The Club were very happy to welcome Malcolm Berry back again, to speak to us particularly about how to make our gardens, whatever the size, more biodiverse and ensure that we give all flora and fauna the best possible chance of success, without unnecessary intervention from us.
Malcolm began by explaining how serious the loss of diversity is becoming and ultimately how much more valuable private gardens are now. A few months ago, a National Security Assessment by the British government stressed that biodiversity loss is now a national security issue. If pollinators do not survive in numbers, then food production will become much more difficult on a global scale.
In 2023 the most recent State of Nature report for Wales outlined the current situation via information gathered from a wide range of organisations. It stated that wildlife in Wales has decreased by 20% since 1994 and that one in six species are threatened with extinction. Moths on average are shown to have decreased by around 43% from the same year and the rate of losses for all species is accelerating at an alarming rate. The Botanic Gardens Wales is involved in collecting seeds from rare Welsh plants and sending them to the Millenium Seed Bank to be preserved and hopefully this will result in a sustainable planting scheme.
A recent report noted that the numbers of five butterfly species are massively increasing which is great, but unfortunately the overall picture is on a downward trajectory.
There are four basic needs to ensure biodiversity in our gardens:
- Food sources for adults and young.
- Water
- Shelter and hibernation sites, as simple as putting straw/dried grass in a plant pot under a hedge.
- Breeding sites and nest materials.
The types of habitat required are:
- Woodland
- Woodland edges and hedges
- Scrubland
- Wildflower meadows with annuals, biennials, perennial herbaceous plants and grasses. Cut a path through meadow planting so that you can walk through it.
- Pond with a range of levels with a bog area and a rotten wood pile.
We need to think of our gardens as part of a larger habitat matrix – if, for instance, you have woodland nearby then it’s not necessary to plant lots of trees because what nature needs is diversity and dynamic stability. This encourages a sustainable, naturalistic planting approach to a garden, allowing self seeding and an ability for it to evolve and shift without too much interference from us. We need to think about what might be lacking in the immediate area – diversity of planting will reduce competition between species.
We shouldn’t underestimate the power of observation, just sitting and looking will educate us. There is a natural solution to every garden pest because every insect will have a predator and if we do a bit of research into which plants (dying or otherwise) fit which insects, we can cater for them all and at the very least keep the situation in check. For instance, ladybirds, hoverflies, earwigs and parasitic wasps will all eat aphids, so if we encourage them in they will control the aphid population because everything is food for something else. Sacrificial planting will also provide food for insects and thus distract them from eating plants which we want to protect.
The RHS, together with the Wildlife Gardening Forum, did a “Plants & Bugs” study which gathered information from two sites over a number of years focusing on insects found on near native plants (Northern hemisphere) and exotic plants (Southern hemisphere) planted in replicated plots in different locations. The main conclusion was that (for pollinators) you should plant a mixture of mainly native plants with some exotics mixed in. For instance, winter-flowering Heather will sustain early emerging invertebrates, Pulmonaria will feed the Hairy Footed Flower Bee, Hellebores will feed Bumblebees. There are so many plants to help feed insects through the year, many of which we would describe as weeds (Bindweed, Knapweed etc) but they all have a value – let’s not be too tidy!
Parasitic wasps (originally brought over from South America) were discussed after a question from the audience. There are over 6500 species of these in the UK and there is literally one type to control every known garden pest, so they are our very necessary biological friends in the garden.
Tracey, the Club Chair, thanked Malcolm for his very interesting and thought-provoking talk, with illustrations mostly from his own garden.
Bits and Pieces
Yellow-legged Hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) also known as the Asian hornet
It is not native to the UK and poses a risk to honey bees and all pollinating insects, and can be aggressive if disturbed. A nest of dead yellow legged hornets was discovered near Wrexham in January 2026 – this is the first instance of them in Wales. It is vital that any sign of them should be reported on the government website (gov.wales/yellow-legged-hornet) with, if possible, a photo plus the location. All information can be found on the website.
Carmarthenshire Meadows Group
This group hold regular meetings for anyone with an interest in land management of differing types and sizes, and you can also see events planned on the website.
Trip to Upton Castle Gardens in Pembrokeshire
This will be on 19th May, meeting in the Rookery car park in Lampeter at 9.15 am, with a return time of approximately 4.15 pm. Rob, the Club’s Treasure will send details of payment online, payment can be made on the day. The cost of the coach travel will be subsidised for club members at £10, or £20.00 for guests. Entry to the gardens will be £9, with a further £2 per person for the guided tour if required.
Cothi Gardeners 