Gardens

A private garden (the space around a house managed by the householder) can provide a wide range of habitats for plants and animals. Gardens occupy a significant amount of space in the average British city (e.g. 20% of London).

What habitats are found in gardens?

The box below shows some examples of habitats commonly found in gardens. The habitats shown here were all photographed in a small private garden measuring approximately 9 m x 26 m.

The flower beds in summer are filled with rich nectar and pollen producing plants, many of them native wild species. These attract large numbers of invertebrates. In autumn ripe seeds heads and dead leaves are left on the ground and provide a valuable source of food for invertebrates, small mammals and birds.	Compost bins, in which invertebrates, fungi and bacteria break down waste plant material into valuable compost. This is mixed back into the garden soil improving texture and recycling nutrients.	Piles of dead leaves and stones can attract large numbers of invertebrates. They also provide shelter for larger animals such a toads and small mammals.
This small area of lawn full of 'weed' species provides birds with a good source of worms and other invertebrates.	Dead wood like this old tree stump are essential for animals such as the stag beetle whose larvae feed on rotting wood.	A pond provides a habitat for freshwater invertebrates, newts and frogs. It also provides a source of water for birds to drink and bathe in.
Trees and hedges often have a large variety of invertebrates, both in the canopy and in the leaf litter beneath. They provide look- out posts, shelter and breeding sites for birds and small mammals, as well as rich source of food.	Lichen and algae covered walls and fences provide food, as well as cracks and crevices in which animals like these snails can shelter. Birds often use fences as look-out posts as well as a source of invertebrate food.	In the garden shed invertebrates shelter in cracks and crevices. Others like spiders live all year round inside. The space below provides a home for a wide variety of animals even foxes. The climber growing over the roof provides shelter and nesting sites for birds.

How are gardens changing?

A front garden hard landscaped
with bricks to provide off-road parking

Many householders are not aware of the value of their garden to the conservation of wildlife.

• Television garden makeover programmes have encouraged the creation of instant gardens -'outdoor living rooms' with low maintenance paved or decked areas, garden furniture and exotic container-grown plants
• The rising number of cars is leading to the hard landscaping of many front gardens to provide off-road parking space
• The need for housing has led to 'backland development'. Property developers buying part of larger (often older and therefore of significant wildlife value) gardens to build new properties

Fortunately gardening is becoming an increasingly popular recreational activity for city dwellers. With growing concern for the environment it is important to help people understand how gardening can be linked not only directly to wild life and its conservation but to many other environmental issues (e.g. reduction in water, noise and air pollution).

In the future, private gardens will play a key role in helping to maintain the richness of wildlife (biodiversity) in the urban ecosystem.

Developing a garden for wildlife

A red admiral butterfly feeding on
windfall apples left on the ground

Urban gardens vary enormously. Expensive houses in suburban areas may have large gardens with mature trees, hedges, ponds and grassy areas as well as lawns and flower beds. These gardens already provide many habitats and with suitable management wildlife will be readily attracted. Where such gardens lie next to each other they help to form wildlife corridors making it easy for species to move from one area to another.

In the newer high density housing areas in the inner city, gardens are more typically small, often with just a lawn, a few flower beds and surrounded by fences or young hedges and it may take more time for suitable habitats to develop and wildlife to become established.

To attract wildlife the garden has to provide food, water, shelter and breeding sites. There are a number of websites giving very good information on how to do this (see below) but here are some general guidelines:

• Don't be too tidy otherwise you might remove places for animals to shelter in and potential food resources
• Make sure that there are a large number of native species providing good nectar sources and food in other forms e.g. berries throughout the year
• Even if there is not space for a pond a washing up bowl sunk into the ground can provide a source of water
• Make sure you do not disturb potential breeding sites e.g. by cutting hedges at the wrong time of year
• Avoid using chemicals. As in any habitat there are complex feeding relationships between the animals and plants in a garden. (link to feeding relationships) Using chemical pesticides and herbicides removes species selectively, upsetting the natural balance. Once a balanced ecosystem (link to food pyramids) has been achieved, pests will be controlled naturally.

With time and careful management the wildlife garden can look just as attractive as the traditional garden.