The Ultimate Summer Guide to Helping Nature in the UK

Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy nature, but it can also be a tough season for wildlife. With rising temperatures, habitat loss, and a shortage of food and water, many creatures need a little help to thrive. Luckily, there are lots of simple things you can do in your garden, on your balcony, or in your local green space to make a big difference.

This guide brings together the best advice from the Woodland Trust, conservationists, and Rockford’s Rock Opera’s own mission to protect nature and endangered species. Read on for the ultimate tips — and make this summer one that helps wildlife flourish.

Create Wildlife-Friendly Habitats

Leave Areas of Grass Unmown

Letting your grass grow long (even just in a small patch) gives insects shelter, allows wildflowers to bloom, and supports the food chain. Mowing less often also helps the soil hold moisture — great during hot spells.

Build a Compost Heap

Create a compost heap using vegetable scraps, leaves, grass cuttings, and garden waste. It not only reduces landfill but creates a warm, safe place for slow worms, beetles, and even hedgehogs to hide and feed.

Add a Pond – Even a Small One!

A garden pond, no matter how tiny, is one of the best things you can do for nature. Even a container pond will attract frogs, dragonflies, birds, and more.

How to Do It:

• Choose the Right Size and Depth: Ideally, a pond should be 20–60cm (8in–2ft) deep in parts, with gently sloping sides. This suits a wide range of plants and creatures. If space is tight, even a washing-up bowl or watertight pot will do!
• Select a Good Location: Choose a spot with some sunlight and some shade. Sun helps warm the water in spring, attracting frogs and toads. Shade prevents overheating and algae bloom.
• Add Layers: Create variety in depth with plant shelves or stacked bricks inside.
• Use Native Aquatic Plants: Try water mint, marsh marigold, and hornwort to oxygenate and shelter pond life.
• Add Pebbles or Gravel: These provide texture and microhabitats.
• Let Rain Fill It Naturally: If topping up, use rainwater rather than tap water.

Hedgehog and Wildlife Safety:

• Gently Sloping Edge or Ramp: Ensure there’s at least one gently sloped edge or add a plank, large stone, or piece of bark from the pond floor to the rim. This lets hedgehogs, frogs, and other wildlife climb out easily if they fall in.
• Avoid Sheer Sides: Don’t use smooth-sided containers without modifications. If you’re using a washing-up bowl or similar, build up soil, rocks, or logs around the outside and add interior escape routes.
• Keep Water Shallow at One End: This gives creatures like bees and birds a safe place to drink.

Make a Bug Hotel

Use old bricks, bamboo canes, sticks, straw, and wood to build a “bug hotel” in a sunny corner of your garden. Insects like ladybirds and solitary bees will use it as a safe place to shelter and breed.

Plant a Tree

Trees offer shade, food, and nesting spots for countless species. Planting native trees like hawthorn, rowan, or silver birch supports local biodiversity and helps fight climate change too.

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Plant for Pollinators and Birds

Grow Native Plants

 

Native wildflowers like oxeye daisy, bird’s-foot trefoil, and red clover are excellent for bees and butterflies. Choose plants that bloom at different times of the season to offer a continuous source of nectar.

Mix Trees, Shrubs, and Climbers

A layered garden creates variety. Try planting honeysuckle or ivy along a fence, shrubs like dog rose or blackthorn, and a small tree for a full ecosystem.

Allow Some “Weeds”

Plants like nettles and dandelions are essential food for butterfly caterpillars and other insects. Leave a wild patch and see what appears!

Did you know about the amazing uses of dandelions? Dandelions aren’t just beneficial for the environment; they also boast a surprising range of health benefits. The leaves are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium and iron. Dandelion root is also known for its potential liver-cleansing properties and may support healthy blood sugar regulation. Read our blog about the mighty dandelion.

Cleavers (Stickleweed) are wonderful too, they provide a natural remedy that offers a range of health benefits. From supporting the lymphatic system to improving skin health and digestion, this versatile herb is worth incorporating into your wellness routine. Whether you enjoy it as a tea, juice, salad addition, or tincture, cleavers can provide a natural boost to your health. Read about this natural remedy on our blog section.

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Plant Berry-Producing Bushes

Birds love berries. Plant species like elder, rowan, and hawthorn to provide natural food sources that support birds through late summer and autumn.

Avoid Harmful Chemicals – Use These Natural Alternatives

Slug and Snail Deterrents:

• Crushed eggshells around plants create sharp barriers.
• Copper tape gives them a mild static shock.
• Beer traps (sunken containers of beer) lure and trap slugs overnight.

Aphid Control:

• Soapy water spray (a few drops of washing-up liquid in water) can gently remove aphids.
• Attract ladybirds and hoverflies by planting dill, fennel, or marigolds.

Weed Management:

• Pour boiling water directly onto driveway and patio weeds.
• Use white vinegar as a natural spot-treatment — just avoid valuable plants!

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Provide Food, Water and Shelter

Add Bird Feeders and Nest Boxes

Hang feeders filled with sunflower seeds, suet balls, or mealworms to attract garden birds. Install bird boxes high on walls or trees to offer safe nesting places — make sure they’re sheltered from direct sun and wind.

Keep Water Topped Up

Place shallow bowls of water (with pebbles for bees to land on) around your garden. Keep them clean and topped up daily during dry spells.

Create Shade

Provide shaded areas using shrubs or old logs, and avoid removing all ground cover. This helps creatures stay cool and safe in hot weather.

Leave Gaps in Fences

A small hole (13cm x 13cm) at the bottom of your garden fence lets hedgehogs and frogs travel between gardens. Creating a “hedgehog highway” across neighbourhoods is vital to their survival.

Save Rainwater

Install a water butt to collect rainwater from your roof — it’s better for plants and pond-topping than treated tap water.

Be a Citizen Scientist

Logging your wildlife sightings helps scientists monitor species and protect habitats. Use apps like:

• iRecord
• iNaturalist
• The Big Butterfly Count (July-August)

Get kids involved and help inspire the next generation of conservationists — just like Rockford and Moog in Lost on Infinity!

Why It Matters

At Rockford’s Rock Opera, we believe in a world where imagination inspires conservation. Helping nature doesn’t require big budgets — just small actions, taken together. From birds and bees to beetles and bats, your patch of the planet can be a haven this summer.

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