However, a number of our best loved species are under threat - who would have believed that the hedgehog would end up on the endangered list?

• Attracting beneficial insects along with birds, frogs, toads and mammals like hedgehogs, can help control nasty garden pests. For example, ladybirds and lacewings eat thousands of aphids during their lifetime and hedgehogs and frogs  like nothing more than feasting on slugs and snails.

• Birds are great fun to watch in the garden and also eat many nasty bugs that are munching on prized plants - an average blue tit family will munch their way through 12000 caterpillars in just a few weeks. Lots of birds in the garden also means that you will be able to enjoy the wonderful natural orchestra created by their singing.

 

• Insects such as bees and butterflies are vital for plant pollination - without them our crops of both edible and ornamental plants would really suffer. Many butterflies only lay their eggs on certain plants so it's important to leave some "weeds" around the garden e.g., tortoiseshell butterflies need to lay their eggs on nettles. Recent studies have shown that there are more bumblebee nests in gardens than in the "countryside".

CLICK HERE to find lots more information on what you can do in your own garden and also view some great close-up clips of birds feeding on our bird cam feeders at Eggesford Gardens.