How to Plant a Wildlife-Friendly Garden

Books to Help Grow a Wildlife-Friendly Garden

Second Nature is the story of how a gardener created a wildlife oasis from a patch of untended ground, with help from her husband and friends. Tucked away in a hidden valley, this place is now buzzing with wildlife due to perennials, trees, herbs, vegetables and a meadow.

The space teems with life: owls and blackbirds, bats and mice, butterflies and bees – all drawn by pollen-rich flowers, ponds and nesting sites.

In this book, Susie takes us through the planning and construction of how she designed the garden, and how it blends harmoniously with the surrounding environment. From plants to shelters and habitats, every element reflects her commitment to sustainability.

This account is sure to inspire and provides practical advice, as well as a sense of her deep appreciation for the natural world. And the transformative power of building an outdoor sanctuary, for all species to thrive.

Susie White is a garden and travel writer, wildlife photographer and lecturer. She also created Chesters Walled Garden on Hadrian’s Wall (Northumberland). Other interests include upland hay meadows, archaeology and the landscape/walks of the North Pennines, Northumberland and Lake District.

Rewild Your Garden is an illustrated guide to bring wildlife back to your garden, often by just leaving things be. In this practical guide, horticulturalist Frances Tophill (a presenter on BBC 4’s Gardener’s World) shows how to plan and maintain a beautiful garden that will attract bees, birds and a throng of unsung garden heroes.

Whether you have a small balcony or a large open space, discover the joys of welcoming natural ecosystems back to your garden.

Planting with Nature is a beautiful book on how we can support local wildlife and tackle the climate crisis, through gardening. The book includes tips on planting nectar-rich borders, native hedgerows, trees and wildflower meadows, plus rain gardens, green roofs and ponds.

Together with providing homes for birds, mammals, amphibians, bees and insects, you’ll find new ways to grow food, and make your own compost.

Birds and native wildlife have lost so much of their natural homes – hedgerows to wildflower meadows. By growing new natural replacements, this is the best help we can give to native wildlife, including endangered species like hedgehogs, dormice and bats.

How Can I Help? is a wonderful book of almost 500 answers on how to save nature from gardens to parks, from one of the USA’s top environmental and conservation writers. The author reveals the critical role that native plants play in attracting beneficial insects, and how this is such an important part of gardening worldwide.

From reducing urban concrete to leaving leaves and log piles for wildlife, join others to become an empowered and knowledgeable conservationist, from your own backyard!

Author Doug Tallamy is professor of Entomology (insects) and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has taught students about insects for 44 years. He is founder of the website Homegrown National Park, which encourages everyone to plant native plants, to benefit local insects, birds and wildlife.