The UK's biggest nature reserve

Last summer the RSPD announced that approval had been given to the UK’s newest and biggest nature reserve - The Great Trossachs Forest in Scotland. At 16,500 hectares it will be a magnificent area for wildlife.

The Great Trossachs Forest

There is though one nature reserve that is even bigger and your garden is part of it. A study by Sheffield University in 2008 calculated that gardens in the UK cover a whopping 432,924 hectares.

In fairness the total area of all national parks and reserves combined is significantly more than that but you take my point - domestic gardens are a very substantial resource for biodiversity.

12 million households provide supplementary food for birds, there are around 5 million nest boxes in gardens, 3 million ponds and 28 million trees (or a quarter of all trees found outside woodland).

The importance of gardens as a green resource is particularly significant in urban areas. Another study, again in Sheffield, calculated that they make up around 25% of the city area.

Urban gardens

In 2013 the State of Nature Report concluded that 60% of the UK’s species, both plant and animal, were in decline so it is perhaps worth bearing this ‘big picture’ in mind as we potter around our plot. What we do in our gardens, both individually and collectively, will make a difference.

There are many things we can do to be more wildlife friendly. Reducing the area of lawn or paving will make room for insect friendly plants which will in turn attract a greater number of birds.

Log pile habitat

A wide range of plants, of different heights, will, by mimicking the layered planting of woodland also create the perfect habitat for our feathered friends. Where gardens are small your planting can compliment that of neighbours to maximise variety.

In nature conservation linking fragmented habitats is important and it is the same with gardens. Fences and walls can prevent animals, such as hedgehogs, get around (and hoover up your slugs!) so where possible gaps in solid boundary structures should be incorporated.

A more relaxed way of gardening

The urge to ‘tidy up’ is one that should be resisted, at least here and there. A patch of nettles and a pile of gently rotting logs will be much appreciated by butterflies, other insects and fungi.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) provides a wealth of information on their website about how to garden with conservation in mind.

And the benefits of gardening in a gentler, greener way don’t end with biodiversity. A review by the RHS in 2011 highlighted the full value of gardens, particularly in urban areas, and provided useful tips. So it’s worth checking out.