If you have been watching David Attenborough’s “Wild Isles’ (Sundays, 7pm, BBC1) and feel upset about the depleted state of nature in the UK, then you are not alone. But you can do something about it just by not doing some things! Even small changes in how you garden can make a huge difference. For example, stopping using chemical controls, not using peat-based compost and stopping mowing all your lawn.
You can easily add a greater variety of plants (whether trees, hedges and flowering plants – all have a role to play) and leaving corners to grow a bit wild. All these changes provide habitat, food and protection to wildlife.
If you have a verge that you mow, then a really easy way to make a difference is to take part in the Hanley Habitats scheme that the parish has been running since 2020: we will rope off an area and advise you on ways to increase wildflowers within it.
For more ideas on how to help, go to https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardening-for-the-environment/planet-friendly-gardening-tips. https://www.saveourwildisles.org.uk/
