A comprehensive, single source of information on the plants and animals that live alongside us. This third edition features new material on climate change, recycling and wild spaces in gardens.
This friendly handbook is full of practical advice on attracting wildlife to your garden and encouraging creatures to stick around. A helpful introductory section includes expert tips on green gardening, seasonal planting, how to deal with garden predators and how to get children involved in gardening. A DIY chapter, with a step-by-step guide on creating projects for your garden – from building nest, bat and hedgehog boxes to making your own pond – is also included.
From foxes to finches and from lizards to ladybirds, colour photographs illustrate almost 400 garden species, including mammals, birds, insects, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, flowers, trees, shrubs and fungi, while the comprehensive text explains everything you need to cultivate a haven for nature.
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- The RSPB
- Introduction
- Species Accounts
- DIY in the Garden
- Glossary
- Index
- Image Credits
Peter Holden is the author of the bestselling RSPB Handbook of British Birds. He held senior positions at the RSPB for over 30 years and is the author of several books. Geoffrey Abbott formerly worked for the RSPB. He now lectures part-time for the Field Studies Council. He is responsible for the book's plants and insects sections.
Reviews of the first edition:
"An absolute must for anyone who has ever pulled back the curtains and wondered what creature, great or small, has taken up residence amid the herbaeous border Sunday Express 14th Sept 2008 'A valuable resource for all gardeners who have an interest in wildlife."
– BBC Countryfile (December 2008)
"This book ought to be on your kitchen table."
– Birdwatching (Nov. 2008)
"[...] a worthy and attractive introduction to garden wildlife filled with excellent photography and clear concise text [...] top of your list when you are out shopping."
– www.gardenersclick.com (August 2009)
"[...] lots of tips to help you tempt animals, birds and insects into your garden, plus details of how to identify certain wildflowers, fungi and trees."
– Amateur Gardening (February 2010)