Gardening with wildlife in mind: Bringing nature back to our gardens

Gardening for wildlife is not going to solve the many challenges facing ecosystems, though it can offer much needed lifelines for lots of wild species

Gardening with wildlife in mind helps us to connect with nature, like observing bumblebees and butterflies at close quarters. Picture: iStock

‘Wild gardens are puritanical nonsense’ declared British celebrity gardeners Monty Don and Alan Titmarch last week.

I have long been influenced by Monty Don’s approach to gardening. His ethos of subtle colour combinations and harmonious blending of naturalistic planting with clear symmetrical design holds huge appeal for me. He has always been forthright in his view that garden design should be primarily about aesthetics, and that a garden is a human construct rather than a ‘wild’ space.