What to see, do and plant in your garden this month

May The white blossom of hawthorn hedges and the arrival of swallows, swifts and martins mean spring is here. As supplies of nuts and berries dwindle, visiting and resident birds alike need good weather to generate fresh food in the form of insects and other small animals. More...

Birds are not the only creatures to benefit from a wildlife garden. Learn more about the wide variety of animals that use your garden, including when you're likely to see them, and where.

Badger Badgers are stocky, with short legs and silvery-grey fur. They have very distinctive black and white markings on their faces. More...

Hedgehog Hedgehogs have a rather rounded body covered in short, dark, yellow-tipped spines, and a short tail. They come out at night and can be heard snuffling and grunting as they forage for food. More...

Ladybird Named after the Virgin Mary, this brightly-coloured beetle is well known as the 'gardeners' friend', as it feasts on aphids. More...

Rabbit Rabbits are not native to Britain; the Normans brought them here in the 12th century for their, then much-prized, fur and meat. Today, they are among our commonest and most widespread mammals. More...

Visit our advice section for further information on how to improve your garden for birds and wildlife.

Planting and maintaining a hedge A hedge needs to be managed to ensure it maintains its function as a shelter and refuge for wildlife and doesn't grow out of control and cause issues with neighbours, or reduces access. More...

Peat-free gardening The large-scale removal of peat from bogs in Britain and Ireland is destroying one of our most precious wildlife habitats. It takes centuries for a peat bog to form, with its special wildlife - modern machinery destroys it in days. More...

Planning and creating a wildlife-friendly garden Whether you want to create a new garden, or have an existing one, patio or balcony, try to imagine your garden is a nature reserve and you are the warden. More...

Unwanted garden visitors We're frequently asked about ways to keep certain animals away from the garden. As a conservation organisation, we are not generally involved in deterring and scaring birds or other animals. However, we appreciate that in some circumstances people can have problems, and to help, we have accumulated information on various deterrents that people tell us they have tried with at least some success. More...

If you would like to attract more wildlife to your garden, why not take part in Homes for Wildlife? Tell us about your garden and we'll provide you with advice tailored to your garden.

Homes for Wildlife If you own a garden, or even just a window box, you can take simple, practical steps that will benefit many of our most important birds, mammals and insects. More...

You can plant all kinds of shrubs and flowers that will benefit wildlife throughout the year.

Bramble A real must in any wildlife garden, blackberry flowers provide nectar and pollen for many insects, it bears fruit in late summer and autumn, and offers good cover all year round. More...

Hawthorn A very valuable addition to any wildlife garden, hawthorn provides food for more than 150 different insect species. More...

Honeysuckle Honeysuckle is a vigorous climber that if pruned hard thickens up to become an ideal nest and roost site. More...

Ivy Ivy is a woody, evergreen climber that grows up walls, fences and trees using tiny roots to cling to the substrate; in woods it can also carpet the ground. More...

From window boxes to log piles and meadow areas, all habitats are important for wildlife. Whether you want to make the most of what you already have, or want to create more habitats, we've got the information for you.

Bog garden It is well worth considering creating a boggy area as a feature in your wildlife garden - any permanently damp area will suffice. More...

Eaves The eaves of a house may sound an unlikely place to look for wildlife, but you'd be suprised by the species making use of this sheltered, and often warm, space. More...

Log pile Plenty of wildlife makes its home in dead wood, and other animals use it as a source of food. In woodlands, fallen wood occurs naturally and many species have adapted to use this habitat. But in our increasingly tidy countryside, fallen and dead wood is not so common. More...

Pond A well-designed and maintained pond is a haven for all sorts of plants, birds and animals. It is a complex habitat full of algae and plants, scavengers, predators, herbivores, decomposers and parasites. More...

A superb 32-page full colour booklet crammed with information on how to attract birds to your garden all year round.

Send off for your free guide

This beautifully illustrated booklet is packed with interesting facts and information to help you identify the wildlife in your town or city.

Send off for your free guide