A new programme about gardening begins tonight at 7pm on BBC 2 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/great-british-garden-revival.html
Generally speaking getting back to the roots of gardening and being in touch more with what we are planting and why is the message here as well as tackling the issues to do with the concreting of our gardens and how important gardens are as a green space.
Encouraging that some of the description of the programme also mentions wildlife - "This rapid and sustained loss of our private green spaces is also having a dramatic effect on our wildlife - particularly on garden birds and butterflies. Starling numbers have fallen from an average of 15 per garden in 1979 to just three in 2012, Mistle thrush has declined by an alarming 28 per cent and House sparrow numbers have fallen by an even more alarming two-thirds in the same period. While there are many reasons for their dramatic decline, paving over their habitats is hardly helping."
Lets hope there is some great advice throughout the programme on how we can all garden better for wildlife! One to watch, would be happy to hear your thoughts!
I would agree wholeheartedly about the paving over of the gardens being one reason we see the drop in bird numbers, we are not so bad in the country I suppose but just looking at the gardens small or large covered in concrete or decking etc with no greenery showing at all makes you wonder where it will end.
Lot to learn
Watched this with great interest having read that Monty was going to instruct us in creating wildlife meadows & smaller projects - didn't disappoint & slowly starting to convert mine! Planted up three different varieties of Astrantias today (as per Higgy's advice) & looking for small quantities of wildflower seeds!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr