11 Jun Wildlife Gardening and Children: Growing Up Together With Nature
By Adria Merton – Wildlife Gardens Awards Gold Award Winning Entrant & Nature Advocate
When I first became a parent, I was often told that a safe garden for children had to be neat, tidy, and controlled. Anything wild was viewed as a hazard — uneven grass, dense hedges, and especially ponds were seen as things to avoid at all costs. But I quickly began to question that advice.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe the opposite: that a garden filled with nature is not just safe, but essential for a child’s development.
Creating a Wildlife Garden for our Family
Our garden, as it stands today, wouldn’t appear in a glossy home magazine. We have long grass. We have scrubby patches. We have a large pond (converted from a dell in 2014). And we have a riotous mix of native wildflowers, scented roses, hawthorn, heather, cow parsley, and even fungus-covered tree trunks.
And you know what? My children grew up immersed in it.
They learned to recognise pollinators, watched tadpoles turn into frogs, understood the value of worms and compost, and most importantly — developed a deep, natural respect for the world around them.
Gardens as a Foundation for Nature Education
I’m a passionate supporter of the Teach the Future campaign, which calls for climate and nature education to be integrated across all school subjects. But I believe that nature education must also start at home — not just as a lesson, but as part of everyday life.
We shouldn’t treat nature as something children “go out” to see in parks or reserves. We should build it into the spaces they already play, learn, and live in — gardens, balconies, window boxes, or school yards.
When nature is part of their childhood, it’s more likely to be part of their adult values too.
It’s not about Perfection
There’s a misconception that wildlife gardening means letting everything grow wild and out of control. But actually, you can create a balance that works for both children and wildlife. A garden can be adventurous without being dangerous. It can be full of life and learning opportunities while still providing space to play.
Yes, we have log piles, a scruffy compost heap, hedgehog-friendly hedges (some with spiky blackthorn), and areas of un-mown grass. But with awareness and supervision, it has always been a place of safety, discovery, and joy for my family.
Simple Ways to Start
If you’re thinking of creating a space that works for both children and wildlife, here are a few features that worked well for us:
- Bug hotels and log piles – simple, engaging and great for young hands to help build
- Wildflower corners – full of colour, pollinators and great for young hands to help build
- Native hedging – food and shelter for birds and insects
- Wildlife pond – made safe with sloped edges and always supervised
- Raised beds and planters – perfect for little gardeners to grow herbs and veg
- Compost corner – a brilliant way to talk about waste, cycles and soil health
A Garden that Grows with your children
Gardening alongside my children didn’t just change our outdoor space — it shaped how they see the world. The conversations we’ve had while planting, the creatures they’ve discovered under stones or in the pond, the empathy they’ve shown to wildlife — these are things I hope will stay with them for life.
Take Part in the Wildlife Gardens Awards
If you’ve made space for nature in your garden, however big or small, I encourage you to enter the Wildlife Gardens Awards. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate your efforts, share your story, and inspire others in our community to do the same.
Let’s raise a generation who grow up in nature, not separate from it — who know how to protect it because they’ve learned to love it from the very beginning.
— Adria