Creating a wildlife garden the easy way

[nightshade]

A workmate was telling me that after three weeks holiday they returned to an overgrown garden. I have seen pictures and it is usually immaculate and sterile of obvious wild life, so I asked him to count birds and other wild life before it is returned to its usual pristine condition.
He did better and photographed everything he found both he and his wife were amazed and fascinated but alas the garden is immaculate again although they accepted a wild life plants catalogue so there is still hope

[vole-woman]

It sounds as if you made some sort of impression, though - who knows, they might at least allow a little wild area...

[djackso]

It's quite sad that your workmate has now tidied up again.

The area I moved into several years ago had some very untended gardens. Consequently there was lots of insect and bird-life. House sparrows were one of the success stories.

As new neighbours moved or old ones had a rethink, gardens became tidier and more well-tended. As a direct result species diversity has plummeted. I think I can see why house sparrows are in decline - I just have to watch what is happening under my nose - they seem to love a tangled mess of foliage and thorny shrubs. If it's not there - they're not interested.

I'm doing my best to redress the balance, but they have not taken to the "house sparrow parade", and my honeysuckle and pyracantha are still small. I feel it's a race against time.