Wildlife plays an important part in any garden. Birds, frogs, hedgehogs and toads all help to clear the garden of snails, whitefly, slugs and aphids. It is far better to use a natural predator to clear your infestations than to use chemically enhanced pesticides.

There are no special ways to attract wildlife; but rest assured that it will find you. Forget about immaculate lawns and pristine borders, wildlife prefer unkempt, undisturbed areas with lots of trees, bushes and long grasses.

Birds are a welcome visitor to the garden, as they keep down the greenfly on roses. If you want to attract garden birds, try to tempt them with food and water during the winter months.

An apple tree planted in your garden will attract lots of insects and birds, Blackbirds and redwings for example, love feeding on windfall apples.

Ground wildlife, such as hedgehogs will require a shallow bowl of fresh water placed on the lawn, from which they can drink. Make sure that the animal can escape from the bowl, should it fall in. Hedgehogs, slow worms and newts like to hide in compost heaps during the winter months, so why not make them their own little hideaway? Simply spread your compost in early Autumn and leave undisturbed over the winter months. By Spring, the hedgehogs will have moved on, and the compost can be dug into the soil. Collect fallen leaves from your trees and bushes and leave them in a secluded corner, as this is the ideal habitat for smaller insects and animals. Not only will they remain warm during the cold spells, but it gives them some cover from larger predators.

If your garden is big enough for a pond, go for it! Ponds attract toads, frogs, newts and dragonflies. Birds can bathe at the waters edge, and many prefer to nest close to a pond, as it offers plenty of material to build nests, and food to eat.

To attract bees and butterflies you will need to grow nectar-rich plants and flowers. The old-fashioned cottage garden flower mix seeds are the best to sow, and they come back year after year. Herbs and other wildflowers smell wonderful and also attract insects. Try to leave a clump of nettles in a corner somewhere, as caterpillars love to eat them.

A wildlife garden has a fairly low maintenance level, as wildlife like their habitat to be undisturbed as much as possible. The garden can get a little overgrown, but can be trimmed back during spring or summer,

Recommended plants which attract wildlife include:

• Buddleia
• Honesty
• Honeysuckle
• Lavender
• Ornamental grasses
• Michaelmas Daisy
• Night-scented Stock
• Nettles
• Sunflowers