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Many of our customers choose their plants with the aim of attracting, feeding or keeping wildlife safe in the garden. But there are many aspects to nurturing wildlife apart from choosing the right plants.

Most birds, beasts and bugs would actually prefer it if we didn't garden at all, but allowed nature to fill our plots with a riot of weeds and wilderness. If you've got the space, you can do no better than allow part of it to go to the dogs (or rather, the hedgehogs, blackbirds, lizards and bumblebees).

In your wild garden, you will encourage clumps of stinging nettles as a priority - the larval food source of many butterflies and moths, including the small tortoiseshell, red admiral and peacock. You will leave untidy piles of twigs and logs and branches for the wrens to nest in and toads to lurk under. You won't rake up the leaf mould, which the beetles and centipedes will crawl though. If possible, there will be wet areas and boggy areas for dragonflies, damselflies and amphibians. Most of all, you won'tworry or stress yourself out if (when) it all looks a mess. Even the slugs and snails will be a boon for attracting song thrushes.

If you don't have a lot of space, though, you may have to compromise and have wild elements and wildlife plants in an otherwise fairly conventional garden. Again, don't worry if plants come up in the wrong place, or run to seed. If your neighbours comment that you're a bit behind with your autumn tidying, remind them how many birds will enjoy those apparently dead seed-heads in winter. There are many of us who have developed a battery of sound ecological excuses for not being tidy gardeners!

So,
• Seeding plants must be included if you want goldfinches and similar birds.
• Shrubs with berries for blackbirds and many other species.
• Large-leaved plants for amphibians.
• Plants with long flower tubes and high nectar levels for butterflies.
• Evening flowering plants for moths.
• Plants with flat flowers for hoverflies, drone flies and other interesting insects.

Here are some useful lists that specify which plants will attract and sustain different kinds of wildlife in your garden:

PLANTS FOR SEED-EATING BIRDS
BERRIED SHRUBS FOR BIRDS AND MAMMALS
LARGE-LEAVED AND SHELTERING PLANTS FOR WOODS AND WET PLACES
PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLIES
PLANTS FOR BEES (AND BEEKEEPERS!)
PLANTS FOR OTHER INSECTS

And here's the section of our shop, dedicated to Wildlife Plants!