15 Wildlife Garden Ideas for UK Gardens

A wildlife-friendly garden is a living garden. With a few simple changes you can help hedgehogs, bees, butterflies and birds, and enjoy watching them too.

Here are 15 wildlife garden ideas for UK gardens that are easy to try this autumn.

1. A Hedgehog House beside a Log Pile

A Hedgehog House beside a Log Pile – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Tuck a hedgehog house into a quiet corner under leaves and logs where it will not be disturbed.

2. A Pallet Bug Hotel

A Pallet Bug Hotel – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Stack pallets and fill the gaps with bamboo, pine cones and logs to create homes for solitary bees and beetles.

3. Feeders and a Nest Box

Feeders and a Nest Box – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Hang feeders near cover and put up a nest box on a tree or wall facing north-east.

4. A Bee-Friendly Border

A Bee-Friendly Border – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Lavender, echinacea and verbena give bees and butterflies nectar from summer into autumn.

5. A Wildflower Patch in the Lawn

A Wildflower Patch in the Lawn – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Stop mowing a patch of lawn, or sow a meadow mix, and wildflowers and insects will follow.

6. A Log and Leaf Pile

A Log and Leaf Pile – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

A pile of logs and leaves is free habitat for beetles, toads and hedgehogs.

7. A Native Hedgerow with Berries

A Native Hedgerow with Berries – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Hawthorn, hazel and dog rose provide food and shelter for birds and insects.

8. A Hedgehog Highway

A Hedgehog Highway – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

A 13cm gap in your fence lets hedgehogs roam between gardens. Talk to your neighbours so everyone makes one.

9. A Shallow Water Dish

A Shallow Water Dish – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

A dish with pebbles gives birds and insects a safe drink. Keep it topped up in all weathers.

10. Ivy on a Wall

Ivy on a Wall – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Ivy flowers in autumn and feeds late pollinators, then offers berries for birds in winter.

11. Leave Seed Heads Standing

Leave Seed Heads Standing – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Resist the urge to tidy everything. Sunflower and teasel heads feed birds through winter.

12. A Compost Corner with Comfrey

A Compost Corner with Comfrey – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

A compost bin and some comfrey support worms and insects and give you free feed for the garden.

13. Buddleia for Butterflies

Buddleia for Butterflies – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Buddleia is a magnet for peacock and red admiral butterflies. Deadhead to extend the flowering.

14. Bee Boxes on a Sunny Wall

Bee Boxes on a Sunny Wall – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Mount a solitary bee house on a south-facing wall at least a metre off the ground.

15. Fruit Trees and a Wild Corner

Fruit Trees and a Wild Corner – wildlife garden idea for UK gardens

Leave a corner of long grass under fruit trees for insects, and leave some windfalls for the birds.

Small Changes, Big Difference for Wildlife

You do not need to do everything at once. Choose two or three ideas and add more each season.

Which wildlife idea will you try first?

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