How tearing up your patio could save the planet

Campaigners say traditional gardens, with lawns, flowerbeds and untidy compost heaps, are our best chance of halting the decline of species including sparrows, hedgehogs and bumblebees.

They say that the easier-to-maintain options such as decking, paving and gravel, made fashionable by TV makeover shows, also increase the risk of flash flooding because of the adverse effect on drainage.

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More than two dozen wildlife and conservation groups have signed up to a manifesto which warns against the dangers of paving over gardens and allowing developers to build new estates with few green spaces.

Sir Martin Doughty, chairman of Natural England, said: 'The gardens of England are under threat. In London, front gardens with a total area 22 times the size of Hyde Park are now paved over and lost, reducing havens for wildlife, increasing the risk of flash flooding and contributing to climate change.

'Natural England is calling on businesses, the public sector and the public to play their part and give gardens a future - for the benefit of their own health and the survival of declining species such as hedgehogs, frogs and bumblebees.'

The campaigners say wildlife can be attracted to any garden, patio or window box and that creating a creature-friendly garden doesn't need to cost much. They recommend starting by adding just a few extra plants, a small pond or upturned bin lid and a patch of unmown grass.

Natural England says the benefits of gardens are not just environmental, as studies have shown that people are happier and healthier if they come into contact with nature regularly.

Chris Gibson, the organisation's wildlife expert, said gardens in towns and cities have become an oasis for creatures unable to cope with life on intensively-farmed land.

Yet half the homes in the North East of England have paved over their front gardens.

'It's a myth that a wildlife garden has to be a scruffy mess or that it doesn't look pretty,' he said.

'You don't need to have nettles everywhere, and it's also not true that you can't have native plants. Bees, butterflies and moths don't care whether plants are native - just as long as they have pollen and nectar.

'The loss of gardens has been a problem. Paving over gardens, or making them easy to look after with gravel and decking takes away space for wildlife to live in.

'And heavily-paved gardens also increase the risks of flooding after heavy rain.

'Gardens have become a refuge for many species. Most moths and hedgehogs are now dependent on gardens.'

Simple measures to boost wildlife include adding a compost heap - which can be used by grass snakes and slow worms - and planting insect and bird-friendly-plants such as honeysuckle-buddleia and ivy.

Mr Gibson added: 'You don't have to have a big garden - in fact it's probably better for biodiversity to have lots of gardens close together, each with their own plants, management styles and wildlife.'

Joan Ruddock, the Minister for Biodiversity, said: 'This manifesto will help improve gardening advice to encourage people to manage gardens in a way that benefits wildlife. This is essential because as our climate changes, the network of gardens could help wildlife to adapt and migrate throughout the country.'