Households in new builds urged to avoid specific type of lawn
Hundreds of thousands of people move into new-build homes then wonder why there doesn't seem to be any birds, insects or other wildlife coming into their garden.
And the answer, says one gardening expert, may lie on what you've put on your lawn. Charlotte Hugh, who runs the TikTok account Charlotte's Garden with nearly 47,000 followers, bought an end-of-terrace new-build home with husband Ben back in 2020, and since then has transformed their "mud pit" into a thriving cottage garden.
"The garden has become our sanctuary, a colourful, characterful cottage garden in the heart of a busy housing estate," she says. "As more and more homes are being built, these blank canvas gardens are getting more common. So, I'm on a mission to inspire others to transform their spaces and create havens for wildlife."
Chief among her tips is to rip out the plastic lawn put in by the developers and replace it with pollinator-friendly grass or flowering shrubs.
"I think, as new build owners, we have a responsibility to make our gardens as wildlife friendly as possible," says Charlotte, 35.
"Too many new builds have plastic grass (and even plastic plants) lack of trees and no places for wildlife to thrive. But it really doesn't take a lot to make your garden a haven for creatures."
Second on her list of dos and don'ts is to put out bird feeders and bird baths to give feathered friends an incentive to visit your garden, "especially in the winter when the birds are extra-hungry".
"You can even put out water for insects to drink from too (a little shallow dish full of pebbles and water works well)," Charlotte recommends.
Next up, create a wildlife pond to help smaller bugs and frogs thrive. Keep the sides shallow so if any creatures fall in, they can get themselves out safely.
"This could be a pond dug into your garden or just a barrel or old sink filled up," says Charlotte. "Any water in your garden is wonderful for wildlife. Just pop a few pond plants in and a solar-powered fountain too."
Consider how to make your garden attractive to pollinators like bees, butterflies, beetles and moths so they will keep coming back. "This could be alliums, verbena, lavender, cosmos, hollyhocks - there's loads," Charlotte advises.
You can also sow wildflower seeds in one area of your garden and see what comes up - just check you're scattering native plants and not invasive ones. "Leave areas of grass longer for insects to thrive in," says Charlotte, "and leave piles of logs, leaves, branches around for animals to take shelter under."
Bee and bug hotels are another way to increase the biodiversity of your garden, as are planting trees to provide shelter and food to passing birds.
And, says Charlotte, think about bigger creatures too. "If you haven't got concrete fence bases (like I do) then make sure you cut holes for hedgehogs to pass through - search for 'hedgehog highway'," she adds.
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