This advice conmes from the BBC's website. We can all do our bit to encourage wildlife. Gardeners' role Gardeners have a huge role to play in the future of UK wildlife as the traditional British countryside changes. Experts say that, due to more industrialised farming practices and encroaching urbanisation, over 600 individual species are at risk in Britain and others are in rapid decline. Why encourage wildlife in the garden? It's important to remember that when experts refer to native wildlife, they are referring to common garden pests as well as beneficial species. Most gardeners are not keen to encourage more of the not-so-rare Phylum mollusca (slugs and snails) into their garden, yet they all form part of the native food chain. By gardening organically and encouraging wildlife, it is possible to establish a more natural balance between pests and their predators. In this situation, both plants and beneficial pests will flourish, and, with a healthy food chain in place, the more harmful creatures can be kept at bay. Some of the better-known associations are ladybirds feeding on aphids, and frogs, toads and birds feeding on slugs and snails. Managing a wildlife-friendly garden Being more wildlife-friendly may mean forsaking the ideal of a perfect lawn, trimmed borders and rosebeds. However, what if the alternative view from your kitchen window was a natural meadow? This could support native orchids, meadow flowers and butterflies, with a tapestry of seed-heads and dried grasses during winter, and a host of birds feeding on winter berries and nesting in trees. Tips for a wildlife-friendly garden Choose plants that are more attractive to native wildlife, for example, birds are attracted to berry-bearing plants in winter, such as cotoneasters, holly, pyracantha and skimmia. Also favourites with birds are natives like crab apples, hawthorn, honeysuckle, rowan, and sunflowers. Allow some of your plants to go to seed to provide winter food for seed-eating birds. Seed-heads also have an aesthetic bonus, as they provide winter interest in the garden. Maintain some 'untidy' corners to provide overwintering sites for insects. Look for alternatives to slug pellets and pesticides or reduce the use of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides - use organic methods of control. Many insecticides kill beneficial species as well as harmful ones. Provide additional food for wildlife in winter, such as bird-feeders. Use bird-feeders or bird tables to protect birds from cats. Provide nesting boxes for birds and even bats. Nest boxes are excellent substitutes for the holes in old trees. In many gardens, there may be lots of food, but nowhere to nest. Plant perennials with broad flower-heads to encourage bees into your garden in summer. Compost your garden waste - you can recycle kitchen and household waste to provide free organic matter which is nutritious and beneficial to the soil. Learn how to make your own compost heap. Choose plants appropriate to the soil and conditions in your garden so they the best chance of survival. Native plants are a good option. Be more tolerant of the odd weed - some of these are native plants after all! Avoid using herbicides by hand weeding, applying mulch, using weed-suppressant fabric and planting good ground cover. Have a water feature - even a simple bowl can encourage frogs and other wildlife which will feed on bugs and snails. Dragonflies will often breed in them, and many birds may use them to drink and bathe in. If you have room for a pond, site it in a sunny position and ensure the sides are gently sloping, so birds can drink and bathe, amphibians spawn and hedgehogs escape if they fall in. Install a water butt to collect rainwater which is better for plants and saves water in times of drought. Keep a pile of logs in an undisturbed corner of the garden to provide shelter for insects and mammals - hedgehogs may find a home there and they like to feed on slugs and snails. Plants to attract wildlife Native species are more suited to our climate and conditions, so need less attention and are less prone to serious pests and diseases than many exotic plants. When buying native plants, always use a reputable supplier who guarantees that their stock is native and has not been taken illegally from the wild. These are some examples of plants you can include in your garden: Viburnum opulusGuelder rose, :Good autumn colour and white summer flowers, which turn into red berries in autumn, providing a good food source for birds. Echinops ritro, Globe thistle, : This thistle is a great architectural perennial, with its spherical blue flower-heads drying into striking seed-heads. The flowers attract bees and butterflies, and birds eat the seeds. Buddleja davidii, Butterfly bush, : A good source of nectar for butterflies. Lonicera periclymenum, Honeysuckle: Provides nectar for butterflies and moths, which it attracts with its nocturnal scent. Birds also eat the seeds. Calendula officinalis, Marigold, : Nectar rich and also good for companion planting. Primula vulgaris, Primrose, : The spring flowers provide an early source of nectar in spring, while the leaves are food for butterfly larvae and finches eat the seeds. Hedera helix, Ivy, : Provides shelter for birds, nectar in winter and berries in spring. Buckthorn - for brimstone butterflies Holly - for holly blue butterflies Nettles - for peacock, comma, small tortoiseshell butterflies Meadow grasses - for gatekeeper, meadow brown, wall and skipper butterflies Honesty, lady's smock, dame's violet, garlic mustard - for orange tip butterflies