Planning the garden to attract wildlife gives you the pleasure of seeing more animals, birds and insects around your house, and knowing you are helping sustain native species.

If you plant local species you are providing a better environment for local wildlife: poppies, cornflowers and corn marigolds. Provide shelter and shade with hawthorn, guelder rose, spindle, field maple, beech, wild privet and holly. In the shady areas plant foxgloves, primrose, wood anemone, red campion and violet.

In larger gardens you can’t beat oak, which can shelter 200-400 species of insect.

Butterflies, bees and moths love primrose, honeysuckle, roses, lavender and violets. Bees also love buddleia, ivy, passionflower, and clematis. And many insects enjoy herbs, which are easy to grow and provide you with food flavourings as well.

In spring give insects a nectar boost with crocus, daffodil and snowdrop.

If you want to ensure your plants are local to your area use the Natural History Museum’s Postcode Plants Database.

Plant a hedge rather than building a wall or fence. Blackthorn, holly, field maple and hawthorn are all native species.

It is also worth thinking about providing food for wildlife all year round, which might mean introducing berries such as pyrocantha, cotoneaster, dogwood, elder and mahonia.

Provide nesting sites for birds, such as trees, hedges, or climbers.

If you only have a small garden, try to at least keep one corner unkempt for wildlife.

In dry periods, provide a water source: a pond, birdbath or bowl.

For more ideas take a look at:

Wildstore

Wildlife Gardener

Stickywicket