GARDENS are wonderful spaces often full of fabulous colour, scent and plants, but look a little deeper and you might reveal something more – a rich biodiversity of wildlife.

But do you know what’s there?

This year the National Garden Scheme is inviting people across the UK to take part in The Big British Garden Survey, which aims to build a national picture of where wildlife is thriving in gardens and where there may be opportunities to encourage more biodiversity.

Graham O'Connell, a Glewstone resident and assistant county organiser for the National Garden Scheme in Herefordshire, says: "As a former Gold Award winner for our wildlife garden I am really excited to get other people involved in discovering more about the wildlife in their gardens."

Graham who recently co-ran a wildlife gardening workshop in Ross-on-Wye for the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust added: "There is definitely an increasing interest in garden wildlife especially with Sir David Attenborough's Secret Garden series on the television at the moment.

“This survey is easy and fun to take part in and will provide an invaluable picture of what is going on in our gardens. I'd urge as many people as possible in the Ross area to take part.”

By combining wildlife recording with information about garden habitats will generate valuable insights into how gardens support nature.

As a community science initiative, it also offers participants the chance to connect more closely with the natural world, something research shows can benefit wellbeing as well as biodiversity.

The survey asks everyone with a garden, large or small, an allotment or balcony, to record the wildlife visiting their green spaces.

Taking part is simple -record the butterflies and other insects that your garden attracts.

Mapping your garden and answering a short habitat survey will provide useful context about the features that might be supporting wildlife in your garden. The survey runs from April until the end of September.