Alan Titchmarsh has revealed three easy steps to help homeowners make their gardens "more friendly to all forms of wildlife." The renowned gardener, horticulturist, and television presenter shared his advice in a video posted on Facebook by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity.
Stop Using Sprays
Speaking directly to the camera, Alan said: "I'm going to offer you three tips to make your garden much more friendly to all forms of wildlife, both plant and animal. The first thing to do is to stop using sprays - start being organic. Don't use pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, anything with the 'cide' on the end of it. Allow nature to take a hold and you will find a natural balance occurs."
Grow a Wide Range of Plants
Continuing his advice, Alan highlighted the significance of encouraging diversity within your garden. He explained: "The second tip is to grow a wide range of plants rather than a concentration of any one thing in any one area. Mix things up on your veg patch, grow flowers for cutting in between your lettuces and your onions. Make sure you've got lots of different kinds of plants in your garden."
Include Non-Native Flowers
Finally, he challenged the notion that only native wildflowers are suitable for British gardens. Alan said: "The third one is not to assume that only British native wildflowers are the kind of things you should be growing in your garden. I have a wildflower meadow - British natives. I also have flower borders with all kinds of plants in, with pollen and nectar that wildlife, insects in particular, love. The biodiversity in the garden, the number of insect species in the garden, is greater than the number of insect species in the wildflower meadow. Worth remembering that."
Additional Tips for Wildlife
In a similar vein, letting your grass grow slightly longer creates an immediate habitat that supports ground-nesting insects by offering them cover, while also providing shelter for other wildlife. Keeping grass longer also helps it retain moisture more effectively, while certain weeds such as dandelions serve as a vital food source for insects emerging in spring, provided they are not cut down prematurely.
