The UK’s social housing providers are being urged to utilise green spaces and empower tenants with organic gardening advice and support to help halt the dangerous drop in levels of birds, insects and other wildlife.

A new research paper from Garden Organic/Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA) shows small actions taken in urban gardens and green spaces can play a major role in restoring lost wildlife.

The paper, Every Garden Matters, has collated the latest data on biodiversity loss and reviewed the findings of extensive studies. It shows small steps by estates teams and gardeners, such as planting a wider diversity of plants, improving soil health and creating habitats, can have a major impact on wildlife numbers.

Since the 1970s the UK has witnessed a 13% decline in overall wildlife numbers, and within individual species 41 % have shown a decline in number.

While the figures are alarming, Garden Organic says small steps taken by estate teams – together with creating gardening clubs for tenants – can help stop and reverse this trend.

Author of the report, Dr Bruce Pearce, director of science at the research organisation and charity, has produced a simple guide below on how social housing providers and their tenants can support wildlife and have a positive impact on the environment.

Step 1: Avoid using harmful chemicals to deal with weeds and pests in green spaces and gardens

To save wildlife and preserve biodiversity, estates maintenance need to ditch toxic pesticides and weedkillers. Many of these harmful chemicals can have a devastating effect on bees and other pollinators and toxic weedkillers leave a residue in soil and harm the insect life that should be thriving there.

Instead, Garden Organic suggest estates maintenance and gardeners can manage ‘pests’ in a more environmentally-friendly way by regular checking, removing infected foliage, picking off pests or using a jet of water to dislodge them.

Other handy techniques include transplanting seedlings in early summer, when they are strong enough to resist attack from aphids, which are at their peak in high summer, and create physical barriers using fine eco-netting. Choosing the right plant for the right place is important so the plant is suited to local growing conditions and isn’t put under stress. Mulches and green manures can improve plant health, which stops pests taking hold so readily, and leaving some patches wild can attract an array of beneficial insects such as hoverflies and ladybirds who will eat the aphids.

Estate managers could also be more tolerant of weeds such as dandelions which are of great benefit to pollinators. Nip off flowers before they set seed so bees can enjoy the flowers but they don’t produce new plants. Mulches of well-rotted compost, or low-growing green manures, also help to smother weeds and improve soil nutrients.

Step 2: Encourage biodiversity

Plant as wide a range of flowers, shrubs, trees and vegetables as possible. Remember many plants will tolerate being grown in containers. Choose a range of varieties that flower across the year to provide prolonged food for beneficial pollinators. Wherever possible use native or near-native species such as holly, wildflowers and ferns or grasses, as these can be more beneficial for native insects and birds.

It’s also important to include a diverse range of structures and habitats in gardens and green spaces, such as small ponds, wood piles, banks and hedges as these will all provide homes, shelter and food for the all-important wildlife. These structures don’t have to be large, a small bug hotel can be made in a hanging basket or in a tin, and stuffed with pinecones, straw, cardboard and twigs. A pond can still be valuable even if it’s the size of a small bowl.

Step 3: Build and maintain good soil health

Encouraging residents to create homemade compost to use in their gardens or donate to estate maintenance, growing green manures over winter and avoiding excess digging can help to recycle nutrients within the green areas and create a healthy living soil that is teeming with life – worms, fungi, bacteria and microscopic creatures.

Step 4: Use resources responsibly 

Wherever possible, estates teams and tenants could be encouraged to use natural resources such as wood and plant-based material rather than plastic, and source them locally to reduce miles travelled.

Water is a precious resource, especially with our changing climate. Encourage tenants to capture rainwater and collect run off from roofs, by utilising water butts and green roofs above bin sheds or bicycle stores.

Step 5: Sign up to Garden Organic’s Growing Buddies scheme

Garden Organic runs a ‘Growing Buddies’ scheme that partners with housing associations and councils to engage residents in developing growing clubs so they can create sustainable gardens and cultivate food from a range of cultures.

As their ‘Growing Buddy’, Garden offers tenants and landlords face-to-face and online organic gardening workshops and certified training, packs of seeds, booklets and growing instructions as well as ongoing advice into composting and waste reduction.

Visit gardenorganic.org.uk/growing-buddies or call 024 7630 3517 to find out more about how the charity can help your housing association become a greener more environmentally friendly organisation.

Bruce Pearce said: “Worldwide there’s been a 69% average decline in wildlife populations since the 1970s, and within the UK a 41% decrease in species abundance resulting in 15% of our species being threatened.

“It’s against this bleak background that we wanted to learn more about the role gardens and green spaces can play in mitigating this disaster. The good news is there’s lots we can do. Our research paper shows how small steps by individuals and communities including housing associations and councils can mitigate some of the worst problems.”

Fiona Taylor, Garden Organic chief executive, said: “It can be easy to overlook the vast potential of green spaces, gardens, allotments and community growing spaces, but every garden and green space matters.

“As managers of extensive green spaces, housing associations and councils can be part of the solution. The research paper evidences the collective power of organic growing methods – putting green spaces and gardeners at the heart of positive environmental action to the benefit of society at large.”

Click here to read the full report