Close Menu
Back

Plant small plants in my garden

Action: Plant small plants in your garden.

Small Plants Gardening Guides Action

Small Plants

The Small Plants action covers a range of plant types with a similar habitat value.

These include: small shrubs (with woody stems), small plants without woody stems (herbaceous), sedges and grasses.

These smaller plants provide habitat for smaller animals and insects, and can be used in groups to define areas in your garden.

The Colour and the Shape

There are many species of shrubs, with a wide range of shapes, colours and flowering options.

A range of sedges and grasses can also provide contrast and texture, from deep greens to silver-greys, and strong vertical lines.

Small plants can be grouped near paths and walkways, with your larger plants set back, to create depth in your garden design.

These small plants generally reach maturity quickly, kickstarting biodiversity in your home.

Size

Our definition of a small shrub or herbaceous plant is one that can grow up to one metre.

Sedges and grasses are much more variable, but are of a similar habitat value overall.

Habitat Value: Level 2

Food and Shelter

For most gardens, small plants are a valuable ReWilding activity, with the advantage of being able to be completed multiple times for great habitat and visual combinations.

The ReWild scoring system only measures your impact with the resources available to your site; people with tiny gardens or balconies can still earn a high ReWild score without planting trees or shrubs.

The Level 2 habitat value reflects the modest food and shelter value to wildlife, including mammals, birds, insects and pollinators.

Small plants are particularly useful in offering shelter to smaller animals, particularly the dense foliage of shrubs.

It is important that you include any existing small plants (particularly natives) in your initial ReWild site survey.

Planting Guides

Small plants present much less danger to underground infrastructure (pipes and cabling) than trees or larger shrub varieties. Your local nursery will be able to advise you of any potential risks.

Close Menu

Share your feedback.

  • Eg. "Link goes to a page I wasn't expecting"
  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, Max. file size: 10 MB.
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    Back to top