Early Bumblebee ©Jon Hawkins/Surrey Hills Photography
Wilder Gardening
Be part of Team Wilder, bringing about the change nature needs together.
Nurturing nature
In July, our lawns are teeming with baby animals. Frogs, toads and newts are still leaving ponds in search of cool, damp shelter. Fledgling blackbirds are demanding worms and other food from their harassed parents, and hedgehogs are leaving their nests for the first time, learning how to forage on their own. Now's the perfect time to leave out additional food for a variety of species.
Now is also a good time to sow wildlife-friendly biennial plants, such as honesty, teasels and foxgloves, that will flower next year.
All the damselfly species should have emerged as adults from their larval form by July. Look out for demoiselle and banded demoiselles in flight around your pond or garden water source. For more information about ponds - check out the Ponds Alive! project.
Blackbirds and thrushes, along with house sparrows, greenfinches and goldfinches, often nest as late as August, so avoiding trimming hedges until the last of this season's birds have left their nests. Always check hedges thoroughly before trimming.
Photo: Penny Dixie
Garden projects, big and small
We have a whole range of fantastic gardening project ideas for you to get stuck into - both big and small.
Image: Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
Small tortoiseshell (Aglaise urtica) feeding on garden flowers, UK
Apply for your Wildlife Gardening Award!
How wildlife friendly is your garden? In order to gain a plaque, you need to demonstrate you are making an effort to welcome wildlife in different ways.
Image: Vaughn Matthews
Wilder Open Gardens
No matter what size of outdoor space, from tiny gardens and window boxes to large estates and everything in between, take part our wilder alternative to a coffee morning fundraiser, whilst spreading the word about gardening for wildlife.
Resources
Thank you for gardening for wildlife, every positive action you take makes a big difference. With your help, we can put nature into recovery, create more space for wildlife to thrive, and reduce the pressure on the environment. This has to be a joint effort. We all have different skills, knowledge, and experience to offer. And we’ve got resources and advice to help get you started...
Team Wilder
Celebrate wildlife gardening and use your garden to take action to help support nature. Many of our common garden visitors – including hedgehogs, house sparrows and starlings – are increasingly under threat. But together we can make a difference. Find out how our green spaces can provide for wildlife.
Wilder Allotment Awards: Although allotments are mainly used for growing food, by adding in wildlife friendly plants you can create a mini-ecosystem that’s good for you and good for wildlife. Demonstrate you are making an effort to welcome wildlife in different ways and practicing environmentally friendly actions and apply for your plaque today!
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