Gardens in Britain cover an area more than twice that of our national nature reserves. By making space for nature in your own garden, you can play your part in restoring biodiversity. Your garden can be a healthy mini ecosystem, harbouring wild bees, dragon- and damselflies, a variety of birds, frogs, toads and newts, and possibly even hedgehogs.
As a freelance wildlife garden consultant, I will draw up plans to make your garden a welcoming and beautiful space for nature. I work with a dedicated team of eco gardeners, and can provide a comprehensive maintenance plan or connect you with sustainable maintenance gardeners.
In 2020 I co-founded Wilder to help green central London. In four years we worked with clients including Tate Modern and Tate Britain, the Jerwood Space and Southwark Cathedral. As well as co-creating new green spaces and enhancing existing ones, I co-wrote biodiversity reports for the four Tate sites in the UK, and ran garden workshops for adults and children.
“This is not just about bumblebees, but about creating a future environment for our children to enjoy, where there are still flowers, bees, butterflies and birds, and healthy crops to eat.”
Specialities include:
Selecting beautiful wildlife-friendly plants grown in peat-free soil
Natural, chemical-free soil enhancement
Advice on composting including bokashi
Pond creation
Building hibernacula for amphibians
Creating hugelkutur mounds
Kitchen gardens and herbs
De-paving gardens
Using terracotta ollas instead of plastic watering systems
Scything rather than mowing
Permaculture beds
Forest gardening
Selecting garden-appropriate trees
Eco seed sourcing
Installing bird feeders and bug hotels
Avoiding plastic use, and thus preventing the build-up of micro plastic in the soil
Upcycling rather than buying new materials
Contact me for a quote on mail@helenasmith.co.uk or 07963 349542. I work in London and the southeast, and Scotland. References on request.
Testimonials for Wilder:
“The transformation has been beautifully managed to make the most of a small urban garden. Helena and Leanne have achieved miracles to encourage more biodiversity and create a welcoming and sustainable environment for all who work and visit here.”
“Both Helena and Leanne have been very helpful, engaging and knowledgeable: the perfect balance of creativity and hands-on approach, providing us with so many fantastic ideas.”
“They engaged so generously and cleverly with our brief. We hope it is a longstanding collaboration and conversation – which enhances the sustainability, wellbeing, and good energy of our small green urban spaces at the Young Vic.”
