and bamboo and secure in place with chicken wire. The hotel will provide warmth and shelter and, in return, you'll get some first-class pollination.

LEAVE PEST CONTROL

Cut back on synthetic pesticides and encourage natural predators to do the job instead. Invite slug-eating hedgehogs by leaving piles of leaves and logs; or birds that are partial to a caterpillar, with food and nesting boxes. Ladybirds eat aphids, so plant sunflowers, marigolds, and fennel to attract them. Allow ground-dwelling creatures, such as hedgehogs, access by cutting a small hole around 13cm by 13cm at the bottom of your fence.