Create a wildlife patch

Give a little space to nature’s heroes, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

I KNOW I bang on a lot about gardening for wildlife, but it is an important part of our remit. As Alan Titchmarsh once said, gardeners are ‘custodians of the planet’, nurturing plants and their ecosystems.

As well as being a haven for wildlife, our gardens also help create important corridors between areas of natural habitat. You don’t need a large garden or even give over all of what you have to help wildlife.

We have a corner where we stash old prunings to create a habitat pile. It’s planted with foxgloves, borage and other insect-friendly plants, and we often see signs of hedgehogs, badgers and foxes left on the grass.

We also have a pond and have dotted the garden with saucers of water for thirsty birds and other creatures.