Released On 18th May 2026

Designing a Wildlife Friendly Garden

This month Sir David Attenborough turned 100 years old! The inspirational pioneer and frankly force of nature, he has done more for the awareness of the environment, animals and the damage we inflict on them than anyone else in history. To celebrate this amazing landmark age and all of his amazing work, this month we wanted to show you just how easy it is to turn your garden into a wildlife paradise that Attenborough would be proud of. And one that you can enjoy for months and years to come. We promise these steps are simple, but they will provide a haven for any bees, birds, insects and mammals that visit, or call your garden home.

Add a Water Source

Water is, without a doubt, the single most effective way to attract wildlife to your space. Many animals will spend a huge amount of their life moving around looking for water, so providing them with a source of clean, safe water is a must. There are a few ways you could do this, but the most popular is digging a simple wildlife point. Even small ponds provide a sanctuary for frogs, dragonflies and pond skaters. They also provide places to drink and rest for small mammals and birds, even if they’re just passing through. Make sure it has at least one open shallow, sloping side so that animals can easily climb in and out, and avoid adding fish as they will eat the eggs and larvae of insects and amphibians. Though there is nothing stopping you from having a separate fish pond too!

If you’re short on space, a container pond is a great alternative. All you have to do is sink a big bucket or tub into the ground and add some aquatic plants. You can also leave the bucket above ground, but you’ll need to add slopes so that creatures can climb in and out, which can get a bit complicated.

Rethink Your Lawn

Perfectly manicured lawns might look nice, but they’re not great for wildlife. Instead, you want a variety of heights in your grass, as well as a variety of native pollinator-friendly plants scattered around. You don’t have to leave your whole lawn like this if it isn’t practical (or if you just don’t like the look). Try having a ‘no mow zone’ that you leave uncut until late summer, creating a mini wildflower meadow that provides pollen for bees and other insects, and gives small mammals excellent ground cover from predators.

Rather than bare fences, you could use them to plant vertically. Fences and trellises are perfect for growing climbing plants like ivy and honeysuckle, which are perfect nesting sites and produce lovely winter berries. Finally, change your attitude to weeds. Weeds are not the enemy; in fact, they’re an essential part of the ecosystem! Weeds like nettles are a vital food source for butterfly caterpillars, and dandelions are a life-saving food source for bees in early spring. So don’t pull them up! Embrace them, and watch your garden come to life.

Provide Shelter & Nesting Sites

If you want to befriend a whole range of wildlife, give them safe places to rest, breed, and hide from predators. For example, build a log pile by sticking pruned branches and deadwood into quiet, shaded corners of your garden. It’s a simple step, but this wood will break down over time and create the perfect habitat for beetles, woodlice and amphibians. Hang some wooden bird and bat boxes in cool, shaded, north-facing spots and watch them become bustling areas of activity. Or you could bundle together hollow canes and drill holes into untreated logs to create nesting spaces for solitary bees.

Feed and Care for Wildlife

Food is another one of those critical driving forces of every creature on the planet. But by building houses on their land, we’ve removed a lot of natural food sources across the country and the world. Supplementing feeding is an easy way you can support the local wildlife, especially during the colder months when natural food sources are harder to find.

For a start, ditch any pesticides and artificial fertilisers. What we consider garden pests (like slugs and aphids) are a natural food source for toads, frogs and birds, so letting the natural balance take over will keep the pests in check. Then, create a compost heap. Even a small one. Use kitchen and garden waste to top it up, and it will draw in worms, spiders and all sorts of minibeasts, which then feed other visitors to your garden.

For birds, the advice has actually changed recently. The RSPB have found that a lot of garden birds are now in decline because of a disease called trichomoniasis. It’s highly contagious among birds, and can spread wherever they gather in large numbers, like at bird feeders. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feed birds anymore, just that you should do it a little differently. The RSPB now recommends:

Pausing feeding seeds and peanuts from May to October. Instead, only offer small amounts of mealworms, fat balls or suet. You can add seeds and peanuts from November to April.
Clean feeders and baths at least once a week.
Put feeders in a different spot every week.
Avoid putting feeders under bird roosting spots.
Don’t use flat feeders, and keep food as dry as possible.

You can also help birds to find their own food by planting bird-friendly plants in your garden. Things like sunflowers, teasels and ivy are great natural food sources for all sorts of birds.

All of these simple changes can turn a standard suburban garden into a flourishing ecosystem full of life. There’s nothing more rewarding than sitting in the garden and watching the wildlife thrive, and we think this is exactly the tribute a man like Sir David Attenborough deserves for all of his hard work and dedication. If you’d like some help achieving a wildlife-friendly garden, or someone to maintain it for you, just get in touch with the CMA Garden Design team today, and we’ll be happy to help.