Create a Wildlife Friendly Garden

“Every space in Britain must be used to help wildlife.” David Attenborough

To put it bluntly, our insects are in trouble. At the present rate of decline, we could lose nearly all our insect life within 100 years, and without insects human life itself is under threat. But the good news is we can help. In this article, we look at the first steps you can take to creating a wildlifefriendly garden with no chemicals by building a troop of insect helpers.

Let’s start with the facts

■ Blue tits take 10,000 caterpillars to feed one brood of fledglings. ■ One lacewing larvae eats 200 aphids a week. ■ Spiders, which you may shudder to approach, are actually your first line of defence against flies, cockroaches, earwigs, mosquitoes, fleas, clothes moths and ants. Spiders eat 400-800 million tons of insects a year! ■ One ladybird will consume up to 5,000 insects in a lifetime - think rose protectors! Nature is designed in balance so beneficial insects feed on pests, but it’s important we allow this balance to develop. Build up your troops

Planting trees and hedges are vital to reduce your own intake of air pollution but they also provide vital food and shelter for birds and insects.

1. feed your insect troop

■ Plant shrubs and flowers that provide nectar and pollen in each season. ■ Choose shrubs that insects love - cotoneaster, hebe, lavender, buddleia. ■ Choose many different flowers - select single not double blooms, crocus, snowdrop, hellebores, alliums, foxgloves, sunflowers, mint, marjoram, honeysuckle. ■ Leave small areas of grass uncut over summer. Leave circles of long grass to look artistic and natural, the daisies, clover or vetch will come through as highly favoured food for your insect friends. ■ Be generous and crave a lawn that feeds the wildlife rather than a sterile bowling green look, and go green with less paving!

2. Water your troops

Provide a bird bath, or even a dish kept topped up. Site it away from shrubs where the family cat may hide to observe any birds who visit! You can also place a stone in any water to create a shallow area for bees and other insects to come and safely drink. Remember to refresh the water regularly to reduce any possible disease build up.

3. House your troops

Or rather, provide areas in which they can build their own shelters. Old terracotta pots in corners, piles of stones and old logs are all good for shelter, whilst leaves brushed under hedges will create more shelter and hibernation sites, and when the leaves rot down, they will feed your hedges and plants. Clothe your garden in green. Create your own sanctuary for insects, then sit back and listen to the buzz, knowing you are helping the planet.