Download our Gardening for Wildlife guide

Introduction

Our goal is to see a world where seeing a hedgehog is an everyday experience and we have created a guide which we hope inspires you join us on this vision.

This Gardening for Wildlife booklet has been produced in partnership with Surrey Wildlife Trust to help deepen people’s relationship with nature, building on our commitment to nature recovery.

Our Gardening for Wildlife Guide is tailor-made so everyone can join us in the sustainability journey, allowing you to develop your outside space exactly how you want. A new garden is a blank canvas, providing the perfect opportunity to create space for nature.

This guide breaks down all key concepts when designing your new garden by creating four corners, designed and ready to plant, each with a specific benefit to wildlife. We did this so the guide accommodates every garden, small or large, by dedicating even just one corner of your garden we can contribute to Wildlife Trust’s ambitions in providing security for nature in generations to come.

With four different corners to choose from, you’ll find a layout sketch detailing each feature and why it’s important. Every corner has a different theme to choose from and with a plant list attached, it allows an easy trip to the garden centre and allows sparks for creativity to mix and match as you please.

Here’s one example, Forager Corner

Ideal for our prickly little friends and chirping birds, creating this environment will be perfect for our wild foragers.

Many of our native creatures are struggling and have been in decline for some time. Analysis from ‘The state of Britain’s hedgehogs’ states that the population of hedgehogs has declined.

The Forager corner is designed to provide our hedgehogs, birds and insects with a haven and can provide year-round food for a variety of wildlife. This allows you to contribute to UK wildlife whilst adding to the aesthetic of your garden.

In partnership with Surrey Wildlife Trust

Josie Cadwallader-Hughes, Sustainability Director at Thakeham said:

“We are leading the industry in our commitment to nature recovery, with our 20% Biodiversity Net Gain commitment. But, we know nature is more complex than the calculation and hope that this guide educates and inspires a mosaic of habitats across the gardens of our new homes, connecting to local habitats.”

Thakeham have been Gold Corporate Partners of Surrey Wildlife Trust for two years, supporting our approach to nature recovery. In our 2020-2025 Sustainability Strategy Thakeham committed to 10% Biodiversity Net Gain, increasing to 20% from 2025 which is a leading commitment across the industry. Already looking beyond this commitment, Thakeham are developing a ‘Blueprint for Wilder Living’ to inspire the wider industry.

The full guide is available below