Young trees matter, cherish them
We urge everyone who has planted trees in the last five years to revisit them and give them some vital aftercare. Trees are great at locking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - using it [...]
Birds in your garden
If you follow some basic rules in your garden, you'll make it more attractive for a wide variety of bird species. If you provide shelter, food and water you will encourage them to visit your [...]
Native spring-flowering bulbs
Spring is a very important season for wildlife gardening. Early spring flowers are vital for early insects and the birds that feed on them. Native wildflower bulbs tend to flower in the spring and there [...]
Planning a wildlife hedge
Before planting a wildlife hedge, consider its purpose. If the hedge is intended to be stock-proof, it needs to comprise at least 75% thorny plants. Hawthorn, with the addition of blackthorn or holly, often provides [...]
An introduction to wildlife gardening
Wildlife gardening is for everyone You do not need any particular level of expertise to start a wildlife garden. There are only a few rights and wrongs that you will learn as you go along. [...]
Native tree heights
Ever wanted to know how tall the tree you're planting might eventually grow? Here's a list for you. Most trees will only attain the maximum height in ideal conditions - this is unlikely in most [...]
Hedgerow cutting
The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Monk’s Wood in Cambridgeshire has suggested that by cutting hedgerows less frequently, farmers can save money and protect our wildlife. During the autumn each year, thousands of kilometres [...]
Creating and managing a patch of wet grassland
Our tendency to drain large areas of land for agriculture and housing means we have lost many of our natural wetlands. This has contributed to erosion, loss of habitat and flooding. When creating a garden [...]
Native trees in your garden
Longing for a break from bustling city life? Want to relax in the shade and take a deep breath of clean air while listening to lovely birdsong, but don’t have enough time for a trip [...]
Make your garden a home for hedgehogs
The number of hedgehogs living in rural areas has plummeted by more than half since the year 2000. This comes from the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, based on [...]
Creating a Wildlife Pond
The world's frog, toad, salamander and newt populations are disappearing at an alarming rate. The reason for this being mainly that their natural habitats - ponds and bogs - are also disappearing. However, you can [...]
Concrete
Health and hygiene Fresh cement is caustic and rapidly damages unprotected skin. It may also cause dermatitis. Use a gauntlet style of PVC glove, and avoid gloves with cotton cuffs. Care of tools and mixer [...]
Green gardening without peat
Peat is, without a doubt, great for growing plants in. So why should we not use peat in our gardens? Well, peat bogs are home for a wide range of plants, insects and bird life. [...]
Why manage dunes?
Sand dune systems occur on the coast throughout the UK and Ireland. They support a diverse range of flora and fauna. Although inherently unstable to start with, once vegetation is established they are often protected [...]
Gardening for bees
We often consider gardening something that we do for ourselves. And this is great. Gardening for bees (and us) is one way we can give something back to a group of creatures we depend on. [...]
Why improve access?
The network of around 130,000 miles of public rights of way in the UK, is one of the country's greatest recreational resources. A 1993 survey showed that of 320 million 'visits' to the countryside, 120 [...]
Why fell trees?
Tree felling is a positive management technique which increases the health and diversity of trees and their associated wildlife within woods. It should be carried out as part of a management plan based on scientific [...]
Why clear scrub?
Chalk grassland, lowland heaths, peat bogs, dune slacks, moorland and wetland margins need managing to retain their particular characteristics. This often means cutting back and removing young bushes and saplings - known as scrub clearance. [...]
