Why Rewilding is Rewarding

‘Rewilding’ … It’s a word that is thrown around so often in the world of horticulture. It can conjure up a vision of just shutting the back door on your garden and leaving it to Mother Nature to sort out. However, this is a common misconception that sadly puts a lot of people off the idea before they’ve even explored what benefits it could bring.

What is rewilding?

It’s true that rewilding is related to letting nature take care of itself. It’s about the conservation of the ecosystem and aims to reintroduce native plants and restore natural habitats. It will also involve removing non-native, invasive species, in order to allow native flora and animals to flourish.

By rewilding landscapes and allowing them to thrive, we can promote biodiversity, ease climate change, and create healthier, more resilient ecosystems for future generations. The benefits of rewilding can be seen whether rewildling takes place on a large or small scale.

How to rewild your garden

Here's a bit of myth-busting for you - rewilding can be about rebalancing the mini-ecosystem that exists within your garden just as much as it can be done in larger environments. It can, and should, be done on a small scale, and you can rewild even a small part of your garden if you would prefer not to leave the entire space to nature.  

Our advice for your own natural haven is to choose an area to hand back to nature, which could be as small as 1m square. Any amount of space you can dedicate to rewildling can help to promote balance in the environment.

Some simple steps to start welcoming a balanced ecosystem into your garden are:

• Let the grass grow - leave some areas where you don’t mow and watch how pretty the ‘weeds’ are and how many insects and birds they attract. If that’s too radical, you can start with No Mow May, which is a campaign from Plantlife that sees people forgoing mowing for the entire month of May.
• Let it rot - Decay is part of the natural cycle of returning nutrients to the ground, so try not to tidy up too much. Dead branches, piles of leaves, logs and rocks all provide a habitat for insects and hedgehogs or food for beetle larvae. Even if you only leave natural litter in some parts of your garden – it all helps.
• Say no to chemicals - There has been a huge decline in insects in our countryside largely due to increased use of pesticides and herbicides – not only on farmland but also in gardens. Instead of using chemicals, change instead to an organic seaweed feed. Or have a go at making your own compost heap or leaf mould, which also provides a home for all manner of creatures.
• Consider your plant choices - To encourage wildlife, choose – and allow – plants that provide year-round nectar, pollen, seeds and berries. Clover, lavender and snowdrops are all pollinator-friendly plants for spring and summer, while holly gives evergreen shelter to insects in winter. In autumn, sparrows and finches feed on seedheads, so do leave a selection on the stems – just as you’d see in the wild
• Stop weeding (as much!) - As much as it’s been drummed into us that ​‘weeds’ are bad, they do in fact provide an invaluable source of nectar, seeds, shelter and nest sites for insects, birds and mammals. Try and leave a wild patch, even in a small area of your garden. Brambles, honeysuckle and wild rose form dense thickets that offer a home for creatures, while nettles and ivy give butterflies a place to lay their eggs.
• Provide some water - creating a small water feature or pond in your garden is a great way of encouraging more native plants and animals to flourish in your outside space. As well as another habitat for amphibians, it will also provide a vital water source for birds and small mammals.

What are the benefits of rewilding?

There is a plethora of benefits to embracing rewilding in your garden. These include:

• More wildlife to watch in your garden.
• Natural pest control for your plants.
• Improved soil condition.
• Contributing to stabilising the insect population in the UK.
• Providing important food sources through the winter for native and visiting insect, bird and mammal populations.
• Providing homes to insects, birds, bats and fungi, such as through fallen branches, something that is often missing in our modern gardens.

Further inspiration for rewilding

There are lots of examples of hugely successful large-scale projects that can inspire you, such as the wonderful Knepp Estate. Based near West Grinstead, Horsham, this trailblazing 3,500-acre rewilding project aims to change the way we think about nature. They have been rewilding the land there for 20 years, helping to provide a sanctuary for endangered species such as nightingales, turtle doves, and purple emperor butterflies.

Rewilding Britain is an organisation dedicated to creating more natural habitats across the country, both on a large and small scale. Their website has lots of handy and practical information about rewilding, including how you can create your own rewilding area in your garden and how you can support rewilding across Britain.

At Grayshaw and Yeo, our team of professional and passionate gardeners are on-hand to help get the most of your outside space. We can help to rewild a small area of your garden or the entire space. We’ll discuss your preferences and requirements to create a garden that’s perfectly suited for you. Contact us on 07917208655 or 07799 292573 or info@gygardening.co.uk to speak to the team about how we can help you.