How to Design a Wildlife-Friendly Garden This Summer

Summer is the season when gardens truly come to life — not just with beautiful flowers and layers of texture and colour, but with birds, bees, butterflies, moths and a host of other life. It’s the time of year when young of all species are increasing their fat reserves for the winter, and insects are full flow in their seasonal lifecycle. Designing your garden to welcome and support local wildlife doesn’t mean compromising on beauty or structure — in fact, it often enhances both.

Here’s how you can create a wildlife-friendly garden this summer, with practical design tips that work beautifully in our changeable and often challenging climate.

🐝 1. Prioritise Plants for Pollinators

Pollinators like honey and bumblebees, butterflies, and hoverflies are essential for a healthy ecosystem — and they love nectar-rich flowers.

Design tips:

• Choose native plants such as foxgloves, honeysuckle, poppies, field scabious, and dog rose

• Aim for succession planting to ensure flowers bloom from early summer to late autumn.

• Group the same species together for better insect visibility and visual impact in the garden.

• Avoid flouncy double blooms — they may look stunning, but they often lack accessible nectar or pollen.

🐦 2. Create Layers of Habitat

Wildlife thrives when there’s structure in the garden — think layers: groundcover, shrubs, climbers, and trees.

Design tips:

• Incorporate hedgerows along your boundaries or dense shrubs like hawthorn or hazel to offer nesting spots.

• Add climbers like honeysuckle on fences or pergolas — great for insects and birds.

• Leave a wild corner with logs, brambles, or unmown grass to shelter hedgehogs, frogs, and beetles.

💧 3. Add a Water Feature

A pond — even a small one — is the best way to attract a diverse range of wildlife, from frogs and newts to dragonflies and birds.

Design tips:

• Go chemical-free and avoid fountains with a strong flow.

• Include sloping sides or stones for animals to climb in and out and drink safely.

• Even a tin tub or sunken container with aquatic plants can make a difference.

🍃 4. Choose Organic & Sustainable Methods

Garden chemicals, peat-based compost, and over-tidying all are damaging to and reduce biodiversity. Think naturally!

Design tips:

• Use peat-free compost and organic mulches – try making your own compost in a corner of the garden.

• Let grass clippings or leaves decay in quiet corners — they’re valuable habitats and sustain the soil beneath.

Try companion planting to deter pests naturally rather than using sprays. Nasturtiums and marigolds in amongst the vegetables are a real winner.

🏡 5. Make It People-Friendly Too

Wildlife gardens can still be beautiful, functional spaces. With thoughtful design consideration, you can blend habitat features with comfort and visual appeal.

Design tips:

• Frame wild planting with neat paths or lawn edges for structure.

• Use reclaimed wood or rustic stone to create wildlife-friendly seating areas.

• Integrate wildlife features into the design — like a stylish bug hotel or bird bath as a focal point.

A wildlife-friendly garden is not about letting everything grow wild (though a little mess is welcome!). It’s about thoughtful, layered design that supports nature while creating a restful space for you to enjoy.

This summer, why not reimagine your garden as a shared space — one that nurtures both your wellbeing and the local wildlife?

Need help designing a garden that balances beauty with biodiversity?

Get in touch — I'd love to help you bring your space to life for the season and beyond.