Biodiverse Gardens and Green Spaces – Ideas and Tips

Some inspiration for each of the competition’s categories from gardeners throughout the borough and beyond.

From Ealing……and beyond
“Sow a pot or small bed with nectar-rich flowers.  The best nectar-rich plants for pollinators include torch lily, bee balm, lavender, rosemary, salvia, catmint and fuchsia. Bees are responsible for pollinating much of the food we grow and they are particularly attracted to blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow flowers.”Be inspired by these 12 front garden ideas from Gardeners’ World
“Incorporate tiny water features to encourage mini-beasts and birds into your front garden. I think this video has some great ideas.”Get lots of plant, hedge and tree suggestions from the RHS
“I have grown a few pumpkins plants over the years in my front garden. It’s fun for kids to see how they grow and how hard it is to get a big one!! We have poppies that are self seeded and in spring it looks great with lots of spring bulbs in bed and along side hedge.” Plant and recipe inspiration from Out of my shed
“I love these top tips from Juliet’s experience of transforming her concrete Acton driveway into a haven of biodiversity.”The RHS gives you all the reasons and steps to green your grey.
“Try making planters out of disused household objects like old wellies, plastic water bottles, tin cans, pans and cracked/chipped crockery.”Genius micro garden ideas from the UK’s coolest gardener – The Cloud Gardener
“Organise a cuppa with neighbours to share ideas, tools, seeds and plants. We asked all the children to decorate pebbles to add some cheer and personality. Our shared street garden makes me smile every time I pass.”Take a tour of Chiswick’s guerrilla gardens by Abundance London
“Talk to local garden centres and the school community about kindly donating plants, tools and green-thumbed volunteers. Remember to thank them with a photo of what you have achieved.”RHS Campaign for School Gardening is a must-have resource for school garden clubs.
“Create a wildlife corner by piling up some old logs and leaves, this will be a perfect home for insects and fungi. A piece of corrugated iron laid flat in the shade will provide cover for newts, grass snakes, toads and lizards.”Apparently the ultimate allotment guide from DIY Gardening

More tips for a wildlife friendly garden

  • Encourage birds by providing shelter and food. Shrubs and trees offer shelter to birds.  Try growing plants which produce berries to offer winter food.  You may have a bird feeder, a bird table, a bird bath or a bird box.
  • If you have a lawn, let it grow a bit longer so bugs and insects can make their homes.  Add some wild flowers to make a mini wildflower meadow.  These flowers are suitable for a wildflower meadow – black knapweed, bird’s-foot trefoil, common sorrel, poppy, meadow buttercup, ribwort plantain or common cats-ear.
  • Make a wildlife pond.  This could be a bowl which you sink into the ground or a pre-formed pond.  Make sure there are different levels in the pond and a log or plank so frogs and toads can climb out. A pond will attract birds, newts, bees and dragonflies.
  • Plant a range of plants of all shapes, colours, sizes and scents.  Add plants in the mint family, including peppermint, basil, and oregano. Bees also like sage, thyme, hyssop, chamomile and marjoram. 
  • Try to grow plants which offer bees, insects, and birds, food through the seasons.  
  • Let a little bit of your garden go wild and grow some wildflowers which attract butterflies early in the year.  Try growing garlic mustard and you can also eat the leaves! 
  • Use big containers – half barrels or buckets, – to grow a variety of vegetables.  Choose plants that are fairly small, like salad or herbs, and not sprawling plants like squash.  You could have a bot of mint or chives.  Make sure the containers have holes in the bottom for drainage. 
  • Grow trailing tomatoes or strawberries in hanging baskets to keep them out of reach of slugs, snails, dogs and cats or hang containers on walls.
  • A compost heap or piles of grass clippings in a shady corner can make an ideal home for slow worms.

More inspiration

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