There are over 3 million gardens in Greater London which offer an ‘untapped potential’ to make the city more resilient to climate change and better for wildlife, according to the London Wildlife Trust. How do we begin to exploit this potential? According to LWT’s expert gardener Elaine Hughes, gardeners should be a ‘bit less tidy’.
This short video illustrates many of the key points for creating urban wildlife habitat including using drought tolerant plants and providing shelter for birds and insects by being less tidy and leaving seed heads and leaves in the winter months. The video also illustrates how many of the ideas presented can be achieved by nearly anybody; while some people have the resources to add a green roof, others with small space can make a difference by simply planting a window sill with wildlife friendly plants.
The display garden in the video was set up on a large balcony as part of the 2009 ‘Pestival’, an insect festival in London. The garden features a variety of plants, a garden shed and trellis made from reclaimed materials, a compost bin, dead wood and even a small beehive.
Read more about this video at The Ecologist: How best to create a wildlife-friendly garden.
How best to create a wildlife-friendly garden on YouTube.
