ERA talk: Sustainable and Wildlife Gardening
A talk given by Beverley Exall on 26th March, 2026.
As a professional gardener Bev is only too aware of the effects that climate change are bringing to our gardens. A temperature increase of 1 degree brings 7% more rain, and our rain is coming in heavier outbursts, leading to local flooding. It is predicted that it will not be long until the UK is frost free.
For our gardens to thrive the soil in them needs to thrive. To be healthy soil needs air, water and carbon. Whether you are gardening on sand (bigger particle sizes) or silt (medium particle sizes) or clay (smaller particle sizes) the best thing you can do for your soil is to add organic matter.
Soil holds three times as much carbon as does the atmosphere. Digging releases some of that carbon and so is very much worth avoiding. Rather than digging in the organic matter you are adding to your soil simply add it as a layer on the top.
Large fields with one crop in them have very limited biodiversity and little to offer to our bees and butterflies. In our gardens we need to think about providing opportunities for ever more biodiversity, welcoming wildlife in.
Compost bins are a valuable source of organic matter but need to be well managed. Leave then open to the air and the rain, getting a good balance between the browns which provide carbon (torn up cardboard, egg cartons, woody bits) and the greens which provide nitrogen (peelings, coffee grounds, grass cuttings), with urine being a free activator.
Compost heaps bring wildlife into the garden, as do dead hedges, standing dead wood, and even nettles. Maybe you have room for an owl box, a hedgehog house or some bird boxes. Brick or stone piles can be great for beetles and reptiles and bug hotels can be big or small. Even a few empty tins tied together and filled with straw, twigs, hollow stems can provide valuable habitat for insects.
As our climate warms we will increasingly have plant species getting out of step with the insects that pollinate them, a phenomena known as phenological mismatch. We all used to think of dandelions as weeds but now appreciate that they are a highly valuable early source of nectar and pollen, with ivy being a great late source.
Avoid double blooms as the insects often cannot access the nectar and pollen like they can with single blooms. Bev deliberately grows some extra salad plants, and leeks and kale so that she can leave them to go to seed. When in flower they will be buzzing with insects!
Allowing the grass to grow longer around trees and shrubs will help to keep the roots cooler and the soil damper.
Rather than feeding the birds why not grow plants like teasel, or berries, or nuts that they can eat?
Sustainable means able to be maintained. Watering your lawn is not sustainable and simply not necessary, the grass will come back when the rain does. Container planting also requires more water and so is something we should consider doing less of. Creating more shady areas will conserve water. Plants like hollyhocks and lavender are deep rooted, bringing up moisture and nutrients from deeper in the soil. Save your ‘grey water’ for use in the garden. A member of the audience said how she always showers while stood in a trug to catch the water!
Fencing is high maintenance, where as mixed hedging brings benefits for wildlife such as food, shelter, nesting materials, while providing increased visible interest.