Int'l Day for Biological Diversity

Your backyard is an ecosystem. It might not look like a nature reserve, but your garden supports more life than you probably realise. Bees, butterflies, ladybirds, worms, beneficial bacteria in the soil -- they're all part of the web that keeps your patch healthy and productive. Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity, and here's how your home garden can help: - Grow heirloom varieties -- they support genetic diversity and often attract more pollinators than modern hybrids - Plant flowers alongside your vegies -- marigolds, lavender, and nasturtiums are brilliant companion plants - Leave a patch of your garden a bit wild -- ground cover, leaf litter, and native grasses give insects and small creatures somewhere to live - Skip the chemicals -- healthy soil creates healthy plants that can handle pests naturally - Add a shallow water dish for birds and beneficial insects Every backyard garden that prioritises diversity over perfection makes a difference. Your patch is part of something bigger. GIL+ members get quarterly heirloom seed deliveries from our Rainbow Range -- 20 heirloom varieties chosen for Australian gardens. Link in bio to learn more.

One garden. Hundreds of living things. You don't need to plant a forest to support biodiversity. A single home garden -- even a small one -- can be a haven for pollinators, soil organisms, and beneficial insects that keep the whole system running. It's International Day for Biological Diversity, and we asked Hannah Moloney what small growers can do that makes a real difference. Her top tips: 1. Grow a mix of flowering plants alongside your food crops. Different flowers bloom at different times, feeding pollinators year-round. 2. Ditch the monoculture. Even mixing three or four crops in a bed creates a more resilient growing space. 3. Mulch with natural materials -- straw, leaves, wood chips. It's a habitat layer for ground-dwelling insects. 4. Let things go to seed occasionally. Bolted lettuce and flowering herbs are a feast for bees and hoverflies. 5. Build a small insect hotel from sticks, bark, and pinecones. Takes ten minutes, lasts all season. Your patch doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to be alive. Our Rainbow Range includes 20 heirloom varieties specifically chosen for genetic diversity. Link in bio.

What's living in your garden right now? Worms turning your compost. Ladybirds keeping aphids in check. Bees working the flowers between your vegie rows. Fungi networking through the soil beneath your feet. A home garden is never just plants. It's a living community -- and the more diverse it is, the healthier everything grows. Today is International Day for Biological Diversity. Here's what biodiversity actually looks like in a backyard: 🐝 Pollinators visiting your flowering herbs 🪱 Worms aerating your soil 🐞 Beneficial insects managing pests for free 🌱 Heirloom varieties preserving genetic diversity 🍂 Leaf litter sheltering frogs and ground beetles You don't need a plan. You just need to stop tidying up so much. A slightly messy garden is a biodiverse garden. Want to grow more heirloom varieties? GIL+ members get 20 different heirloom seeds delivered quarterly through our Rainbow Range. Try it free for 30 days -- link in bio.