BBC Gardeners' World

Gardeners' World Magazine is the authoritative voice in gardening, the clear market-leader since it launched in 1991. The award-winning editorial includes topical, practical advice in the readers' favourite 'what to do now' section, and regular contributions and features from the top names in BBC gardening. Packed with fresh ideas and clear advice - the innovative approach offers creative, practical and problem-solving solutions to all keen gardeners.

Welcome

Our expert contributors

The wildlife garden • A garden that’s teeming with wildlife is endlessly fascinating and uplifting. And it’s easy to achieve, with simple additions like bird boxes, beetle bumps and hedgehog houses. Even the smallest pond will attract damselflies and frogs, and provide drinking water for all kinds of creatures. If you fill your pots and borders with nectar-rich flowers, let ivy scramble up your fence and plant some berrying shrubs, you’ll find there’s never a dull moment in your garden.

10 wildlife ESSENTIALS

20 WILDLIFE plants

Help children discover wildlife

Pot up a wildlife haven

Plant a hanging nectar bar

Garden birds • Birds need our help, not just in winter, but all year round. Many familiar garden species are in serious decline, including house sparrows, song thrushes and starlings. The good news is that it’s easy and fun to help them out, whether by providing food and water, nesting materials or shelter. The small effort involved in making your garden more bird-friendly is more than rewarded by the pleasure of watching these fascinating creatures around your garden.

FACT FILES

A SPOTTER’S GUIDE TO GARDEN BIRDS • The right planting and feeders can attract even more birdlife to your garden. This handy guide identifies garden birds not featured on the previous pages

10 FOODS to buy

10 natural live FOODS

Build a cosy wooden nest box

Make a simple bird bath

Weave a hanging bird feeder

Construct a rustic bird table

Make a natural feeding wreath

Cook up high-energy fat cakes

Build a garden bird-watching hide

Give birds a helping hand

Bees • British bees are in decline, and the reasons are many and varied – from habitat loss to pesticide use, to varroa mite on honey bees. But gardens planted for pollinators can give bees a real boost. Luckily, the things that attract them, attract us too – scents, colours and diverse flower forms. But while we get pleasure from looking and smelling, bees get life-giving nectar and pollen. So plant some flowers rich in pollen and nectar and your garden will soon be buzzing with life.

FACT FILES

A SPOTTER’S GUIDE TO BUMBLEBEES • You may be surprised at the diversity of British bees. Look for the different stripes on these other species not featured on the previous pages

10 PLANTS FOR bees

Make a home for bumblebees

Make a solitary bee home

Plant a spring pot for bumblebees

Butterflies • Many butterfly species are struggling to survive, largely due to habitat loss. But it’s not all bad news – butterflies have the capacity to bounce back relatively quickly, especially after a warm summer. They readily visit our gardens in search of nectar, so planting the right flowers can really help their survival. We can encourage them to breed in our gardens too by growing certain species, including holly, ivy and even a small clump of nettles.

FACT FILES

SPOTTER’S GUIDE TO BUTTERFLIES • Butterflies readily visit our gardens in search of nectar-rich flowers and egg-laying sites – here are some more common ones to look out for

10 PLANTS FOR butterflies

10 WAYS TO HELP butterflies

Grow a butterfly...