Step by step guide to wildlife gardening with Floyd the Frog
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1 Hi. I'm Floyd the Frog and I'm going to give you
some tips on wildlife gardening. Even if you don't
have a big garden, you can create your own small
habitat using either a window box, old bath or sink,
or even an old chimney pot. |
2 First of all try, where possible, to plant native
trees, shrubs and wild flowers. Only choose
ornamental varieties, such as Buddleia the
butterfly bush, if they benefit wildlife. |
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3 Start a compost heap from garden rubbish.
Use the compost instead of artificial fertilizers.
Avoid sprays used to control pests and weeds
which may kill insects which are good for the
garden. Never use peat because extracting it
destroys peat bogs. |
4 Don't be too tidy. Long grass, thick hedges
and piles of leaves provide shelter for lots of
birds, insects and small mammals. Windfall
fruit is a valuable autumn food supply. |
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5 Create a wild corner in your garden. Nettles
are good for butterflies to lay their eggs on
because the leaves provide food for their
caterpillars. Brambles support many insects
and the berries are food for birds and small
mammals. |
6 Creating a log pile in your wild corner will
attract and provide a home for many insects,
such as spiders and beetles. Fungi will also
grow on the logs to start off the rotting
process, which will attract other insects,
possibly even toads. |
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7 Never dig up plants from the wild as this is
illegal. Don't collect seed from wild plants.
Only buy them from a good nursery which
sells native stock, grown in peat-free compost.
The aim of wildlife gardening is to create more
habitats, not reduce them. |
8 Don't disturb nesting birds. If you do, you'll
trample nearby plants making it obvious to
predators. Provide food and water for birds all
year round. But during early summer, when
young birds are being fed, place whole peanuts
in a peanut feeder. |
The information on this webpage is taken from 'Wildlife Gardening - a practical handbook by Fran Hill', with the permission of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Copies are available for purchase from the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. 
For additional information on wildlife gardening you can visit these websites
or refer to our other Floyd's Guides
For further information contact
Derby City Council
Regeneration and Community
Roman House
Friar Gate
Derby DE1 1XB
Telephone 01332 255021 Minicom 01332 256666 Fax 01332 255989 email wildderby@derby.gov.uk