SPRING has most definitely sprung in this little corner of Wiltshire. The garden has never felt more alive with wildlife. We have had robins nesting in the carport, a blackbird has made a home out of someone else’s discarded wipes in the rambling roses outside the kitchen window, the bird feeders are a hectic merry-go-round of hard pressed adults and newly fledged babes. We even have a nightly visit from a very friendly hedgehog, an increasing rarity I am told.

A couple of weeks ago we had to empty and reline the pond; our Newfoundland likes to treat it as her own personal spa and had punctured the lining. In amongst the mud and slime we found five frogs, no wonder my hostas seem to have escaped the ravages of feasting slugs and snails this year; nature has balanced beautifully with a fantastically effective food chain.

I have never used slug pellets, possibly a junior school project on the devastating effect of DDT on an entire ecosystem helped nudge me towards gardening organically.

It seems that wildlife gardening is now mainstream. RHS Chelsea Flower Show was awash with wildlife friendly gardens this year; woodlands, wild flower meadows, natural ponds all featured heavily. Green was THE colour of the year. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge was very much on trend, co-creating an absolutely charming woodland garden that was a natural haven for wildlife and children alike.

In a landscape where commercial farming creates arid mono-cultural habitats in order to maximise crop yields, our gardens have become a vital breathing space, as much of a refuge for nature as for us.

This has been championed by Spring Watch this year. They have filmed several articles about how important gardens are for wildlife, whether you have half an acre of heavenly herbaceous borders or a second floor balcony, whether you are in a picturesque chocolate box village, or you are right in the heart of an urban landscape.

Every space counts. They are asking people to take part in Garden Watch, a survey with four sections; one general, one on birds, one for mammals and one for insects. You do not need to be some ornithological mastermind to complete them, they are extremely user friendly. All information is important, even if you have no wildlife sightings to report.

Salisbury’s Secret Garden has embraced this ethos in a project which welcomes volunteers of any age or experience at its wildlife garden in Mill Road. As well as the volunteering opportunities, they hold free open days once a month, with talks, workshops, plants, seeds and the all-important tea and cake.

The therapeutic effect of being in close proximity to nature is quite wondrous, so why not go a little wild?

Felicity Clements

Journal Contributor