This is the fourth in a series of articles from the Eco Church Team at St Columba’s, which are also published in our church magazine.

With a little planning and effort any garden can be transformed into a wildlife friendly environment.

Step 1. Stop spraying with pesticides. Let the blue tits eat the greenfly and if there are too many aphids just take a damp cloth and wipe off.

Step 2. All creatures have to eat and drink so put a saucer of water or even better a small pond at the edge of the border, near the house. It will deter
predators swooping or creeping to close.

Step 3. Add a bird table as a feature in the border and surround it with nectar rich flowers – for example old cottage flowers like lupins, cornflowers and lavender.

Step 4. Plant a fruit tree. It will feed both the gardener and wildlife. It would also provide nesting and roosting sites.

Once you start you will find endless things to add – a log pile, a compost heap, etc., so be patient, listen and watch and you will be richly rewarded.