Being green by nature, we’re focused on creating biodiversity in our public open spaces. There are also very easy ways you can help promote a richness of flora and fauna in your own garden.

Create Your Own Biodiverse Garden

All it takes is just a few small changes to your green spaces to persuade creatures to make your garden their new home.

The first step is to choose native plant species that provide an abundance of food and safe habitats for insects, such as butterflies and bees.

So-called ‘insect hotels’ can be created by simply storing old wood in a corner of your garden or providing a small pile of rocks.

You might also consider leaving an area truly wild, an oasis where the weeds – many of which are beautiful to look at – will welcome a vast and varied selection of insects.

These sanctuaries are also popular with hedgehogs who, right about now, will be waking up from their long winter hibernation with a huge appetite.

Don’t forget to provide plants for the pollinating birds and bees.

And don’t wage a continual war on ‘pests’. Aphids and slugs get a bad press but they’re actually a vital source of food for birds and ladybirds.

Finally, it’s time to get down and dirty – yes, we’re talking soil. By adding well-rotted natural materials, such as homemade compost, you can develop a healthy soil that is alive with fungi, bacteria and microbes.

This is the kind of structured soil environment where your native plants really will thrive and release even more nutrients into the mix.

You can find out more about Greenbelt’s mission to promote and support biodiversity in our UK developments Green by nature news article.