World Book Day 2022
It’s World Book Day AND World Wildlife Day so I thought I’d combine the two and offer some recommendations for my fave wildlife gardening books.
1. “The Garden Jungle” by Dave Goulson
A book that every wildlife gardener should read! Invaluable tips about the best plants for pollinators. Shocking details of pesticide use in plants sold as “pollinator friendly”. It’s crammed full of useful information but is still very easy to read. I’m a slow reader and I finished it in just a few days.
2. “Wildlife Gardening” by Kate Bradbury
Another essential read with very practical tips across many areas of W.G. What to plant for different species, how to build various habitats and a lot of the info is tailored to the size of your garden.
3. “The Wildlife Pond Book” by Jules Howard
If you want to delve (or swim) deeper into the watery world of ponds, this book is for you. It covers how to build, plant up and maintain ponds of different sizes, as well as offering some info on the species that may take up residence. The pond plant tables featuring planting heights and locations are particularly useful.
4. “Making Wildflower Meadows” by Pam Lewis
I’m currently half way through this book and so far its been a pleasure to read. Drawing on her experiences of restoring the meadows surrounding her home, “Sticky Wicket” in Dorsett, Pam details the steps for creating a thriving meadow. There’s lots of information on plants and their relationships to each other and a whole section on the garden meadow. I’ve also found reading about meadows very relaxing – I’m transported to the middle of a sward of flowers, buzzing with life, the late-summer sun warming my bones. Idyllic!
5. “A Prickly Affair” by Hugh Warwick
I haven’t read this book yet but it comes highly recommended. Written by hedgehog obsessive Hugh Warwick, it’s a humorous look at the history and mystique of the humble hedgehog informed by the author’s interactions with this much loved mammal. This evening I’m actually attending an online webinar with Hugh organised by Sheffield Rotherham Wildlife Trust. The book was written over 10 years ago now, so it will be interesting to see how things have changed since then.
6. “No Nettles Required” by Ken Thompson
Another book that I’m yet to read (as I said, slow reader). This book takes something of a different view on wildlife gardening. Ken was a lecturer at Sheffield Uni, my home town. His view is that a wildlife garden doesn’t HAVE to be “messy” or contain nettles. In the book he challenges many misconceptions on wildlife gardening backed by scientific study and years of experience. Also check out this interview with him on the Garden Masterclass YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/bZpliXMvlNA
7. A special mention for The Wildlife Trusts resources.
Last night I was on the panel of a “Wildlife Gardener’s Question Time” organised by Sheffield Rotherham Wildlife Trust. It was a great event and at the end I picked up a selection of pamphlets which offer specific advice on how to help an array of different animals. They include which plants to plant, how to build habitats and are very good resources for people wanting to start their wildlife gardening journey. Try and get your hands on some at one of their events or check out the SRWT website for loads of tips!