Everyone can be a gardener. Perhaps you have a window box or a tub, or enjoy relaxing outside in the summer. Maybe you have an allotment or are involved in a local community gardening project. Whether you are an expert or simply enjoy growing plants in a pot there is a great deal you can do to encourage wildlife to visit.

There are more than 15 million gardens in the UK and these already provide a very important home for wildlife. But they could be far more valuable still if more people gardened with wildlife in mind.

Here are some top tips for nature-friendly gardening.

	Try and introduce natural predator control. Beneficial insects and other small invertebrates can be your best friends when it comes to controlling pests in your garden and vegetable patch. Planting annuals such as Californian poppies and marigolds among your vegetables will attract a wealth of beneficial insects, like ladybirds and hoverflies, which will eat aphids.

	Try to avoid the use of chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilisers. Almost all chemicals will kill plants and animals beyond those targeted. Work with nature rather than against it.

	Make your own compost and ask for peat-free products when buying from your local garden centre. Peat extraction is damaging a fragile wild habitat that cannot be recreated so avoid using peat in the garden. Instead, make your own compost from kitchen and garden waste.
	Create a pond. Water bodies - even very small ones - are wonderful for wildlife. If you are short of space try placing a container, such as an old enamel or china sink, in your garden. Remember to add a few stones at one end, so that frogs and toads can get out easily.
	Plant some native shrubs or trees. Flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs provide a source of food and shelter for small mammals and birds.
	Choose plants that offer nectar and pollen. Go for old cottage garden plants, and avoid those with complex flowers. Generally speaking, the more complex or highly bred the flower, the less it will have to offer bees, butterflies and other insects. Native plants will often be better for insects but many exotic plants are good too.
	Don't just feed the birds! You can make your garden more attractive to birds by providing them with a wide range of food. The greater the choice of food you offer, the more species you are likely to see. If you have a cat, put a bell on its collar to alert birds.
	Leave a small pile of logs in the corner of your garden. Decaying logs in a quiet shady corner will provide a home for a wide range of insects and mammals, such as hedgehogs. Ideally, some of the logs should be upright and partially buried in the earth.
	Use a water butt to collect rainwater from house, shed and garage roofs. Using this in the garden will reduce the consumption of mains water. Huge amounts of energy are wasted on cleaning and transporting mains water and it is often extracted from rivers at levels that threaten local wildlife.
	Use the right rocks! What kind of stone can you use in your garden without causing damage to rare landscapes? Avoid using water-worn limestone and tufa as they are a non-renewable resource and may come from protected sites. Check where your pebbles come from and avoid those removed from beaches. On a large scale, such removal can cause damage to rare habitats.
	Check the origin of any wood you buy for the garden. If you're not careful, you may be unknowingly contributing to the destruction of tropical rain forests. Wood products (including paper) with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label are from well-managed forests. FSC is an international, non-governmental body. For more information, see their website at www.fsc-uk.info.

English Nature has produced a range of material giving advice on wildlife friendly gardening.

Gardening with wildlife in mind is a CD Rom featuring 500 wildlife-friendly plants and 300 of the many "creatures" - from bees and butterflies to birds and small mammals - that they can attract to your garden. It costs �9.99 (add �1.50 for postage and packing) and is obtainable from: The Plant Press, 10 Market Street, Lewes, BN7 2NB. Tel 01273 476151 or email [email protected]

You can now visit the online version of Gardening with wildlife in mind. Just go to www.plantpress.com/wildlife/home.php

English Nature also publishes the following free leaflets.

These are all available from our Enquiry Service. Call 01733 455101 or email [email protected]