Introducing Wilder Gardens: A Call to Action for UK Wildlife

We are excited to launch Wilder Gardens, with our ambitious goal: to create and connect wildlife habitats in every garden across the UK. With biodiversity declining at an alarming rate, the time to act is now—and your garden can be part of the solution. Whether you have a sprawling lawn or a tiny balcony, every little bit helps. Together, we can create a National Wildlife Garden Network

Gardens our underused super power 💪🏽

Did you know that gardens in the UK cover an estimated 433,000 hectares? While this accounts for only 1.74% of the country’s land area, it’s twice the size of all national nature reserves combined. Unlike remote conservation areas, gardens are accessible and under the direct care of millions of us. This makes them one of the most powerful—and overlooked—resources for nature recovery.

By rewilding even a small section of your garden, you can help create vital habitats that connect to local ecosystems. These changes ripple outward, meaning potential for landscape scale, impacting biodiversity regionally, nationally, and even globally. Just think of all the migratory birds from the other side of the world that visit us in the global north.

🌱 Simple, Effective Actions You Can Take

1. Dedicate Space to Nature: Leave a corner of your garden unmown or plant a mix of native wildflowers to attract pollinators.

2. Introduce Water: Even a small pond or birdbath can create a crucial resource for wildlife.

3. Build Habitats: Add log piles, stone clusters, or leaf piles to provide shelter for insects, hedgehogs, and amphibians.

4. Do No Harm: Avoid using chemicals like pesticides and herbicides (weed killers), which can harm humans, animals and beneficial species.

5. Plant for Biodiversity: Choose native trees, shrubs, and plants that are specifically suited to supporting your local wildlife.

🌟 What We’re Doing

We’re building on our existing garden-matching platform to provide new tools for community-driven conservation. With hyper-local maps, data, and actionable steps, we’re empowering you to collaborate with your neighbors to support your local nature recovery strategy. By working together, we can create corridors of biodiversity that extend far beyond individual gardens.

🎉 Piloting Wilder Gardens in Bristol 

We’re proud to announce that Wilder Gardens is launching as a pilot program in Bristol, where we’ll test and refine this initiative with the support of a dedicated team. To learn more about this exciting first step, visit our homepage: Wilder Gardens Pilot Program.

🎥 Be Inspired: A Garden Transformation in Action

 In Melksham, an old, unused tennis court was transformed into a thriving wildflower meadow, creating a haven for pollinators and other wildlife. Watch the story here and see how even underutilised spaces can become ecological powerhouses.

💬 Join the Conversation

We want to hear from you! What changes would you like to see in the gardens around you? Have you already started making your garden wilder? Share your thoughts and ideas—we’re eager to collaborate with individuals and communities to bring this vision to life.

The window to act is narrowing, but together we can create a network of thriving, connected habitats across the UK. Let’s make every garden count. 🌿