Biodiversity: What It Means And Why It Matters For Gardening

Picture a green garden, and what do you imagine? Possibly uniform, manicured lawns, few “weeds”, and ideally, zero “pests”.

But speaking to HuffPost UK, Helen Bostock, a senior wildlife specialist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), said gardens “do better when there are lots of different organisms to work in harmony.

“We’d love everyone to have a biodiverse garden because caring for our planet and global biodiversity starts at home.”

Here, she shared what a biodiverse garden means, why it matters, how it can help you, and how to achieve it.

It means having a variety of species in one place. That can include plants, animals, fungi, and insects.

So, Bostock said, “A biodiverse garden is one that is bursting with many different forms of life, from the smallest micro-organism to the largest tree. It is a holistic community covering fungi, lichens, plants, invertebrates, mammals and birds.

At first glance, she continued, a casual observer might not notice much diference between a truly biodiverse and less well-rounded garden, “but glimpses can be had perhaps when a compost heap is turned and is alive with centipedes, worms and springtails.

“Or when the dawn chorus starts up in spring with a cacophony of bird song. Or when a curious gardener steps out after dark to hold a torch up to a white sheet to discover there are wonderfully named moths such as angle shades, brimstone, buff-tip and elephant hawk-moth calling their garden home.”

“Environments are more resilient and function better when there is both species and genetic diversity, helping combat challenges such as climate change, carbon capture and pollution,” Bostock explained.

And even though gardens are pretty small-scale, they still play their part in the broader ecosystem.

“We’d love everyone to have a biodiverse garden because caring for our planet and global biodiversity starts at home,” the wildlife expert added.

A properly biodiverse garden is brilliant for the environment. But if you need any more convincing, it can make your job a lot easier, too.

For instance, “A vibrant garden ecosystem is one that requires [fewer] inputs from gardeners – when natural predators are keeping the aphids in check, [fewer] sprays are needed,” Bostock said.

“It is also more productive – when insect pollinators are in abundance, our fruit trees will set heavier, higher quality fruit.”

Then, there’s the joy of nature. One study found that the more types of birds live near us, the happier we tend to be.

“A biodiverse garden also becomes a space that nurtures our own sense of wellbeing, full of joyful moments. It can inspire a deeper connection with the natural world, whether you are aged 1 or 100 (just ask David Attenborough!),” Bostock ended.

1. Leave some areas of your garden wild,
2. Build a pond if you have room (you can start with a washing-up bowl),
3. Establish a compost heap,
4. Skip the pesticides and weedkillers,
5. Embrace wildflowers, including “weeds” like dandelions,
6. Plant for pollinators,
7. Go peat-free to help preserve peatlands.