There are a number of excellent websites , podcasts and organisations providing free and invaluable knowledge and inspiration on wildlife gardening. Here I have listed the ones I follow as well as some excellent books that I have on my bookshelf. All below can be followed on twitter and Facebook.

Wildlife podcast to follow

The wildlife garden podcast

Hosted by organic gardeners Ellie and Ben who provide well researched information on wildlife gardening and biodiversity topics from in invertebrates to plants.  I believe they did a plantsmanship course at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.  I am glad I was not on their course when I was  there  as they would have got better marks then me. Their light hearted fun approach makes for easy listening whilst you work in your garden with the added bonus of making you smarter by the time you head inside for a break.

Wildlife gardening websites to bookmark

www.wildlifegardenproject.com

The Wildlife Garden Project started in 2010 by Laura Turner is a Community Interest Company (CIC) comprising a small team of passionate individuals providing articles, tutorial videos on YouTube and much more to help you create, develop  and maintain a wildlife friendly garden. Another very worthwhile dip in resource to check out and also follow on social media platforms. They have also launched a Wildlife Garden Directory to help you find local advice and help from eco-friendly garden businesses.

www.wlgf.org

Standing for the Wildlife Garden Forum this very useful and comprehensive website offers free invaluable resource for everything you need to know to garden with wildlife in mind. After a few visits you get the hang of navigating the website easily and efficiently gaining all the knowledge and insights you need from scientists and conversant

amateur contributors and it’s free. No need to buy specialists books on pond creation, birds, wildlife planting etc unless your a geek like me.

scotland-species.nbnatlas.org/species

NBN Atlas Scotland

All sizes of garden attract and have some quantity of wildlife even ones predominantly covered in hard landscaping will have life below ground or visiting a solitary existing planted container. Wildlife does not recognise boundaries and explores its locality looking for shelter, food, water and a place to breed. Winged animals such as birds and bees will fly over a boundary fences, hedgehogs will look for a gap in the fence whilst ground dwellers will simply burrow in.

Knowledge of which wildlife is local enough to be a potential regular visitor or if your lucky enough future resident is useful to the garden owners looking to entice more wildlife to come to their garden.

The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas Scotland is an invaluable free resource for garden owners looking to entice wildlife into their gardens by creating suitably planted habitats. It is easy to use as a dip in, gradual learning resource tool.

1. Search; https:// scotland-species.nbnatlas.org/species
2. Scroll to bottom of page and either ; explore by address,postcode, location or pre defined area
3. From a full list of species containing numerous groups such as  as birds, insects and plants one can highlight the group of particular interest to discover confirmed species and by highlighting species of interest  click on their profile to discover more about them, their habitats, predator/prey interactions etc.

For me as an ecologically based gardener this is a really fascinating helpful insightful resource which is continually being updated. It’s easy to get the hang of and difficult to not keep using.

www.buglife.org.uk

Buglife focuses on conserving the insects, slugs, snails, worms etc, (collectively known as invertebrates) in the UK. It addresses and campaigns against the worst pesticides as well as creating habitats for insects across the UK.

www.field-studies-council.org

The field studies council is a very handy website supplying extremely well priced concise laminated guide sheets  on invertebrates from bees to beetles to butterfly’s to birds etc. In my opinion the guides are much more useful and easy to use, especially when out and about in all weathers than books. When considering the information they provide and their quality they are very cheap that is why perhaps they ask if you are willing to give a small suggested donation which I always do. Worth every penny.

www.plantlife.org.uk

Plant life is an international conservation charity working to secure that our planet remains rich in plants and fungi by protecting and restoring natural and semi natural habitats from hay meadows to blanket bogs. They seek to encourage us allow our gardens to become valuable sanctuary’s for wildlife with campaigns such as No Mow May, Let it Bloom in June and Knee High July. The website provides easy to follow step by step guide, advice and excellent tips on creating and managing more species rich and colourful gardens with both plants and wildlife. Their Scottish Office is based at Unit 4, Beta Centre, Stirling University Park, FK94NF and by visiting their part of the website one can pick up links to work they are involved in in Scotland and places to visit for both inspirational appreciation and enjoyment.

Books for further reading

Baines, Chris., Companion to Wildlife Gardening, Frances Lincoln, 2023.

Goulson, Dave., The Garden Jungle, Penguin Random House , 2019

Goulson, Dave ., Silent Earth, Vintage, 2022

Thomas, Adrian. Gardening for Wildlige, Bloomsbury, 2021

Inspirational places to visit

My garden at Torwood  near Glamis DD81UN

Although qualified  in horticulture and ecology I continue to enjoy  learning from the knowledge of others as well as observations from my own garden. Here I learn, practice and improve on my ecologically based gardening skills before letting myself  loose on the gardens of my clients. I am happy to invite visitors to my garden, by appointment as I am often working away from home in the gardens of my clients. I can be contacted on my mobile 07988 010418 or contact me.

 

Cruickshank Botanic Garden, Aberdeen

Located at St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU and free to enter this is a truly colourful garden bustling with wildlife. The curator Mark Paterson and head gardener Richard Walker lead a small team of gardeners who follow an inspirational and at times brave approach of working with rather than against nature. Their efforts are not always appreciated by followers of the more nature controlling high maintenance traditional approach of weed ( I prefer ‘wildflower’) free lawns and borders but they are undoubtedly contributing to teaching future generations to live as part of nature and not apart from it.