English Gardens is dedicated to garden lovers, the conservation of our environment and the wildlife of England and the British Isles.

The 15 million British gardens offer huge opportunities for wildlife. British gardens cover an area equivalent to all of the national nature reserves.

Planting climber varieties such as ivy, honeysuckle and clematis add extra space to gardens by creating vertical areas for butterflies, bees and other insects; and planting hedges or replacing fencing with a hedge so that shrubbery can provide shelter and nesting areas for birds.

An uncut area of lawn is also a great idea, and long grass is particularly beneficial for moths, beetles and grasshoppers.

The Wildlife Trust advises us that creating a home for wildlife in your own garden, however small, is good for nature and immensely rewarding. Countryside campaigners and the Campaign to Protect Rural England fear that green fields will be concreted over for new housing estates and are calling for environment and rural issues to be at the heart of planning in the South East.

The Royal Horticultural Society and the Wildlife Trusts want people throughout the country to record sightings of wildlife in their gardens during the spring and summer so that a national snapshot can be compiled. People are being urged to pick up a postcard at an RHS garden or local wildlife trust or download it from www.wildaboutgardens.org