Anyone who’s been gardening for some years may well have noticed that, as time moves on, the wildlife which once frequented British gardens is becoming a rarer sight.

In May, the State of Nature report compiled by 25 wildlife organisations found that, for a range of reasons like loss of habitat, 60 per cent of the 3,148 UK animal and plant species assessed have declined in the past 50 years. Hedgehog numbers have also reduced by a third since the millennium, and tortoiseshell butterflies, once common in gardens, have declined by 77 per cent.

“What’s most alarming is that many of the ‘common’ garden species – hedgehogs, house sparrows, starlings and common frogs, for example – are becoming much less common,” says Helen Bostock, Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) horticultural adviser.

“Historically these species have done well in our gardens and so their decline is something we really need to sit up and take notice of. This is where gardeners can make a difference and help to halt the declines we’re seeing by making their gardens more wildlife-friendly. This should be a wake-up call to all of us.”

With this in mind, the RHS and The Wildlife Trusts are spearheading a new initiative called Wild About Gardens Week. The event, backed by celebrity gardeners Diarmuid Gavin, Matthew Wilson and Sarah Raven, runs from October 25 to 31 and is urging the public, plus the RHS’s 3,300 community gardening groups, 17,250 schools and 145 partner gardens, to hold wildlife gardening events during the week. A microsite (rhs.org.uk/wildaboutgardensweek) has been set up for groups and individuals to log events.

Chris Baines, vice-president of The Wildlife Trusts, says: “The nation’s gardens are hugely important for wildlife and as a habitat network they are second to none.

“Inner-city balconies and courtyards, the suburbs’ hedgerows and lawns and the orchards and allotments of market towns and villages all have the potential to be incredibly rich habitats for wildlife.

“There are many simple ways in which we can make our gardens naturally richer. Nest boxes, birdfeeders, log piles, nectar plants, fruiting shrubs, wall climbers and ponds all improve the life chances for many garden creatures and, as each of us improves our garden habitat for wildlife, the plants and animals that we attract will bring more pleasure in return. It’s a win-win situation.”

l The Wildlife Trusts and the RHS will be offering free advice and resources via the website wildaboutgardens.org.uk and via the RHS Advisory Service.