Wildlife Gardening - July tips

If you have an allotment, try to leave some areas undisturbed, grow fruit trees and try to provide shelter for mini-beasts and perhaps even put a bird box on a tree.

Prolong the flowering season into late summer and autumn using ice plant, ivy (mature form) Michaelmas daisy, lavender, mint and red valerian.

Give young frogs, newts or toads a chance as they emerge from the pond. They need dense vegetation nearby to shelter from the hot sun and predators.

Herbs such as lavender, sage and marjoram thrive at this time of year and provide nectar for butterflies and other insects.