Hi all! It’s been nearly a year now since the last episode of The Wildlife Garden Podcast. We’ve had a lot to deal with in our personal lives so it has had to take a back seat. Ellie and I (Ben) are no longer working together, but Ellie is still going strong with her business, Ellies Wellies Organic Gardening. Although we’ve headed our separate way…

As we head into June we encourage you to leave the mower alone, with a little help from Plantlife. Then we have the second part of our interview with the fabulous Dr Abigail Lowe, talking about the preferred food for pollinators. And we polish things off with a stunning garden speedwell as our Native Plant of the Month, Veronica spicata ssp. spicat…

This month we are thrilled to interview Dr Abigail Lowe, Community Science Officer at the Natural History Museum and an expert on plants and their pollinators. We also have a brief clip from the British Trust for Ornithology and a wildlife gardening correspondent too! If that’s not enough, we then look at a spring delight, the charming Windflower o…

Join us in our Garden Jungle with a fabulous book by Professor Dave Goulson. If that's not enough, we have brand new research from Professor Goulson's team on garden birds and we look at a fabulous tree for wildlife, the native Holly. Keep the podcast running by making a donation! We're grateful for any donations to our PayPal Watch us on Youtube T…

Gardens should be full of flower all year round! In this episode we prove you can have every colour of the rainbow brightening your garden this winter. Then pucker up for our Native Plant of the Month: Mistletoe. Keep the podcast running by making a donation! We're grateful for any donations to our PayPal Watch us on Youtube The Wild GDN And follow…

It's sometimes said that wood is most alive when it is dead. In this episode we delve deep into the rotten world of deadwood and discover the fascinating range of creatures that rely on it. We then pick one tree in particular, the stunning Silver Birch for our 'Native Plant of the Month'. Keep the podcast running by making a donation. Every penny g…

A big question many wildlife gardeners may have asked themselves...should we Rewild our gardens? After a chat about our opinion, we get 'fernatical' about the Hart's Tongue, the first fern as part of our native plant of the month! Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs and means there are n…

In this episode we ask...what is fruit? And what fruits are good for wildlife? Then, as our native plant of the month, we take on the thorny yet fruity staple of the British garden and countryside, the humble Hawthorn. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs and means there are no adverts or…

Have you ever wondered what all the buzz is about in your garden? This episode we get to grips with some of the wild bees you are likely to find, with the help of 'The Secret Life of Garden Bees' by Jean Vernon. We then learn about a knockout Knautia for your garden, the charming Field Scabious. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation…

This week we dive deep into the musty world of your compost bin and look at the wildlife you could find there. We are also joined for the second time by worm expert Dr Emma Sherlock. Then, we cover our first native pond plant, the charming Flowering Rush or Butomus umbellatus. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes …

In a jam packed episode we ask: Is spring coming earlier? We then take a closer look at earthworms with Senior Curator of Annelids at the Natural History Museum, Dr Emma Sherlock. Finishing the episode, a favourite grass, Molinia caerulea or Purple Moor Grass, is our native plant of the week. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! E…

We've made it! One year of the podcast and 24 episodes later, we have a chat about our own way into gardening and test ourselves on what we've learned so far. Then we look at our most ancient native tree, the Yew. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, and means there are no adverts or spo…

A new year is upon us and we start in style by taking a break from our own rules and discuss wildlife we've seen outside gardens over the Christmas holidays. Then we return to the fantastic Dr Ian Bedford who tells us exactly why there is no need for pesticides in any garden! We finish by discussing the delightful Dog Rose, whose ruby red berries s…

As winter comes on more birds start to visit our garden and we discuss some of the plants looking good right now. Then, our guest Dr Ian Bedford tells us about how he gardens for wildlife and insects. We also discuss a botanical mystery about the fabulous native shrub Daphne mezereum, which is followed by our native plant of the week, the incredibl…

Book club is upon us so we delve deep into the world of pollination with a fantastic book by ecologist Professor Jeff Ollerton. After that, Ellie takes a sip of our homemade Sloe Gin while Ben waxes lyrical about the fantastic (if thorny) shrub Prunus spinosa, otherwise known as the Blackthorn. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation!…

As Hedgehogs roam the British countryside looking for a place to nestle down and hibernate for the winter, we discuss how you can help them in your own gardens. Then we take a look at a favourite wildflower of ours that looks fantastic in any garden: the Teasel. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our run…

Sad news at The Wildlife Garden Podcast HQ as the largest tree on our terrace was felled by a neighbour. We lament its loss then tell you what you can do to protect trees in your area and how to choose one for your own garden. We also host Helen Bostock for the second part of her interview about wildlife gardening with the RHS, then profile the fab…

We host the head wildlife gardener at the RHS, Helen Bostock, as our guest this week. We chat all about the work behind the scenes on the Plants for Bugs and Plants for Pollinators projects as well as her ongoing work encouraging us all to garden with wildlife in mind. As our native plant of the week, we take a look at chef's favourite Oregano. Hel…

Moths are stunning and fascinating creatures that share our gardens. This episode we talk about what they are, why they are important and how we can help them! We also share our enthusiasm for the year-round beauty that is Viburnum opulus, or the Guelder Rose. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our runni…

For our latest book club we read the charming guide to 'Making a Wildflower Meadow' by Pam Lewis. We also chat about the beguiling Bramble which is a boon for your autumn crumbles and wildlife too! Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, and means there are no adverts or sponsors messages t…

If you've enjoyed a break from the lawn during 'No Mow May' but ended up with 'just grass', then we hope in this episode to convince you of the beauty and importance of grasses in their own right for both humans and wildlife. We also take a look at a stunning plant often found amongst the tall grass, the ruby jewel that is Sanguisorba officinalis. …

We are very excited this episode to introduce our listeners to PhD student Nick Tew who discusses some of the most up-to-date science around what plants are best for pollinators. In the same vein, we look at a wonderful shrub for both pollinators and caterpillars, the stunning Shrubby Cinqfoil or Potentilla fruticosa. Help us keep the podcast runni…

This time we tackle the complex topic of whether we should be planting more native plants for wildlife, and what 'native' actually means. We also get to discuss the charming Viper's-Bugloss, which is lending a blue hue to the countryside this month. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, a…

This episode we chat about 'Do Bees Need Weeds', a fantastic book for the beginner wildlife gardener with 100 tips and tricks for your garden at home. We also host Red Campion as our 'Native Plant of the Week', a gorgeous blushing pink wildflower that brightens hedgerows and meadows from Land's End to John o' Groats. Help us keep the podcast runnin…

This episode we cover the news and take a detailed look at a range of garden products called biological controls. Rather than spending money, we recommend improving your range of garden habitats as the best way to deal with garden pests! We also talk about the beautiful, billowing wildflower Cow Parsley, known in botanical Latin as Anthriscus sylve…

This episode we host our first ever guest. Author and RHS Digital Features Editor Gareth Richards gives us a tour around his allotment and talks us through what allotmenteers can do for wildlife. We also talk about Nettles, which whether friend or foe to the gardener are great resource for the birds and the bees! Help us keep the podcast running by…

This episode is all about sweet scents and fragrant clouds enveloping your evening garden, plus of course why night flowering plants are good for wildlife. We also talk about a lovely native night-flowerer, the Nottingham Catchfly or Silene nutans. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, an…

As our ponds fill with croaks and tadpoles, we talk about our latest book club offering, 'The Wildlife Pond Book' by Jules Howard. To go alongside, we cover a wonderful wetland plant that is also great for gardens, the beautiful Purple Loosestrife. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, an…

This episode we discuss the importance of hedges for wildlife and the beautiful native daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus. Find all the information we talked about in this episode on our website Ellies Wellies - Hedges and Daffodils Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, and means there a…

This week we talk about our top three things to keep in mind when dealing with garden pests in a way that doesn't damage wildlife, and discuss one of our favourite gardening books by Kate Bradbury. We also take a look at the glorious, glistening Celandine that could be flowering in your garden right now! Help us keep the podcast running by making a…

It's about time we gave a general background to Wildlife Gardening! Plus, we have a look at one of our favourite native shrubs Cornus sanguinea, also known as the Dogwood. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, and means there are no adverts or sponsors messages to listen to. We're gratefu…

To celebrate National Nestbox Week, we are talking about a fantastic book by the British Trust for Ornithology and discussing the wildlife wonder-plant that is our native Ivy. We cover some of the latest news and upcoming events too. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, and means there a…

Welcome back! In this episode we cover some latest news about peat and bumblebees, and talk about everything you need to know about feeding your garden birds. We also have a in-depth look at the lovely hazel tree. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, and means there are no adverts or spo…

Our first podcast! We cover how the podcast will work, what we are up to and who we are. We also talk about some up-to-date news and our native plant of the week, the wonderful Primrose. Help us keep the podcast running by making a donation! Every penny goes towards our running costs, and means there are no adverts or sponsors messages to listen to…