Many of our customers choose their plants with the aim of attracting, feeding or keeping wildlife safe in the garden.
But there are many aspects to nurturing wildlife apart from choosing the right plants. Most birds, beasts and bugs would actually prefer it if we didn't garden at all, but allowed nature to fill our plots with a riot of weeds and wilderness. If you've got the space, you can do no better than allow part of it to go to the dogs (or rather, the hedgehogs, blackbirds, lizards and bumblebees). In your wild garden, you will encourage clumps of stinging nettles as a priority - the larval food source of many butterflies and moths, including the small tortoiseshell, red admiral and peacock. You will leave untidy piles of twigs and logs and branches for the wrens to nest in and toads to lurk under. 
You won't rake up the leaf mould, which the beetles and centipedes will crawl though. If possible, there will be wet areas and boggy areas for dragonflies, damselflies and amphibians. Most of all, you won't worry or stress yourself out if (when) it all looks a mess. Even the slugs and snails will be a boon for attracting song thrushes.
If you don't have a lot of space, though, you may have to compromise and have wild elements and wildlife plants in an otherwise fairly conventional garden. Again, don't worry if plants come up in the wrong place, or run to seed. If your neighbours comment that you're a bit behind with your autumn tidying, remind them how many birds will enjoy those apparently dead seed-heads in winter.
There are many of us who have developed a battery of sound ecological excuses for not being tidy gardeners!
So,
- seeding plants must be included if you want goldfinches and similar birds.
- Shrubs with berries for blackbirds and many other species.
- Large-leaved plants for amphibians.
- Plants with long flower tubes and high nectar levels for butterflies.
- Evening flowering plants for moths.
- Plants with flat flowers for hoverflies, drone flies and other interesting insects.
**NOTE! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ATTRACTING BIRDS TO YOUR GARDEN - AND CLAIM A FREE PACK OF 500g WILD BIRD SEED AND 500g NUTS - VISIT www.freebirdfeed.com THIS ORGANISATION IS WORKING WITH NATIONAL TRUST TO INCREASE BIODIVERSITY IN GARDEN HABITATS - AND MORE.**
Here are a few of our best wildlife plants - see the A-Z page for full details.
SEEDS FOR SEED-EATING BIRDS 
Atriplex patula - Red Orache
Chenopodium bonus-henricus - Good King Henry
Dipsacus fullonum and D. sativus - Teasel and Fullers Teasel
Echinops ritro - Blue Globe Thistle
Echinops sphaerocephalum - White Globe Thistle
Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel
Isatis tinctoria - Woad
Levisticum officinale - Lovage
Ligusticum scoticum - Scots Lovage
Myrrhus odoratus - Sweet Cicely
Oenothera glaziomana - Evening Primrose
Origanum vulgare - marjoram
Rumex scutatus - French Sorrel
Sanguisorba minor - Salad Burnet
Silybum marianum - Milk Thistle
Verbascum thapsus - Great Mullein
BERRIED SHRUBS FOR BIRDS AND MAMMALS
We don't actually do any at present. But would recommend:
Berberis vulgaris - Barberry
Mahonia aquifolium - Oregon Grape
Sambucus nigra - Elderberrry
Ilex aquifolium - Holly
Viburnum opulus - Guelder Rose, Crampbark
..among many others...
LARGE-LEAVED PLANTS AND SHELTERING GROUNDCOVER FOR WOODS AND WET PLACES
Alchemilla xanthoclora - Ladies Mantle
Ajuga reptans - Purple Bugle
Borago pygmaea - Creeping Borage
Caltha palustris - Marsh Marigold
Chrysosplenium oppositifolium - Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage
Digitalis ferruginea - Rusty Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea - Foxglove
Filipendula ulmaria - Meadowsweet
Mentha pulegium - Pennyroyal
Plantago major Atropurpurea - Purple Plantain
Podophyllum hexandrum - American Mandrake
Stachys officinalis - Betony
Stachys germanica - Downy Woundwort
Symphytum officinale - Comfrey
Verbascum nigrum - Dark Mullein
Vinca major - Periwinkle
BUTTERFLY FAVOURITES
Agastache anisata (rugosa) - Korean Mint
Ajuga reptans - Bugle
Centranthus ruber - Red Valerian
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Cone Flower
Eupatoriums - all family members: Jo-Pye, Hemp Agrimony etc 
Hyssopus officinalis - Hyssop
Lavandula - all varieties Lavender
Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife
Oreganum vulgare - All marjorams and oreganos
Rosmarinus - all varieties Rosemary
Salvia officinalis - All sages
Sedum roseum - Rose-root
Sedum telephium - Orpine
Thymus - especially T. serpyllum - Thyme
Valeriana officinalis - Valerian
Verbena officinalis - Vervain
Verbena bonariensis - Buenos Aires Verbena
OTHER INSECT FAVOURITES
Achillea millefolium - Yarrow (Lacewings, hoverflies)
Angelica archangelica - Angelica (Hoverflies)
Oenothera glaziomana - Evening Primrose (Moths, hoverflies)
Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel (Hoverflies)
Centranthus ruber - Red Valerian (Moths)
Saponaria officinalis - Soapwort (Moths)
Coriandrum sativum - Coriander (Hoverflies, drone-flies)
Eryngium planum / giganteum / alpinum - Sea Holly (Many)
Filipendula ulmaria - Meadowsweet (Many)
Tanacetum vulgare - Tansy (beneficial insects)
BEST PLANTS FOR BEES
FOR PLANTS FOR BEES FOLLOW THIS LINK:
These lists are not exhaustive! Birds, insects and mammals have varying preferences in different gardens - and don't forget that attracting insects attracts more birds, tolerating a few pests brings in the predators!
We only stock one anti-wildlife plant - Euphorbia lathyrus , the Mole Plant, which is said to deter moles! 
We think if this works it is at least a humane alternative to persecution, and many gardeners do get frustrated by the innocent efforts of moles to lift potatoes, aerate the lawn, or rotovate the vegetable garden!
