Get more WONDERFUL WILDLIFE

Easy ways to make your garden a haven of biodiversity

Perfect pond

A pond will lure birds and small animals, insects and amphibians. Build it in partial shade, with the edges at ground level to allow easy access for animals. The sides need to be shallow and slope very gently to prevent animals, such as frogs and hedgehogs, from drowning. Keep your pond healthy with a mix of submerged oxygenator plants - choose native aquatic pond plants such as water mint.

Go chemical free

Your plants may provide a canteen for slugs, snails and aphids, but avoid using pellets and chemical insecticides, as these can affect the ecosystem. Remember that 'pests' are part of the food chain - they provide meals for frogs, hedgehogs and birds. Try alternative pest control methods, such as creating barriers with copper slug rings or companion planting. Did you know, for example, that planting marigolds can help with aphid problems? They attract insects including ladybirds and hoverflies, which eat aphids.