Fully revised and updated by the author, this is the perennial and comprehensive guide to the art of wildlife gardening from the RHS, freshly illustrated and bursting with new ideas, ideas and projects. Gardening and wildlife make perfect partners. So many people are discovering that by choosing the right plants for nectar and fruit, providing some shelter and safety, a little extra food and water, and a nest box or two, any garden, balcony or backyard can be dramatically brought to life.
This best-selling book was first published as How to Make a Wildlife Garden, and launched at the 1985 Chelsea Flower Show, making wildlife a mainstream issue for gardeners and the public. Now fully revised and updated by the author, this beautiful new freshly illustrated edition highlights the changes in garden wildlife over the past 35 years. Incorporating RHS research, updated best practice and addressing a multitude of controversial conservation issues, this stunning guide is also a celebration of the rich variety of wild plants and animals that can bring a beautiful garden to life.
Packed full of practical advice from which plants to choose for bees, birds and butterflies, how to construct the ideal wildlife pond, where to position nesting boxes and how to enjoy wildlife in any size of outdoor space, this authoritative companion shows how wildlife gardening can make a stylish and enjoyable contribution to the environment, inspiring new gardeners while also delighting the very many owners of the best-selling original.
Chris Baines is an award-winning writer and broadcaster and one of the UK's leading environmental campaigners. He writes popular monthly columns for both BBC Wildlife and BBC Gardeners' World magazines. He also worked as a landscape and sustainability adviser on the Millennium Dome project.
"This book perfectly illustrates how to make the most of the beauty and abundance of wildlife just outside your back door."
– Garden Answers
"If you have to have but a single book on the subject of gardening for wildlife then this is the one [...] an outstanding book."
– Highland News Group
"A sumptuous production, no household should be without a copy; however small your garden is, you can still make it better for wildlife."
– Natur Cymru