Wildlife Garden: Video Series

Drought tolerant plants typically have leaves that are either waxy, spiky, succulent or hairy, such as rosemary, cistus, lavender and sedum. Plant drought tolerant species in a garden, able to survive long periods of hot and dry weather, with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Attracting birds to a garden simply requires providing food in the form of berry bushes, and nesting opportunities with bird boxes, trees or shrubs. Encourage birds to thrive in a garden, making sure to garden organically to promote invertebrates and soil organisms, with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Attracting butterflies to a garden involves providing plants that blossom from spring until fall and offering many pollinating opportunities for single-blossom flowers. Encourage butterflies to come to a garden, also offering plants to lay their eggs on, with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Attracting amphibians, like frogs, newts and toads, to a garden involves providing cool, damp shelters for the autumn and winter, and offering a pond in a sunny area for the spring and summer where they can raise their spawn. Create an amphibian habitat in a garden, making sure to provide both shallow and deep areas of a pond, with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Planting outdoor plants involves digging a hole a little larger than the root base, breaking up compacted roots, placing the plant in the hole and filling the hole back up with more soil. Pack down the soil around the base of the new plant and give it a good watering with instructions from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Potting a plant is done by lining the bottom of the pot with broken ceramic for drainage, adding the base layer of soil and breaking up congested roots before planting it in place. Fill the pot with soil and give it a good watering with instructions from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Pricking out seedlings is a process of transferring partially developed seedlings to larger pots before their roots become too entwined. Use a dipper or a spoon to scoop out seedlings and put them gently into a pot with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Sowing seeds is done by laying down a peat-free compost in a shallow tray for the initial bed, sprinkling a few seeds in each tray and covering them lightly with soil. Sow a batch of seeds, making sure to give them a good drink of water after planting, with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Watering plants properly depends on the species, but consistently keeping the soil damp is an efficient way to keep plants thriving without wasting water. Keep plants moist, trying not to flood them with too much wasted water, with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Green roofs added to a house, a garden or over a compost heap increase the green space and habitat value in a garden by regulating the temperature and moisture levels. Install a green roof over an area of a garden, available in different shapes and sizes, with tips from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.

Wildlife gardening is important to counter the hostile effects of urban development on the environment, and to offer animals a green space to thrive and migrate through. Create wildlife habitats in a garden, including tress, ponds, shrubs, flowers and hedge rows, with advice from a professional horticulturist in this free video on gardening for wildlife.