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wild rose bush in allotment garden © Jamie Smith

wild rose bush in allotment garden © Jamie Smith

Wilder Gardens: food

How to add food to my garden

Add natural food through plants

Gardens are vital for wildlife. We can all help by making small changes to our outdoor spaces, by adding natural food through plants. Putting out food for birds and hedgehogs is also a good idea when natural food is scarce. Whether you have a large garden or a window box, we all have the power to give life to our outdoor spaces. Create a thriving ecosystem to help wildlife and create a front-row seat to watch and learn.

Below are different ways we can provide food for wildlife.

 

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Guelder-rose
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How to make a shrub garden for wildlife

Woody shrubs and climbers provide food for wildlife, including berries, fruits, seeds, nuts leaves and nectar-rich flowers. So why not...
Pollinator friendly plants including buddliea in Jamie's garden © Jamie Smith
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How to do companion planting

Grow plants that help each other! Maximise your garden for you and for wildlife using this planting technique.
Herbs
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Grow wildlife-friendly herbs

Planting herbs will attract important pollinators into your garden, which will, in turn, attract birds and small mammals looking for a meal.
Robin and blue tit on bird feeder
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How to keep feeders clean

Nestboxes can harbour parasites so it is good practice to take them down at the end of the season and give them a clean.
Greenfinch
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How to feed birds in your garden

Find out how to attract birds into your garden all year round.
Crab Apple
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How to plant a tree

It might surprise you, but even the smallest of gardens can accommodate a tree!
Honeysuckle
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Plant for pollinators

Set up a ‘nectar café’ by planting flowers for pollinating insects like bees and butterflies.
A collection of wildflowers blooming in a meadow, including the purple towers of common spoted orchids
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Grow a wild patch or mini meadow

Planting wildflowers provides vital resources to support a wide range of insects.
Runner beans growing in a old tyre
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Create a container garden

Pots and containers are a great way of introducing wildlife features onto patios, or outside the front door.
badger credit andrew parkinson -2020Vision
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Food for hedgehogs and badgers

Putting out a bit of food can help see mammals like hedgehogs through colder spells.
Rowan berries at Staveley Woodlands
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Winter nuts and berries

These are great for wildlife when the weather gets colder and there's less food around.
Bramble (blackberries)
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Make a hedge for wildlife

Hedges offer food in the form of leaves, nectar-rich flowers, berries, fruits, seeds and nuts, and are also good hunting grounds for...
A top down view of magazines and guides on a wood background, with wildlife and people images on the front
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