The Wildlife Trusts goes ‘Wild about Gardens’
Several well-known faces have lent their support to the project by sharing their own experiences of gardening for wildlife
Richard Briers CBE (Actor)
“Our garden attracts its fair share of wildlife. Watching the flurry of activity at our bird table every morning is a charming way to begin the day. I am delighted to be supporting this new project and look forward to hearing about the wildlife you see in your garden.”
Raymond Blanc (Chef patron of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons)
"This year is Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons’ 21st birthday; as a treat I will present myself and all of my guests with a creation of a field of wildflowers. As a child, (40 yrs ago), these most enchanting and colourful fields were natural companions, unfortunately, with today's pollution and intensive agriculture, the fields are still there but minus their colourful companions, so this year in our orchard, cornflowers, cowslips, buttercups, forget-me-nots, poppies, the ragged robin and many others will be abundant and, of course, be the delight of our guests, and also the butterflies, bees and seed eating birds".
Antony Worrall Thompson (Chef and broadcaster)
"A garden without wildlife is a bit like a dish without seasoning - I see it as absolutely integral in making all the elements work. I grow fruit, herbs, vegetables and salads for their wonderful flavour – and the wildlife in my garden loves it. Bees, hoverflies and butterflies dart between the flowers - five minutes of watching them busily collecting food helps me unwind from my own hectic day! What creatures do you love watching in your garden?"
Bill Oddie (Broadcaster and ornithologist and Vice President of The Wildlife Trusts)
"Gardens are a great place to find wildlife. Just take a moment or two to tune in to nature bustling around you - birds singing, bees and other insects humming and the undergrowth rustling. In my London garden I have myriad birds flocking to the trees, shrubs, and feeders, and I’ve watched a family of foxes cavorting round the shed. You could say that gardens are our biggest nature reserve - they are certainly an indispensable home for wildlife."
Jessica Stevenson (Actress)
“I think it’s brilliant that a garden can bring wildlife to the city. A family of foxes have made their home at the bottom of our urban garden. I love knowing they’re there as it makes me feel a little bit closer to nature. I’ve often sat with my children and watched the cubs playing under the watchful eye of their own mother. I feel a certain connection with them, as if we’re sharing the daily experiences of family life as well as sharing the same home.”
Roger Lloyd Pack (Star of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and ‘The Vicar of Dibley’)
“I live a lot of the time in a house which has a garden surrounded by woods and fields, so much of my energy is trying to keep the wildlife out of my garden! But we endeavour to grow flowers that attract butterflies, and all kinds of flying creatures are welcome, particularly birds, bees and dragonflies. Even though the birds may polish off some of the fruit a decision has been taken in our household to share our garden with them because their company is such a joy. Each year there are at least two nesting pairs of tits and blackbirds and its very soothing to monitor the routines of their day. I'm often alone there for several days, without seeing a soul, and I get a real feeling of comradeship from the birds, and when I answer their calls, it makes me feel part of the sweet world they live in.”
Kim Wilde (Pop star, gardener and writer)
“For me one of the great pleasures of being outside in my garden is seeing and hearing the local wildlife, from the elegant swoop of a swallow, to the hoot of an owl when I take our dog for a late night stroll. Our wildlife is increasingly at risk, with natural habitats threatened by encroaching urbanisation and industrialised farming practices, but thankfully us humble gardeners don’t have to take this lying down! Our gardens can easily provide alternative habitats for wildlife, whilst at the same time promoting a natural balance in the garden where plants and wildlife co-exist and flourish. Children love digging for worms, chasing butterflies and watching as ladybirds scuttle across their fingers, so wildlife gardens are perfect for them too. What is a garden without the sweet song of a robin or blackbird, the drowsy hum of bees, or the air acrobatics of a dragonfly? These are the moments I treasure in our garden, and a strong motivation to plant a diverse range of plants as well as creating shelter and providing water to encourage them to take up residence!”
Chris Beardshaw (Gardener, writer and broadcaster)
“A garden full of flowers no matter how glamorous and flamboyant they are doesn't constitute a garden unless those blooms are accompanied by wildlife. Many people now understand that wildlife, be they bees, butterflies or newts, brings a garden to life and adds an essential character. In recent years increasing numbers of gardeners have started to appreciate that to attract British wildlife you need to plant predominantly British natives, so in many peoples' gardens today native flora adopts pride of place alongside the best exotics and native fauna is able to take advantage of the millions of acres of land occupied by domestic gardens.”
Chris Baines (Author, broadcaster and independent environmental adviser. Vice President of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and author of the best seller “How to Make a Wildlife Garden”)
“Nature on the doorstep is a life-saver. At the end of a stressful day, just a few minutes in the garden, surrounded by birdsong, butterflies and the buzz of the bees, and I’m a new man. Gardening with nature can make an enormous contribution to conservation, but sharing our million acres of domestic gardens with wildlife can also bring huge benefits for people
David Bellamy (Botanist and broadcaster)
“Our islands are bursting with biodiversity, and a lot of it uses our gardens. It is amazing to see my garden humming with insects in the summer months, or see the birds flocking for shelter in the winter. Wildlife doesn’t just need the wild – it can thrive in our gardens too. Let us know about the creatures that bring your garden to life.”
Pam Lewis (Author of ‘Making Wildflower Meadows’ and 'Sticky Wicket - gardening in tune with nature')
“I have been thrilled to discover that even the tiniest of meadows can give safe haven to a surprising number of wildflower species which in turn support a wealth of wildlife. At Sticky Wicket we have combined a love of native plants and flowers with an aesthetic and stimulating design. I am now enjoying allowing the garden to gradually develop from a colourist’s and conservationist’s show garden into a place where wildlife continues to flourish.”
Richard Burkmar - Wildlife gardening writer, Member of Lancashire Wildlife Trust
“To really enjoy garden biodiversity, it helps to look at things on a different scale: most wild animals in the garden are quite small. Learning to love the diversity of invertebrates can really boost your enjoyment and appreciation of the garden. Many insects, for example butterflies, moths, dragonflies, damselflies and hoverflies, are undeniably beautiful, though all too frequently overlooked. Their small size is a problem, but by 'tuning in' to their world and looking at the garden on a different scale, you can learn to find and recognise lots of species in a surprisingly short space of time.”
Sir (Professor) Robert M Worcester KBE DL (Chairman of MORI and Vice President of The Wildlife Trusts)
"Both in Kent and in the Caribbean, where we are lucky enough to have homes, we write into all the staff jobs specifications that they are “to protect and enhance the wildlife”; thus in Kent we have our own “conservation area”. In the Caribbean, when I served on the Board some years ago, we persuaded the St Vincent Government to make our entire island and a kilometre out to sea a preservation area. When I first visited the island in 1984 it was a rare sight to see one of the red-legged tortoises. Now they are prolific, and everyone seems to have at least a family or two of them in their garden. Loggerheads lay their eggs on our beaches, frigate birds are hatched on an uninhabited island just off our coast, and our reef fish numbers are growing. In Kent, with the advice of the Kent Wildlife Trust we have built three otter holts along the Medway River - we are disappointed we haven’t seen otters yet, but we hope to see them take up residence in our lifetime."
Val Bourne (Garden writer and author of the award-winning ‘The Natural Gardener’, published by Frances Lincoln, £16.99)
“If you doubt the importance of your own garden as a potential haven for wild flowers, insect life, small animal and bird life, think about the massed green patchwork that’s visible from the air, even in built-up areas. Gardens of every kind tuck themselves round buildings and become vital conservation sites. Now that one in every eight plants in the world is threatened with extinction and many insects, birds and animals are short of habitat, we have to change the way we garden and view our own gardens as important mini-nature reserves, not neat garden rooms.
The most helpful things you can do as a gardener are, abandon the insecticides and the slug pellets, compost your own garden waste, leave leaf litter undisturbed and have some areas of long grass. Just these four things will encourage wildlife and allow some native plants to gain a foothold on your plot. In return, you’ll be dazzled by the movement of the bees, butterflies and insect life - and the insects will attract the birds and feed their fledglings. Have faith and make the life-changing decision to become a natural gardener now. You won’t regret it.”
Simon Thornton-Wood, Assistant Director of Science and Learning RHS
“Gardening for wildlife has gained popularity over the past few years. Research into the environmental value of domestic gardens has given us the popular blueprint for wildlife gardening, but research is still in its infancy and there is much we don’t know about species and about local wildlife. Together with The Wildlife Trusts we hope to investigate these unexplored areas and encourage garden owners to view their gardens as a special place for contact with wildlife.”
Stephanie Hilborne, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts
“Creating a home for wildlife in your own garden, however small the space, is good for nature and immensely rewarding. By working with the RHS we hope to encourage more gardeners to get involved with wildlife and to share their experiences. All garden owners have the opportunity to make a difference and ‘Wild About Gardens’ aims to give everyone the advice and inspiration they need to help maximise the potential of their garden nature reserves.”
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