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This is the best month for planning out a new garden layout. Even if you only envisage a few minor changes, it is a good idea to try them out on paper beforehand. If you are starting with a bare plot or considering a fairly major project like digging a pond or planting a mini-woodland, it is essential to think it through in some detail before you ever put spade to earth.

Habitat/Feature

CHECKLIST

Pond

Marsh/bog area

Mature living trees

Old hollow/fallen trees

Young trees

Climbing plants

Native mixed hedge

Compost heap/bin

Bird table

Bird/bat boxes

Berry-bearing shrubs

Nectar-rich flowers

Untidy corner

Long grass/meadow area

Consider first of all which features already in the garden are useful to wildlife — mature trees, for instance, a compost heap or a pond of some kind. Use the list above to identify elements you want to keep. Draw a rough plan of the garden and mark in these features. Next, decide which features could be improved to make them more wildlife friendly, such as adding stepping stones to a steep-sided pond or replanting an existing border with nectar-rich flowers. You might wish to turn part of the lawn over to a wildflower meadow but, before you do, consider which areas it would be practical to grow long and which parts you really need to keep as a conventional lawn. Be prepared to play around with this plan — all winter if you have to. Try all sorts of combinations, bearing in mind how much work they will involve, until you are happy that the layout is one that will suit you and your lifestyle, as well as the needs of the wildlife you want to attract.