Preserving Ireland's remaining natural habitat and restoring modified habitats are key objectives to reduce the impacts of urbanisation on native ecosystems. However, home owners can also make a positive impact on the environment by managing their private green spaces, such as lawns and gardens in ways that promote native plants and animals. Eco-friendly gardening could make a significant contribution to conservation.

By planting a variety of native plants in your garden, you can provide a habitat for a diverse range of animals including birds and butterflies. Habitat diversity in a given garden is enhanced by the fact that individual home owners often make individualistic choices in the plants that they cultivate. Some homeowners might choose to plant a mixture of native and non-native plants in their gardens. Non-native plants have been shown to provide food for native insects; however, it is imperative to understand that INVASIVE plants should not be used in any garden for environmental and health and safety reasons. If you are unsure as to whether or not a certain type of plant is considered invasive in Ireland, you can check it against Biochange's Alien Plants in Ireland database.

Natural habitat gardens are beneficial to the environment as well as home owners and communities because they:

• preserve and re-introduce plants native to the area
• are hardier and require less maintenance than typical gardens
• can be used to stabilise soil, reduce flooding and absorb pollutants
• can sustain wildlife throughout the year
• provide visual aesthetic and diversity, which are assets to property owners and communities

Please check the Resources page of this site for detailed information on how to create habitat gardens in your own home.

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