Biodiverse spaces are important not only for healthy ecosystems but they also bring tangible benefits for our mental wellness as well. Unfortunately new data shows that some of our most loved garden visitors – the Lepidoptera, or butterflies and moths – are in alarming decline. We’ll be finding out from Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, how gardeners can give them the boost they need. Ed Cooper from the trials team down at RHS Garden Wisley shows us another way of welcoming in not only butterflies and moths, but a whole host of other wildlife as well, with advice on sowing annual and perennial wildflower meadows. And finally, we find out how to maximise our outdoor spaces for our four legged friends, with Lead Horticulturist Dawn Grehan, at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Host: Gareth Richards

Contributors: Dr Richard Fox, Ed Cooper, Dawn Grehan

Links:

Butterfly Conservation

Butterfly recording and monitoring

RHS Plants for Pollinators

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

How to create a pet-friendly garden

Potentially harmful garden plants

The UK’s economy, London Tech Week and the so-called ‘Wirecard scandal’