Wildlife Gardening

Our own back gardens are often the place where we encounter wildlife most regularly. It will probably be the place where we first come across it whether it be digging up worms (to add to that mud pie) or being engrossed in the antics of ants. Children and adults alike all benefit from being out in a garden and wildlife can benefit from these refuges. The RHS and the Wildlife Trusts have set up a joint website with some great resources on how to improve your garden for wildlife.

The wonderful thing about a garden is that it can be a microcosm of large habitats, they often contain such variety that a plethora of creatures and plants can benefit. Some shrubs, a small pond, flower beds and the compost bin all provide the perfect home for frogs, butterflies, toads, hedgehogs, invertebrates, birds, fungi and so much more.

We can all do our bit for nature in our back gardens and we will provide regular posts here of hints and tips on how you can be a part of the largest network of nature reserves in Wales, in our own back gardens.

Garden News

• Invest in a WildLove Nest

  People from Cardiff to Aberystwyth are being asked to give love a helping hand between St Dwynwen's and St Valentine's day by the Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Horticultural Society. By providing shelter, food, and wildlife corridors, you can offer ...

• Autumn on Strike

  The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) have been receiving reports and seeing for themselves some fairly odd sightings for autumn. Whilst our summer visitors have left us and our winter visitors such as fieldfares and redwings have arriv...

• Creating a Pond and Bog

  This is a great time of year to put a pond or wetland area into your garden. Ponds bring with them a wealth of wildlife, attracting birds and mammals for a drink and creating the perfect habitat for a wide variety of invertebrates and amphibians. A ...

• Create a Nectar Cafe

  Insects are vital  in the garden. The hoverfly young often feed off aphids, making them particularly useful as pest control, whilst many insects help ensure you have seeds or fruit from your plants. Even if they did not provide a useful function we wo...

• Watch out for frogs and toads in your bonfire pile.

   Watch out for frogs and toads in your bonfire pile. It’s that time of year again when we build bonfires, nibble on a toffee apple and make pretty patterns in the air with a sparkler to celebrate Halloween.  The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wa...

• Planting a Hedgerow

  This is a great time of year to be thinking about planting a hedge. The new plants (preferably bare rooted and locally sourced) will be dormant in the next few weeks and should bed in well. Planting a hedgerow is a real investment into the future, a...

• Help the Bugs in October

  Insects are an important part of any ecosystem. Without them we would not have anything to pollinate our flowers, they provide food for our birds and mammals, they even help keep each other in check. We should be encouraging bugs of all kinds into ...

• October in the Garden

  Vivid colours are spreading amongst the trees, as leaves take on shades of gold, red and brown. Fungi are sprouting on lawns, trees, rotting wood and anywhere else they can. The weather is cooler and probably wetter, perhaps the occasional frost or hai...

• Enter the Joint RHS and Wildlife Trusts Garden Competition

  Enter our Big Wildlife Garden competition! Entry is free, and prizes will include a year’s membership of both the Royal Horticultural Society, and your local Wildlife Trust, plus attendance at a wildlife gardening masterclass at the Hampton Court ...

• WTSWW and BTO Wildlife Garden Conference in Cardiff

  The British Trust for Ornithology and WTSWW have organised a joint Garden Wildlife Conference will be held on Saturday 22nd October 2011 in the prestigious Main Building at Cardiff University. To book please download Cardiff BTO/WTSWW conference bookin...