Support more beautiful bugs!

In her seminal study over 30 years, Jennifer Owen sought to identify as many types of wildlife as she could in her modest suburban Leicester garden. She found a whopping 1,978 species of insect and, in total, almost 2,700 forms of wildlife. Her results reveal what a rich place a garden can be for all our wild creatures. Here’s how you can copy Jennifer’s approach… 1 KEEP BORDERS MIXED Small trees and shrubs offer shelter and seasonal berries to nibble on, while nectar-rich perennials produce food for pollinators. Leaf litter from deciduous plants offers hibernating cover over winter.

2 GROW VEG While some leaves and berries may be lost to hungry insects and birds, many plants (such as fruit and legumes) rely on insect pollinators to produce a crop.

3 COMPOST HEAP Worms and beetles will turn heaps of kitchen peelings and garden waste into nutritious compost that you can use as a soil conditioner or mulch. Smaller insects can also shelter here on cold nights.

4 DON’T LOSE YOUR LAWN Short grass provides a home for many small critters such as moth caterpillars, worms, beetles and their larvae – which robins and blackbirds often feast on.

5 CREATE A POND A water feature or small garden pond houses all sorts of aquatic insects. For other mini-beasts, it’s a place to drink and bathe. Moistureloving plants around the margins offer extra safety from predators.

6 AVOID PESTICIDES Tellingly, Jennifer Owen didn’t use any pesticides in her garden except occasional slug pellets. It’s far safer for all garden insects to trust nature to tackle the problems and create a natural balance.