Is the trend for wilder gardening really helping wildlife?
Many of us are thinking about how we can help wildlife in our own gardens. Nick Bailey considers the value of wilder gardening techniques.
We’re in the midst of a revolution! It’s been 20 years in the making, but all of a sudden we’re fundamentally rethinking how we garden. And this could not be more evident than at the garden shows I’ve attended this year. Each and every one of them was dominated by show gardens designed in wilder ways than the exhibits of the past 100 years. Instead of sleek paving, multi stem birches and wall-to-wall Oudolf-esque perennial swathes, we are greeted with a whole new aesthetic. And it is quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. These wild or wildlife focused gardens are packed with native plants, diverse habitats and a whole load of upcycled materials.
This trend is clearly being driven by the wider environmental emergency gripping our planet. Let’s take flying insects for example. Their numbers in the UK have dropped by 60 per cent in the last 20 years*. Yes, you read that right. 60 per cent! But will our nation of gardeners really be able to make a difference to species decline and does wilder gardening really help wildlife? Well, in my view, the answer is quite nuanced.
As gardeners we have custodianship of some 2 million acres of UK land, spread across around 23 million gardens. So, it would seem we can make quite a difference, until you realise that 42 million acres of UK land is dedicated to agriculture. We appeared to be taking steps in the right direction, in 2018, when the EU banned bee-killing neonicotinoids, but multiple exceptions are granted in the UK each year, along with the continued use of the weedkiller glyphosate. So, can a shift of thinking away from close-cut lawns and rows of highly bred bedding in our gardens really help? I would argue yes.
Our gardens have essentially become the boltholes or safe spaces for the numerous species which inhabit our island. A few decades back, the naturalist Jennifer Owen noted over 3,000 species of bird, animal and insect in her 1/5-acre Leicestershire garden – proof of just how vital our green spaces are.
For me, the nuance comes in the form of the plant choices we make and our level of intervention in the garden. Some may argue that native plants are vital to support our native fauna but, like the UK’s wholesale adoption of Indian cuisine in the 1970s, our wildlife is adaptable, too. True, some species are wholly reliant on a particular plant to feed upon but having a wide diversity of plants from around the world in our garden can really help extend the season of pollen, nectar and fruit availability for insects, mammals and birds. So that perhaps contradicts purist ideals of native-only wilder gardens.
Our interventions in the garden have a huge impact, too. Bug hotels are the poster child of this revolution though they can actually be counterproductive if they are not done correctly. Tubes of bamboo or other natural materials slotted into a bug hotel can provide winter protection for species such as solitary bees and hoverflies but make them too short (less than 15cm) and you are essentially creating a smorgasbord for passing predators who can crawl into shorter tubes and grab their supper.
I think it's all about a balance. Wilder gardens can help our wildlife so long as we truly consider our interventions. Rather than a bug hotel, perhaps consider a few more logs, leaves and pruning piles left around the garden. Instead of a sterile water feature, why not create a wildlife pond. Instead of a double flowered rose why not chose a single one that many more pollinators will be able to access.
I don’t think we need to move to a point of literally rewilding our gardens, but by introducing diverse plants, enhancing our gardens' natural habitats, cutting out chemical use and just being a bit less tidy in our gardens really can help wildlife.
Get in touch:
Want to share your views on the best ways to help wildlife in our gardens? Email us at: letters@gardenersworld.com
Read more:
- Five ways to make your lawn more wildlife friendly
- Wildlife-friendly plants for shade
- How to create a mini pond for wildlife
- Real gardens: Wildlife-friendly meadow
- Ways to work with wildlife on the vegetable patch
*UK's flying insect numbers are down 60 per cent in 20 years, according to 2022 study by Buglife and Kent Wildlife Trust
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