Liz and I are guardians of about 15 acres of land up on the valley side. Much of this special place we leave undisturbed for nature to return naturally. There are a few acres of self-seeded, gradually spreading thornland, including about 100 hawthorn trees along with old hollies and dense gorse and bramble. All providing vital home and food for many creatures. For winter visitors too, including flocks of fieldfare and redwing who stay for weeks to gorge on the tens of thousands of berries.These are some of wilder parts of the garden. But they can still have their beauty - here with astilbe and hostas in flower. The pond is amongst all this greenery in the foreground and is home to hundreds of species, including many frogs, newts and toads. The little meadow is scythed once a year and is full of life too, especially invertebrates and small mammals. So too the thicket-hedge we are letting grow up in the background. Most things we do to help nature in the garden take little effort. It just took a little while to override our British ‘tidy’ gene and see the even greater beauty in these less trimmed areas of the garden.