But before we get carried away, it’s worth noting that whilst there is a dramatic beauty to untamed nature when viewed on a grand scale, it can be somewhat disconcerting when left to tyrannise a smaller space.
We humans are predisposed to seek out structure, form and patterns in the world around us, and the presence of at least some of these in our personal outdoor spaces brings both visual appeal, and a reduction in stress. If the foliage that surrounds us is left completely unchecked, form is lost to freneticism.
A human touch is still needed, to retain a certain sense of calm and order.
Sympathetic intervention on our part permits a garden’s ecosystem to flourish, but in balance with our needs as a user of the space. No matter the size of the land, it is entirely possible to both increase biodiversity and provide a tranquil place to relax, dine or play.
To create a place where both wildlife and humans are allowed to thrive simply requires synergy between the two: a regenerative space for you and Nature alike.
An inviting spot by the pond in this rejuvenated woodland garden in Surrey
A balancing act
A great country garden is a finely-struck (and constantly adjusted) exchange between Man with his desire for order and Nature with its sheer exuberance.
When Nature is allowed more of a free rein in your garden, you’ll quickly notice the increase in wildlife. The more food sources and places to nest or shelter you can provide, the more flora and flauna will make their home with you.
But an alliance with you is vital. Some plants tend to dominate and, without your involvement, you could find your plot overcome by one or two invasive species, which then has a knock-on effect on what else can survive there.
Finding a natural balance is key to a peaceful co-existence. Here are some ways to adopt a lower-maintenance approach to your garden, without relinquishing control.
When are weeds weeds?
This can be a sticking point for many traditional gardeners, and you may need to assume a new mindset when it comes to plants we have long accepted as weeds. An understanding of how everything in nature exists for a reason helps to accept their inclusion in your garden plan.
Some of those plants we consider weeds are actually a crucial part of the wildlife cycle, and considered a gourmet dish by many creatures. Did you know that stinging nettles support at least 40 different types of insect, including butterflies and moths? Aphids like to shelter under nettle leaves and ladybirds - who are their natural predators - like to lay their eggs on the topside, so they do a great job of keeping down aphid numbers while they are there.
Allowing ‘weeds’ to fill gaps in your beds provides coverage for birds that prefer ground feeding, such as dunnocks and thrushes. Many are also attractive in their own right, and can add to, not diminish from, your deliberate planting.
Just add water
Water is the basis for the most wildlife-rich habitats throughout the UK.
If you do have room, a pond is the most effective way to encourage the greatest selection of birds, animals and plants. Make sure one side is a gradual slope, to allow safe bathing and drinking, and an escape for the less agile creatures that call round. Once established, you’ll be in with a chance of spotting damsel and dragonflies, frogs, newts, lizards, pondskaters, diving beetles and pond snails, among other things, and even the odd fox might pop by for a drink.
Your pond will find a tempo of its own as the seasons pass, but you will probably want to cut back fast-growing plants, and skim fallen leaves from the surface, to keep it aesthetically pleasing.
This wildlife pond was only completed 2 months earlier
Create a wildflower meadow
No Mow May is a movement that gathers pace every year. You may balk at the idea of allowing the grass to grow unfettered but, by leaving your lawn alone for that month at least (and longer if possible), you will be helping to establish an important wildlife habitat. And you may be surprised by the variety of plants which could crop up when you keep the blades away. There will be the cheerful daisies and buttercups, of course, mingling in with the sunny petals of the dandelion, but you might also gain cowslips, clover, speedwell and even an orchid or two, if you are lucky.
More flowers means more pollen and nectar, which means more bees, beetles, insects, butterflies and birds.
If giving over your whole lawn is a stretch too far, you could devote a smaller area of it to free-growing wildflowers, while keeping the rest neat, and planting a range of nectar-rich plants in your beds instead.
A heightened selection of plant colours in a domesticated wildlife meadow
A hedge for all
It’s well-known that the UK has lost more than half its hedgerows over the last 50 years so, if it is a viable option, replacing your fences with hedges offers multiple opportunities for local wildlife, in terms of shelter, protection and food.
Hedges made up of different species, which blossom at varying times, will give your garden year-round appeal to a variety of visiting creatures, but if they are not an option, encourage climbing plants to cover your fences instead. Add a mix of native tangling shrubs and bushes, like ivy, pyracantha, honeysuckle and bramble, which will provide a safe haven for wildlife.
While they should be encouraged to make the most of the room you give them, they should still be pruned and tidied (once any nesting birds have departed), to prevent them from becoming unmanageable.
A collaborative approach to tidying
Gardeners spend much of the latter part of each year clearing, cutting and clipping when, actually, this time could be spent on other tasks: your garden is more than capable of doing its own autumnal clear up.
Where you may have once cut back dead branches, swept up rotting leaves or thrown away peeling bark, now is the time to remind yourself that there is no waste in nature. Dead wood is an ideal living area for many species, some birds use the bark to line their nests, and decaying matter transfers essential nutrients back into the soil.
Again, equilibrium should be sought: while much in your garden will benefit from being left to complete its annual cycle by itself, you do not have to let it lead to disarray. Bedraggled leaves can still be cleared from patios and raked from lawns (bag them up and leave them to mulch) and wilting potted plants trimmed and tidied, to retain serenity in the areas you spend most time in.
Lifting the crown of a small tree to let light to reach the perennials at its feet
Hire natural pest controllers
Another chore which can be left to the experts: garden pest control. Chemicals in weedkillers and pesticides can be harmful to far more than the nuisances you are trying to get rid of, and by killing any organisms off you are also eliminating vital links from nature’s food chain. Permanently remove specific plants, slugs or insects from your garden and you will also be saying goodbye to the creatures that eat them.
Switch to organic methods, and ask the natural world’s pest control team to get on the case: birds, hedgehogs, frogs, ladybirds and lacewings, among others, are all adept at keeping things under control, without damaging the environment around them. And did you know that some birds, like ground-loving dunnocks, help you out with the weeds by eating their seeds before they have a chance to grow?
Find inspiration
It is well worth discovering the many examples of managed wild gardens, large and small, throughout the UK. From the well-known, such as the Lost Gardens of Heligan, in Cornwall, to those more hidden, like Lingfield Nature Reserve, in Surrey, there’s a wealth of knowledge out there that shows how wonderfully man and nature can work together. A favourite of mine, garden designer Gertrude Jekyll (1843 to 1932), certainly understood the beauty of an deliberately ‘untamed’ are of her garden: https://www.newbarngardendesign.co.uk/blog/2018/1/22/take-a-garden-on-the-wild-side.
For suggestions and advice on how to create an outdoor space which works for you and Nature in , or for any other kind of garden design help, please get in touch.