Getting started

A family surrounded by vegetable plants. A woman with white skinm, long fair hair and a green shirt is holding a basket full of vegetables. Her daughter, a young girl with white skin and fair in yellow dungarees holds a bunch of tomatoes. Her son, with white skin and fair hair hidden benath a straw hat, watches on

Family picking vegetables © iStock.com/Halfpoint

Getting started

Start small and keep it simple

If you haven't tried growing your own fruit and vegetables before and you have no idea what flowers attract bees and butterflies to your garden, don't worry. We are here to help. Many of us are used to trimming hedges, weeding beds and cutting grass to keep gardens tidy. Small changes can create space for nature to grow a little bit wilder.

Find out how well you're already doing, with our Wildlife Gardening Survey here. It will give you top tips, tailored to your results, and help you take the next step!

For some quick, easy changes, why not leave a small patch of grass to grow long to see what wildflowers come up or put a flower pot on the patio for growing strawberries, so they are within easy reach for watering and picking when ripe. There is so much information about gardening available that it can be overwhelming, so we will try to keep it simple to get you started. Check out some of the stories shared by people around the UK here.

This year, our Wild About Gardens campaign in association with the RHS is focusing on some very surprising unsung heroes - slugs and snails! There are many different types and most of them aren't interested in your lettuces at all. In fact, they're vital for making good compost, for cleaning up decaying matter, and they make tasty snacks for birds and other wildlife too. Why not find out how to make friends with molluscs here?

And check out our blog, all about planning your garden or growing space, here.

Not got a garden?

Don't be put off if you haven't got a garden. Could you take advantage of a window ledge and plant up a window box instead? Or even better, if you've a balcony, start your container garden today! There's loads of people out there to take inspiration from, doing just that.

A group of people outside, standing up, by some shipping containers

Copyright Rachel Hardy/Yorkshire Wildlife Trust 2023

Why not set up a local community garden?

There are plenty of fantastic communities out there, connecting up to grow food and help nature at the same time. Why not have a look to see if there's one near you? Or you could even have a go at setting up one yourself! Incredible Edible and The Wildlife Trusts' Nextdoor Nature can provide support and advice to help you get started. And why not find your local Women's Institute and discover what support they can offer? Garden Organic have groups and events all over the UK - find out more here.

People in a community garden

Copyright Tay Aziz/Avon Wildlife Trust

Events

Find an event in your area! 

Click here
Two children and two staff in blue making prints of flowers

Copyright Rachel Hardy/Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Training and Resources

Training, courses, and online resources

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Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature is a partnership between The Wildlife Trusts, Incredible Edible, Garden Organic and The National Federation of Women's Institutes. Please visit their websites to find out more about what they offer in your area.