Adrian Thomas has had a lifelong fascination with nature and its conservation. He has worked for over eight years for the RSPB, where his job in the South-east region is to communicate the charity's vision through the media and interpret wildlife for visitors to RSPB reserves. His passion for gardening was kindled a decade ago when he got a plot he could call his own for the first time. He has been using this garden as a test bed for his ideas ever since. Adrian has won the Garden Media Guild New Talent Award for this book.

There is something uplifting about having butterflies in your flowerbeds, frogs in your water feature and birds in your bushes, and knowing they're there because of you.
Rich in detail and accessible in style, Gardening for Wildlife is the crucial companion to novices and expert gardeners alike. Adrian Thomas dispels myths and offers new insights and ideas, helping everyone understand what to do so gardens, large or small, can become ideal homes for wildlife. Building on the success of the award-winning first edition, this expanded and updated edition reflects the latest research and developments in nature-friendly gardening.
The book serves as an expert guide to the practical aspects of this rewarding pastime and educates readers about the ecological principles involved, while exploding commonly held misconceptions that often deter people from pursuing a kinder approach to gardening.
Adrian Thomas provides a detailed guide to the many and varied species that can contribute to a natural and healthy garden. Practical sections help you create entire habitats, such as woodland and meadow gardens, in your garden. And the massively expanded catalogue of the top 500 best garden flowers, shrubs and trees for wildlife, now includes colour photos of every species.
If you love wildlife and want to encourage more to visit your garden, this inspirational book will help you sow the seeds and reap the rewards.

Foreword
Gardening for Wildlife
Why Everyone Should Garden for Wildlife
Myth-busting
So What Is Gardening for Wildlife, Then?
How Wildlife Sees Gardens
Gardening for Wildlife at a Glance
The Right Home for the Right Species
Gardening for Birds
Gardening for Butterflies
Gardening for Mammals
Gardening for Reptiles and Amphibians
Gardening for Bees
Gardening for Dragonflies and Damselflies
Gardening for Moths
Gardening for Creepy-crawlies
Gardening for Primitive Plants and Fungi
Creating Different Habitats
Making a Woodland Home
Making a Scrubland Home
Making a Wildflower-meadow Home
Making a Heathland Home
Making a Cornfield Home
Making a Wetland Home
Making a Hot-rot Home
Gardening for Wildlife in a Big Garden
Gardening for Wildlife in a Small Garden
Balcony Gardening for Wildlife
Low-maintenance Gardening for Wildlife
Gardening for Wildlife in the Function Zone
Gardening for Wildlife in the Leisure Zone
Gardening for Wildlife in the Production Zone
Gardening for Wildlife in the Aesthetic Zone
Gardening for the Planet
The Top 400 Garden Plants for Wildlife
Gardening for Wildlife Calendar
Measuring Success
Acknowledgements
Recommended reading
Index
Photo credits
The RSPB