Wildlife Gardening Forum

24/10/2026

Limited garden space restricting efforts to support wildlife, study finds

The dirt.news – a platform for independent news, insight and intelligence, aimed at professional horticulturalists and gardening enthusiasts, has published an article highlighting that only 37.5% of householders that they surveyed were likely to make further changes to support wildlife in their gardens, with researchers identifying a lack of space as the most significant barrier.

The study, published in People and Nature, detailed work by researchers from Nottingham Trent University and Chester Zoo. The researchers asked 231 people in Great Britain whether they would be willing to add 10 wildlife-friendly features to their gardens. These included ponds for frogs and other wildlife, piles of logs for insects and small animals, bird baths, compost heaps, wildflower patches and hedgehog highways.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem was lack of physical opportunity, which accounted for 67.9% of reported barriers. This mainly included practical limitations, especially a lack of space. Other concerns included the cost, effort involved and whether wildlife-friendly features might create problems for pets. The most popular were wildflower patches, the least popular were compost heaps and ponds. This suggests that people may prefer simpler features that are easier to create and maintain.

The research strengthens the case for considering wildlife habitat at the level of housing design and planning, rather than relying on individual gardens to deliver biodiversity gains in isolation. It comes as two current campaigns within the horticultural sector are calling for greater consideration of nature in new housing. The New Build Manifesto campaign https://thedirt.news/new-build-manifesto-campaign/ (founded by garden writer and designer, and Forum trustee Andrew Jackson) is calling for gardens, soil, drainage, planting and trees to be given greater weight in development, while a separate petition is calling for nature-led standards for new developments.

We at the Wildlife Gardening Forum have always promoted just what you can do for wildlife in such a small space, we have pages here on the website about making even the smallest spaces perfect for wildlife, including ponds in a pot https://wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/creating-garden-habitats/creating-water-habitats/how-to-make-a-pond-in-a-pot/ , and a small log pile in the corner of the garden https://wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/creating-garden-habitats/creating-land-habitats/ . For how to create a space for wildflowers have a look at our suggestions here https://wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/planting-for-wildlife/ .

To read the article in full click https://thedirt.news/small-gardens-restrict-efforts-to-support-wildlife/

Independent horticulture news, jobs and insight for the horticultural industry and passionate gardeners.

20/10/2026

Time for a repost

𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

As we approach Halloween, this is just a small timely reminder that some decorations are a hazard to wildlife. Please consider not using fake spider webs, as all manner of wildlife can get trapped in these, from butterflies to bees, bats and birds. These items are also not generally constructed out of biodegradeable materials and are usually flamable.

It's also worth another reminder that leaving used pumpkins out for wildlife is NOT A good idea, hedgehogs and other visiting wildlife can not tolerate it, hedgehogs particularly can’t digest cellulose, which is found in pumpkins, meaning excess pumpkin acts as a laxative, causing serious diarrhoea, dehydration and weight loss, not a good idea when they are eating to survive the winter. As it doesn't form part of the natural diet of other animals too, and can cause similar peoblems, its wise to be mindful of where you leave them if you do - out of reach of wildlife is best!

👻👻👻👻Happy Halloween! 👻👻👻👻

18/10/2026

National pollinator survey by Butterfly Conservation reveals insects’ favoured flowers

An eight-year study has revealed that the most popular flower with pollinating insects is Common Ivy.

The climbing vine’s abundant late-summer and autumn blooms, typically rich in pollen and nectar, received the highest average number of insect visits out of 14 common and widespread flowers surveyed during ten-minute citizen-science counts across the UK.

Ivy was followed by Hogweed, Bramble, Buddleja, Knapweeds and Thistle in overall insect popularity.

The survey also found that Buddleja attracts four times as many butterflies and moths as other high-scoring flowers.

The floral facts have been revealed by the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS), which has asked citizen scientists to record insect visits to flowers since 2017. The scheme recommends a list of 14 target flowers to monitor (including Ivy), but counts can be carried out on any patch of flowers in gardens or the countryside.

The scheme is run by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) with support from Butterfly Conservation and other partners.

Butterfly Conservation Butterfly Monitoring Officer Jo Milborrow said: "These results are fantastic because they provide valuable information about pollinators' favourite flowers, helping people all over the country take action at home to support butterflies, moths and other insects.

"We already recommend Ivy as a great plant to grow because it is an important resource for breeding Holly Blue butterflies and nectaring Commas and Red Admirals, so the fact that this easy-to-grow native species is also the number one plant for pollinating insect visits is a fantastic discovery - we would recommend people to start growing Ivy today!"

The latest annual report from PoMS revealed that hoverflies declined by around a third in both their abundance and number of species recorded across GB in all three surveys conducted over the past eight years. The total numbers of all insects, and of bumblebees, also declined in two of the three PoMS surveys, signalling possible risks to the health of our ecosystems.

In contrast, the abundance and number of species of solitary bees increased in one survey but did not change in the other two. Honeybees, other (non-hoverfly) flies and beetles all increased in the survey covering mostly gardens, suggesting that these could be providing an important refuge for some of our pollinators.

PoMS volunteer coordinator Martin Harvey at UKCEH said "PoMS is grateful to everyone who has participated in our surveys, allowing us to gather evidence on changes in pollinating insect populations. Participants often say how much they have enjoyed spending time counting pollinators on FIT Counts, and it is always fascinating to observe the close association between insects and flowers. Counts can be contributed between 1 April and 30 September each year - see the PoMS website to find out more about getting involved for 2027."

These figures support Butterfly Conservation’s research which shows that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined in abundance or distribution since the 1970s.

The charity encourages people to grow plants for pollinators, however the popularity of Buddleja, known as 'the butterfly bush', is more complicated because it is a non-native species that can be invasive.

Butterfly Conservation advises anyone growing Buddleja at home to deadhead it (chop off the flower heads) as soon as it has finished flowering: this stops it from self-seeding.

The charity also encourages people to grow caterpillar foodplants, which are essential for butterflies and moths to complete their life cycle, such as bird’s-foot trefoil, garlic mustard and nasturtiums.

Jo Milborrow added: "Sadly, these figures from the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme add yet more evidence of worrying declines among our insects, which isn't a huge surprise given what we know about our native butterflies and moths. However growing flowers for pollinators like Ivy, and caterpillar foodplants such as nasturtiums, are simple and really effective actions we can take to make a tangible difference."

To find out more about PoMS and how to get involved, go to ukpoms.org.uk

Find out more about gardening for butterflies at butterfly-conservation.org

17/09/2026

Big Butterfly Count results 2026

The results of Butterfly Conservation’s 2026 Big Butterfly Count have revealed it was a great summer for butterflies, but what comes next could be dire.

With the Met Office confirming it ‘increasingly likely’ to be the hottest summer on record, August saw the UK’s National Drought Group declare more than 70% of England officially in drought, with almost all of the UK experiencing drier than usual conditions.

Butterfly Conservation now fears that the real cost of this summer’s extreme weather may not be felt until next year, when drought-stressed caterpillars should be emerging as adults.

Read more here https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/big-butterfly-count-results-2026-heatwaves-help-butterflies-but-could-kill

Don’t forget to read our pages on how to improve your garden for butterflies and moths here: https://wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/attracting-different-wildlife-groups/attracting-insects/how-to-improve-your-gardenfor-butterflies-and-moths/

12/09/2026

The trend this year seems to be making a pond in a pot, something we know all about here at the Wildlife Gardening Forum, and Kate Garrway has highlighted it in the recent Ideal Home Magazine, for a how to guide, check out our website for an easy and detailed way to do this in your garden no matter the size. www.wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/creating-garden-habitats/creating-water-habitats/how-to-make-a-pond-in-a-pot/

22/08/2026

The Wildlife Gardening Forum are delighted to assist Plimsoll Studios again, to help them find gardens to be featured in their next natural history series !

With an audience of over 175,000 people - you are the perfect wildlife gardeners to showcase just what is done out there for wildlife in whatever space you have!

We are really looking forward to seeing some of your gardens on tv !!

To apply, click the link below, or to simply get in touch and find out more...

[email protected]

(please note, there is no AI content in this post, this was typed by a human)

24/07/2026

The Comma butterfly, instantly recognisable by it's scallop edged wings, is making a return in southern Britain after something of a decline. For the wildlife gardener wanting to attract this beautiful butterfly, the Common Nettle is the perfect foodplant, but they are also partial to a little rotting fruit, so that banana in the bottom of fruit bowl is perfect!

The caterpillar, cleverly disguised as bird droppings is perfectly camoflaged in the leaf litter.

Read more about this butterfly on our website https://wlgf.org/wildlife/arthropods/insects/butterflies-and-moths/butterflies/vanessids/comma/

22/06/2026

Courtesy of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, here are some of the bumblebees that we should be seeing in the UK this month. Which ones have you seen, and what were they foraging on? Let us know in the comments!

And don't forget to look them up on our website too, where there is helpful advice on what to plant to attract them. 🐝🐝🐝 www.wlgf.org

14/06/2026

Have you read our latest website post ?

The butterfly recording community have christened this period the ‘June Gap’. According to the Butterfly Conservation Charity, “The June Gap is simply a coincidence of the timing of butterfly life cycles in the UK. By June, many of the double-brooded (bivoltine) species that commonly frequent ...

22/05/2026

What a lovely image, a bee, a bee house and the perfect plant for a bee - Verbena bonariensis, and what a way to celebrate world bee day 🐝 on Wednesday last week (when original post was published) Have you made or bought a bee hotel yet? Have a look at our website for a how to guide, perfect for creating that special place in your garden to support our wonderful bees!
https://wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/attracting-different-wildlife-groups/attracting-insects/how-to-create-and-maintain-bee-hotels/ and while you're there, why not look for what plants to plant for bees too !
Photo Credit: Jennifer Hunter, WLGF FB Group