How to Create a Wildlife Garden in the UK

Why Create a Wildlife Garden?

The decline in UK wildlife

UK wildlife has declined dramatically in the last 50 years. Farmland bird populations have fallen by 50 percent since 1970. Hedgehog numbers have dropped by 30 percent since 2000. Insect populations are collapsing, with consequences for everything that feeds on them. Gardens cover about 400,000 hectares of the UK, more than all the national nature reserves combined. What we do in our gardens matters.

The benefits

A wildlife garden is more interesting, more beautiful, and more resilient than a sterile one. Birds eat garden pests. Frogs and toads eat slugs. Bees pollinate fruit and vegetables. A garden teeming with life is a constant source of interest and a small but real contribution to nature conservation.

Provide Water: Build a Pond

Why a pond is the best thing you can do

A pond is the single most valuable wildlife feature in any garden. Even a small pond attracts frogs, toads, newts, dragonflies, water boatmen and a host of other creatures. Birds and hedgehogs come to drink and bathe. A pond transforms a garden's wildlife value overnight.

Pond design

A wildlife pond should have sloping sides so creatures can get in and out, and a shallow beach area at one end. Aim for at least 1 metre deep in the middle so the pond does not freeze solid in winter. Use a butyl rubber liner, and cover the edges with turf or stones so the liner does not show.

Do not stock the pond with fish. Fish eat tadpoles and other wildlife. A wildlife pond is a fish free pond.

Pond plants

Include a mix of submerged oxygenators, floating plants, and marginal plants around the edge:

• Oxygenators: hornwort, water starwort, water milfoil
• Floating: water lily, frogbit (do not use invasive species)
• Marginals: water forget me not, marsh marigold, purple loosestrife, iris pseudacorus

Native plants are best for wildlife. The RHS has a useful section on wildlife gardening with plant lists and pond advice.

Pond size

Even a small pond 1 metre by 1 metre is valuable. If you have room, a 3 metre by 2 metre pond will support a much wider range of wildlife. See our soft landscaping service for pond construction.

Plant for Nectar and Pollen

Year round nectar

The aim is to provide nectar and pollen from late winter to late autumn. This supports bees, butterflies and other pollinators through their active season.

Winter and early spring

• Hellebores: see our hellebore profile
• Winter flowering heathers (Erica carnea and darleyensis)
• Crocuses
• Snowdrops
• Mahonia
• Viburnum tinus
• Sarcococca (sweet box)

Spring and early summer

• Forget me not
• Aquilegia
• Wallflowers
• Lupins
• Foxgloves: see our foxglove profile
• Alliums
• Geraniums

Summer

• Lavender: see our lavender profile
• Rosemary: see our rosemary profile
• Marjoram and thyme
• Echinacea
• Rudbeckia
• Scabious
• Verbena bonariensis
• Buddleia (the butterfly bush)
• Marigolds

Late summer and autumn

• Sedum (ice plant)
• Japanese anemone
• Asters
• Michaelmas daisies
• Dahlias (single flowered types)
• Ivy (flowers in autumn, vital for late bees)

Choose single flowers

Single flowered varieties are better for pollinators than double flowers. Double flowers have been bred for showiness at the expense of nectar and pollen. A single rose is a feast for bees; a double rose is a dead end.

Plant Native Species

Why native plants matter

Native plants support a wider range of insects than exotic plants because they have evolved together. A native oak supports over 300 species of insect. An ornamental cherry supports a fraction of that. The more insects, the more birds, bats and other wildlife.

Native trees and shrubs

• Oak (if you have space)
• Birch
• Rowan
• Hawthorn
• Blackthorn
• Holly
• Beech
• Hornbeam
• Field maple
• Spindle
• Hazel
• Dogwood

A native hedge of hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and dogwood is one of the best wildlife features you can plant. See our hedge planting guide for how and when.

Native wildflowers

• Primrose
• Cowslip
• Red campion
• White campion
• Foxglove
• Teasel
• Knapweed
• Field scabious
• Oxeye daisy
• Yarrow

You can grow wildflowers from seed in a wildflower meadow area, or plant plug plants into existing borders. Avoid wildflower seed mixes that contain non native species.

Create Habitat Features

Habitat piles

A pile of logs, branches and bark in a quiet corner provides shelter for hedgehogs, frogs, toads, slow worms and countless insects. Pile logs of different sizes, with gaps between them, and leave the pile undisturbed.

Leaf piles

A pile of autumn leaves in a corner provides habitat for overwintering insects and amphibians. Hedgehogs hibernate in leaf piles. See our autumn checklist for what to do with autumn leaves.

Bug hotels

A bug hotel is a structure of hollow stems, drilled wood, pine cones and bark that provides nesting sites for solitary bees and other insects. Buy one or build your own from scrap materials. Site it in sun, facing south or southeast.

Stone piles

A pile of stones or a rockery provides habitat for slow worms, lizards and ground beetles. Site it in sun so the stones warm up.

Compost heaps

A compost heap is a habitat in itself. Slow worms, grass snakes, toads and many insects live in compost heaps. See our composting guide for how to make one.

Hedgehog highways

Hedgehogs need to roam 1 to 2 kilometres each night to find food and mates. A solid fence stops them. Cut a 13cm by 13cm hole in the bottom of your fence, or dig a tunnel underneath, to let hedgehogs pass through. Talk to your neighbours and create a hedgehog street.

Hedgehog streets, coordinated by the Hedgehog Street campaign, have shown that connecting even a handful of gardens makes a measurable difference to local hedgehog populations. One hedgehog with access to 10 connected gardens has a far better chance of surviving the winter than one trapped in a single small garden.

Lawns for Wildlife

Leave some long grass

A close mown lawn is a desert for wildlife. Leaving even a small patch of long grass provides habitat for caterpillars, beetles and the insects that feed birds. Mow paths through the long grass so it looks deliberate.

No mow May

The Plantlife No Mow May campaign encourages gardeners to leave the whole lawn uncut in May. The result is a flush of daisies, dandelions, clover and self heal, all valuable for bees. Try it for one month and see what appears.

Reduce or stop fertiliser

Fertilised grass grows fast and crowds out wildflowers. Stop feeding the lawn and you will get more diversity over time.

Plant bulbs in grass

Crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils planted in the lawn give early nectar for bees. Mow around them until the leaves die back, 6 weeks after flowering.

Stop Using Chemicals

No pesticides

Pesticides kill the insects that birds and other wildlife depend on. Even organic pesticides like pyrethrum are broad spectrum and kill beneficial insects along with pests. The wildlife gardening approach is to tolerate some pest damage and let natural predators (birds, ladybirds, lacewings, frogs) do the work.

No herbicides

Glyphosate and other herbicides kill plants but also affect soil life. Hand weed or hoe instead. See our guide to preventing weeds in garden beds for non chemical methods.

No slug pellets

Metaldehyde slug pellets are now banned in the UK because they poison wildlife. Even iron phosphate pellets, sold as wildlife friendly, can affect soil organisms. Use physical barriers (copper tape, wool pellets), encourage predators (frogs, toads, hedgehogs, ground beetles), and use nematodes for serious infestations.

Peat free compost

Peat extraction destroys peat bogs, which are vital wildlife habitats and carbon stores. Use peat free compost in your garden. See our composting guide for making your own.

Feed the Birds

Year round feeding

Birds benefit from feeding all year, but especially in winter and early spring when natural food is scarce. Put out a mix of seeds, sunflower hearts, fat balls and suet. Avoid bread, which has little nutritional value.

Feeders and tables

Use a mix of hanging feeders (for tits and finches), a bird table (for robins, blackbirds and thrushes), and ground feeding (for dunnocks, wrens and sparrows). Clean feeders regularly to prevent disease.

Water for birds

Birds need water for drinking and bathing. A shallow bird bath, or the edge of a pond with shallow sides, is essential. Keep the water fresh and break the ice in winter.

Nest boxes

Nest boxes encourage birds to breed in your garden. Different birds need different box sizes and entrance holes. Site boxes facing north or east, out of direct sun, at 2 to 4 metres high.

Costs of Creating a Wildlife Garden

• Small pond (2m by 1m): 150 to 400 pounds including liner and plants
• Larger pond (4m by 2m): 400 to 1,000 pounds
• Bug hotel: 20 to 60 pounds, or free if DIY
• Bird feeder and food: 30 to 80 pounds initial, 100 to 200 pounds per year ongoing
• Nest box: 15 to 40 pounds
• Wildflower plug plants: 1 to 3 pounds each
• Native hedge (10 metres): 80 to 200 pounds for plants

A modest wildlife garden transformation can be done for 200 to 500 pounds. A full transformation with pond, hedge and extensive planting will cost 1,000 to 3,000 pounds. See our soft landscaping service for what we cover.

Common Mistakes

Tidiness

Wildlife needs mess. A perfectly tidy garden is a desert for wildlife. Leave some long grass, some leaf piles, some standing seed heads.

Putting fish in the pond

Fish eat tadpoles and other pond life. A wildlife pond has no fish.

Using pesticides

Pesticides break the food chain. Stop using them and let natural predators take over. It takes a year or two for the balance to establish.

Planting non native invasive species

Avoid invasive plants like Rhododendron ponticum, , Himalayan balsam and giant hogweed. They escape into the wild and damage native ecosystems.

Cutting hedges in nesting season

Birds nest in hedges from March to August. Do not cut hedges in this period. See our guide to when to cut hedges for the rules.

Final Thoughts

Creating a wildlife garden is one of the most rewarding projects you can undertake. Within months of making changes, you will see more birds, more bees, more butterflies. Within a few years, your garden will be a thriving ecosystem that needs less maintenance, fewer chemicals, and gives more pleasure than a sterile lawn and bedding scheme ever could.

The key is to work with nature rather than against it. Provide water, plant for nectar and pollen, leave some mess, and stop using chemicals. The wildlife will come.

Wildlife garden service

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a big garden for wildlife?

No. Even a small garden can support a lot of wildlife. A small pond, a few nectar rich plants, a bird feeder and a pile of logs will transform a courtyard garden.

Will a wildlife garden look messy?

It does not have to. You can have formal areas and wildlife areas in the same garden. A neatly mown lawn with a wildflower border, a tidy patio with a wildlife pond nearby, both work. The key is to plan the mess into specific areas.

Are native plants essential?

Not strictly, but they support more wildlife. Many non native plants like buddleia, lavender and sedum are excellent for pollinators. Aim for a mix of native and well chosen non native plants.

How do I stop slugs without killing wildlife?

Encourage predators (frogs, toads, hedgehogs, ground beetles), use physical barriers (copper tape, wool pellets), and use nematodes for serious infestations. See our hosta profile for slug control methods.

Further Reading

• Composting in the UK
• Autumn garden checklist
• Best time to plant hedges
• How to prevent weeds without chemicals

Sources and citations

This article draws on the following sources. Specific claims are cited inline where relevant.

1. CGM field records (2025-11. Site observations from gardens across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire.
2. Royal Horticultural Society (2024). RHS Gardening Advice and Plant Finder. Available at rhs.org.uk.
3. Met Office (2024). Regional climate averages, South East England. Available at metoffice.gov.uk.
4. British Geological Survey (2024). Soil parent material data for the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Available at bgs.ac.uk.