Dominic Rose and his family have lived in Litchfield Way since 2020, becoming attached to the Garden Suburb, with its wonderful hedges, trees, plants and wildlife.

They have been re-establishing the tired garden they took on with care and attention to wild-friendly detail.

Dominic, who works for Sarah Raven as chair of her gardening company, is increasingly aware of how important gardens are for biodiversity.

Hence his launch of “Britain’s Biggest Living Garden”, a project to bring together the many gardeners in the Suburb who are already engaged in planting-for-pollinators, with those for whom neat-and-tidy is the main criterion.

If you think that wildlife gardening means having everything in a mess, Dominic says that you can have a well-cared for, attractive and biodiverse garden. Masses of one plant, eg mown grass, only benefit a few species, whereas a close-planted succession of shrubs, flowers and vegetables can support more for longer.

He, and Suburb residents signed up to the project, are negotiating to establish a wildlife garden next to St Jude’s Church.

Activities will include a children’s gardening club, as Dominic is keen on harnessing children’s natural interest in seeds and creepy-crawlies.

His two young sons, Theo and Dexter, are enthusiastic growers, especially of things you can eat.

Dr Stephen Head, an advocate for biodiversity, is behind the Suburb project and will be giving at St Jude's on Monday 29 April. He is also supporting the continued monitoring of the Suburb’s wildlife, to record what is already there, then to measure how the project’s efforts are working.

“How biodiversity can be encouraged in an urban environment through the participation of the wider community” is on April 29 at 7pm. Free but book through www.britainsbiggestlivinggarden.org

People generous enough to open their gardens for charity through the National Gardens Scheme get a lot of yellow paraphernalia; posters, balloons, and leaflets to show the way to their beloved plots.

Susan Bennett, who has long been an NGS Assistant County Organiser realised that the best way to distribute this stuff is to ask the garden owners to tea in March, so they can pick up their boxful at the same time as meeting each other and generally getting into gear for the rigours to come (opening your garden to the public is quite an undertaking).

Last Sunday, I was lucky enough to be included in this annual treat in Susan and her husband Earl’s delightful and quirky garden in Muswell Hill, and met several people whose garden openings I will list later, starting with Susan and Earl's on Sunday April 28 2-6.30pm at 5 St Regis Place, N10.

Other upcoming gardening events include the Highgate Horticultural Society Spring Show on April 6 from 2-4.30pm at, United Reformed Church, Highgate.

And on the same day there's the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society Spring Show, at 3pm in North Bank, Pages Lane.

On Saturday April 27 the Plant Heritage Spring Fair (specialist nurseries) runs at St Michael’s School, in North Hill, Highgate from 9.30 -2.00pm.

And on May 12 is Hampstead Garden Suburb Horticultural Society's Plant Sale, from 10.30-12.00 at Fellowship House, 136 Willifield Way.