Gardens cover only about 2-3 per cent above the UK’s land surface (about the same size as Norfolk) and they are very far from being protected nature reserves or cossetted Sites of Special Scientific Interest. They are hard-working, multi-tasking little patches with prowling cats and marauding toddlers.
But given that nature is still on the run in the wider countryside, mainly because of industrialised farming, gardens are gradually assuming a bigger role in the overall conservation picture. They are becoming increasingly important habitat for declining species like the starling, song thrush, sparrow, hedgehog, stag beetle and common toad.
Gardens, along with other urban greenery, help to combat air and noise pollution in our towns and cities. They lower the temperature during heat waves and reduce the risk of flooding caused by rain storms. They may help buffer us against climate change, and they may help some wildlife species to cope better with climate change.