Your garden stories

Here we showcase some of the fantastic garden stories that Homes for Wildlife participants have shared with us.

Find out what other Homes for Wildlife participants have been up to, see how they're attracting wildlife to their gardens, and maybe pick up some tips for your own garden!

We've chosen a selection of 'case studies' that represent a variety of garden sizes and features to show what can be achieved in different types of garden. It doesn't matter if you have a balcony in the middle of a city, or own a large garden in the countryside, there are plenty of things you can do to help birds and other wildlife on your doorstep.

If you'd like to make your garden more wildlife-friendly, why not take part in 'Homes for Wildlife? If you have already signed up, we hope you'll feel inspired to take up some of the advice you have received on making a home for wildlife in your garden!

What can I do?

Get free advice to make you home and garden richer in wildlife and carry out wildlife surveys on your doorstep.

A balcony for wildlife: Debbie Vannozzi

I've been gardening on my balcony for over 10 years - and some of the plants, like the clematis, have survived for nearly that long. More...

A balcony for wildlife

Small garden, big opportunity - Mark Ward

When I moved in, the garden was bare, but within two years, I had turned the small space into a home for wildlife. My garden now includes a range of wildlife-friendly plants, trees and shrubs, a pond and a variety of bird feeders. More...

Mark Ward's garden

A medium-sized urban garden - Carol Lee

Carol has a medium sized urban garden, which faces west and is surrounded by a wall and trellis. Clever use of features, such as diverse planting, tubs and planters and a small pond makes great use of the available space. More...

Carol Lee's garden

A large suburban garden - Nicola Hunt

Nicola Hunt has a suburban garden which she has been tending for the last 11 years. Flowers, both cultivated and wild herbaceous and biennial plants, offer a mass of colour over a long flowering season. A variety of trees and shrubs offer a good mix of structures. More...

Nicola Hunt's garden

Fitting it all in - Sarah and Derek Niemann

We moved into our house 11 years ago. It’s rather ordinary really, a typical 1970s semi with a patch of garden, on a quiet estate, but we love it. It soon became obvious that our ideas were much bigger than the garden itself, and we both wanted rather a lot from the space. We needed a plan! More...

The Niemann garden

A Homes for Wildlife oasis - Kevin Caley

I've been creating a wildlife garden ever since I moved in in 2000. Previously, I was creating what was euphemistically called the 'Caley Reserve' at my parents' house. More...

Kevin Caley's garden

Making the most of a fallen tree - Colin and Christine Snape

Strong winds blew down a greengage tree in Christine and Colin's garden. Find out how they took advantage of the situation to attract a range of wildlife. More...

Christinesnapegarden

Digging a pond - Katie Fuller

I'm really fortunate to be renting a house with a big garden. I've been looking for ways to exploit the garden's wildlife potential and a pond seemed the ideal way to do that. More...

Katie Fuller's pond

Buckets for beetles - John Day

Many insects, including scarcities like the stag beetle, need dead wood in which to complete their life cycles. I wondered what you could do if you haven't got a garden and don’t live in a stag beetle area. More...

Beetle bucket