Protecting Britain's biodiversity: Go wild in your garden

It's Easter weekend and the forecast is warm and sunny; the perfect conditions in which to kick off this year's gardening season - and the accompanying spending frenzy in Britain's garden centres and DIY stores.

Between them, six million consumers will spend more than £2bn over the next few days as gardeners stock up with plants, pots and patio accessories.

There are around 15 million gardens in the UK, covering two million acres. That's more space than all the national nature reserves put together. The Ponds Conservation Trust, for example, believes that 75 per cent of Britain's frogs now live in our back gardens. The past 12 months have been the warmest on record, and the Met Office is predicting that this summer will be one of the hottest since records began. Another season of high temperatures and low rainfall will put wildlife under increasing stress, so if you're planning to get out in the garden this weekend, or thinking about investing in new projects, this is a very good time to consider how you can help make life easier for the mini-beasts in your backyard.

The Wildlife Trusts, which represents the UK's 47 local trusts, is running a joint project with the Royal Horticultural Society that is designed to help gardeners protect our native wildlife species. Called Wild About Gardens, it offers advice in the form of five simple steps that don't cost much money but could make a crucial difference.

The UK is currently on course to miss its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010, which makes it even more important for gardeners to do their bit. As Morag Shuaib, gardening for wildlife project officer at The Wildlife Trusts, explained: "Domestic gardens are increasingly important for native wildlife as natural habitats in the open countryside diminish and weather conditions change. All gardeners can help protect species such as hedgehogs and robins by taking a few simple steps to create conditions in which they can thrive. Even a small piece of lawn is teeming with wildlife if you look beneath the surface. That in turn will draw in birds which are attracted by the mini-beasts, so one tiny patch can count for a lot."

Ms Shuaib points out that birds don't recognise fences and boundaries as they fly across your garden. "Some people think that if their neighbours aren't doing anything to encourage wildlife, there is no point them doing anything. But the chances are there will be another creature-friendly garden nearby, which helps to create a patchwork of plots. Obviously, what we're aiming for is to have a whole corridor of habitats. And it's worth remembering that some creatures are so small that your garden is their whole world."

You don't have to have a garden full of nettles or brambles in order to make a difference. The great thing about gardening for wildlife is that it often makes life easier in terms of labour - you're advised to ease up on meticulous mowing and tidying up.

Ms Shuaib suggests leaving a pile of dead wood in a shady corner, which provides both food and shelter for animals such as toads or hedgehogs. "Trying to include a good mixture of plants such as shrubs and trees is also good."

Water is obviously important in times of drought and even a small dish is better than nothing. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds advises keeping birdbaths clean to avoid spreading disease.

Wildlife gardening can also be very rewarding in terms of scent and year-round interest. Many of the plants that Helen Bostock, the RHS horticultural adviser, recommends for a wildlife-friendly garden have wonderful fragrances that we humans find attractive, never mind bees. Lavender, mint and jasmine are all on her list of must-haves. Look, too, for plants that offer flowers - and therefore nectar for pollinating insects - in spring and berries, for foraging birds, in autumn, such as pyracantha or even ivy.

Anyone who feeds garden birds regularly can tell you that watching the pecking order as different species come down to feed is as entertaining as any soap opera. As Ms Shuaib says, wildlife brings something extra to your garden. "There's a joy to be had from looking out at birds, bees and butterflies. They give a garden an extra dimension of colour and movement. Lots of people who haven't given any thought to encouraging wildlife into the garden discover that once they do, it can be a lot of fun."

For more advice and information, go to www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk

Five simple steps to a wildlife-friendly garden this summer

Hedgehogs and other mammals

PROBLEM: SOARING TEMPERATURES AND DRY CONDITIONS

Hedgehogs and other mammals cherish somewhere to shelter from the sun. So do invertebrates, and while a garden free of bugs may sound great if you're scared of them, remember that hedgehogs and song birds depend on them for food. A pile of dead wood (native species such as oak or chestnut are best) or a plank on a couple of bricks can make a huge difference.

House sparrows and other seed-eating birds

PROBLEM: DRIED-UP OR WILTED FLOWERBEDS

Make the most of the opportunity either this weekend or over the next couple of weeks to cover your soil with an extra layer of compost or bark chips while the soil is still fairly damp. Your flowerbeds will benefit in the heat of summer, and so will the seed-eating birds that feed on the plants that grow in them.

Frogs, toads and dragonflies

PROBLEM: DRY CONDITIONS

Save rainwater in a covered water butt for irrigating plants. If you can, dig a pond so there's a constant source of water for wildlife. Make the pond safe for birds and small mammals by creating a shallow end. If you're using a container, such as a half barrel, put in large stones or a branch so that birds can perch to drink and creatures such as frogs can climb in and out. If the water level dips this summer, the pond is best topped up with the rainwater stored in the butt rather than tap water.

Bumblebees and other insects

PROBLEM: FOOD SHORTAGES

Hot and dry conditions suit many flying insects, but lack of nectar and pollen could put them at risk. Choose drought-resistant plants so insects have a reliable source of food. Remember even these plants need some watering when first planted. Herbs like lavender and mint, perennials such as hardy geraniums and climbers like jasmine are ideal.

Song thrushes and blackbirds

PROBLEM: DWINDLING SUPPLY OF MINIBEASTS IN SOIL AND LAWNS

Don't cut your lawn really short - raising the cutting level by just an inch will help the soil retain moisture. This helps invertebrates living in the grass, and also worm-catching birds. When lawns are affected by drought, hedgerows and flowerbeds become even more important. Beware of clipping hedges when birds are nesting: wait until midsummer.

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