The Wildlife Garden

This project transformed a suburban plot into a multi-habitat refuge that buzzes with life. Inviting in as much of the local wildlife as possible.

• Living Boundary A mixed native hedge of field maple, hornbeam and dog rose provides nesting sites for wrens and blackcaps and rose hips that sustain small mammals through winter.

• Woodland Under a light canopy of foxgloves and ferns, two beehives await their new colonies.

• Nectar-Rich Borders Beside the house, lupins, globe thistles and salvias tower above circular Corten-steel planters, creating stop-overs for moths, butterflies and hoverflies.

• Dry Gravel Garden Limestone chippings, locally quarried boulders and drought-tolerant herbs such as prostrate rosemary and Jerusalem sage (Phlomis) form sun-warmed refuges for ground beetles, reptiles and seed-foraging birds. A reclaimed-timber seating circle offers a contemplative pause.

• Wildlife Pond & Water Feature Framed in reclaimed timber, the pond’s shallow margins host froglets and dragonfly larvae among flag iris and water lilies. Nearby, a Corten steel water table provides year-round hydration for blackbirds, tits and bumblebees.

• Silver Birch Meadow & Woodland Nook A newly planted wildflower meadow containing swathes of oxeye daisy and bird’s-foot trefoil, supporting pollinators and songbirds. A secondary glade beneath a silver birch and crab apple offers intimate encounters with dormice, woodpeckers and hedgehogs.

The diverse habitats support a wide range of local wildlife.