The buzz of a bee, the sweet scent of honeysuckle, the splash of a frog hopping into a pond, the feeling of (real) grass under your feet, the chattering of birds in a hedge. These precious moments are not only a delight to experience in our gardens, they’re absolutely vital if we’re going to protect, restore and reconnect UK wildlife.
Since 2013, The Wildlife Trusts have partnered with The Royal Horticultural Society (often known as the RHS) on our Wild About Gardens initiative – encouraging everyone with a garden to provide food and shelter for wildlife, or simply a safe space for them to pass through. In fact, you don’t even need a garden to get involved: window-boxes, a bee brick in your wall, or wildflowers on balconies can all make a difference.
Wild About Gardens follows a different theme each year, inspiring gardeners everywhere to help a different species or find a new love for a habitat they can create in their own green space. For example, one year we championed the beloved hedgehog, promoting the creation of ‘hedgehog highways’ in fences – a 13cm hole cut into the bottom of your fence to allow free passage of hedgehogs. Sticking with mammals, in another year we worked with The Bat Conservation Trust on a guide to welcoming these winged wonders. Whilst in 2019, water was a winner, with over 4,000 people pledging to create a wildlife pond – making for many a happy newt, dragonfly and pond skater.
