Garden for Life

What is the project about?

Gardens are places for people to enjoy. With a little thought, they can also be places which are attractive to wildlife, and which are environmentally sustainable. Everyone with a garden - or even a window box - can do their bit for biodiversity. Garden for Life is an initiative which aims to make biodiversity relevant to the public by using gardens, whether private or communal, as a context for experience, learning and action.

Garden for Life, which grew out of the successful SNH Plant for Wildlife project initiated in 1997, was established in April 2001, and launched at the ‘Gardening Scotland’ Show at Ingliston in June 2001.

The aims of the Garden for Life are:

To increase enjoyment and understanding of biodiversity
To support action by gardeners for the benefit of Scotland’s biodiversity
To promote the benefits of gardening for health and well-being.

Use the links at the top of the page to find out more.

Garden without peat publication - (pdf 852KB)

The following organisations are currently members of the Garden for Life Forum. This Forum meets regularly to discuss and decide on activities and consider ways of supporting the programme.

What does the Forum do?

Organisations belonging to the Forum meet on a regular basis to agree plans and strategies; share information; and to work together on projects. They have produced a series of five free Garden for Life leaflets which are distributed to the public both through garden centre plant promotions, as well as at shows, schools, community events etc. They are also available to download:

Garden for Life – and you’ll never be short of visitors
Garden for butterflies
Garden for birds
Garden for life in pots and containers – everyone with a garden, or even a window box, can enjoy nature’s riches
Garden for Food - and get a taste for wildlfie

What else is Garden for Life doing?

Garden for Life has links with BBC’s Beechgrove Garden, in particular the Community Gardens projects across Scotland featured during the summer, as well as the factsheets sent out after each programme.

At a strategic level it is hoped that these initiatives will contribute significantly to the implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy which is currently being developed.

For further information or advice on Garden for Life please contact contact Mike Hamilton/Naomi Knights (0131 623 7058). To obtain leaflets please contact SNH Karen Smith (01738 458556) at Battleby.

Garden for Life - and grow closer to nature!