Encouraging wildlife

Rough grass margins help wildlife to flourish, so by setting aside an area of lawn to grow throughout the summer and cutting it at the end of the season you will provide an excellent habitat for many insects - particularly moths, grasshoppers and beetles - and for newly-emerged frogs. A meadow of different grass species interspersed with wild flowers will also attract more insects into the garden.  

A buried bucket in your garden is a simple way to encourage beetles to breed. Make several rows of holes in the sides and bottom of a plastic bucket, put a few large stones in the bottom and fill the bucket with a mixture of one-quarter soil from the garden and three-quarters woodchip. Then dig a hole and put the filled bucket in it so that the top of the bucket is at ground level, filling in any gaps around the bucket with soil.  

Berry- and nut-producing trees and shrubs encourage birds and mammals as well as providing cover for insects. Native trees support a huge number of insects that, in turn, provide food for larger animals and birds.  

Ponds are excellent breeding grounds for dragonflies and amphibians, especially if they do not contain fish. Rainwater collected in water butts can be used to fill water features. String or netting stretched across a pond to deter herons can cause serious problems for wildlife and safer deterrents can be found at aquatic centres or websites.