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RHS John MacLeod Annual Lecture

Held every autumn, this influential lecture invites prominent speakers to explore issues in horticultural science. The 2025 lecture was given by Kate Bradbury on the theme of ‘one garden against the world’

Wildlife gardening in the face of climate change

Kate Bradbury delivered the 2025 John MacLeod Annual Lecture at RHS Wisley on 23 October, giving a glimpse into her own garden in her talk, ‘One Garden Against the World’. Kate explored what fundamentally makes a garden good for wildlife, emphasised the value of small gardens, and shared approaches from her own garden, against the backdrop of climate change and the challenges this poses to wildlife – compounding the already devastating issues of habitat loss, urbanisation and intensification of agriculture. Kate’s message is one of hope: “Every single thing we do can make a difference, no matter how small our gardens”. 

Kate Bradbury’s urban garden in Brighton. © Kate Bradbury

Woodland edge habitat in Kate’s garden. © Kate Bradbury

Gardens are good for wildlife because they mimic the woodland edge:
 

  • Mix of trees and shrubs of different heights
  • Mix of grasses and wildflowers
  • Areas of bare ground
  • Puddles of water
  • Piles of plant debris
  • Dead wood at height and on the ground
  • Habitat piles, log piles and decomposing logs

“Where there is no dead wood, mimic it. Drill holes in fences and walls; add bee hotels”

Successful wildlife gardening:
 

  • Mimics the woodland edge
  • Provides shelter, water and food
  • Mitigates against climate change
  • Draws down carbon
  • Holds water
  • Is part of the wider landscape and landscape recovery

Kate’s small pond supports three different amphibian species. © Kate Bradbury

“Leaves are there to be eaten”: a jersey tiger moth caterpillar and adult. © Kate Bradbury

The value of native species

Kate’s garden is a small urban garden with a ‘nectar bar’ of pollinator-friendly garden plants on the right, native trees and shrubs on the left, and the ‘world’s smallest meadow’ in the front garden, rich in native wildflowers and grasses.

Caterpillars rely on native trees and shrubs, ‘weeds’ (native wildflowers) and native grasses for their food plants.

Caterpillars in turn provide food for birds, hedgehogs and other small mammals, amphibians, wasps, flies and spiders.

“What I’ve always liked about wildlife gardening is that it provides solutions to problems: in this case, habitat loss caused by urbanisation and intensification of farmland. But now, we’re faced with the double whammy of continued habitat loss and climate change”

How to approach wildlife gardening in a changing climate

Kate’s ‘world’s smallest meadow’ in her front garden, with spring flowers. © Kate Bradbury

1. Grow more spring flowers – particularly robust flowers – and try raising crocuses under cover to make them flower earlier

2. Leave wet mud for nesting birds and solitary bees. Some birds, such as swallows and house martins, rely on mud to build their cup-shaped nests

3. Top up ponds during droughts to prevent them drying out completely, preferably with rainwater you’ve collected and stored

4. Push exposed frogspawn below the water line

5. Provide supplementary food when needed for birds and hedgehogs

6. Create shade and cool spots where wildlife can shelter from the heat and direct sun

7. Create wind breaks and shelter belts to combat the windier conditions brought by climate change

8. Make a cool, damp ‘climate change bunker’ for frogs

9. Increase opportunities everywhere

Summer in the mini meadow, which has at least five species of breeding butterflies. © Kate Bradbury

“With the changing climate, we need to do these extra things. Every single thing we do can make a difference, no matter how small our gardens”

About the speaker

Kate Bradbury is an award-winning British garden writer, broadcaster and biodiversity advocate, widely recognised for her expertise in wildlife gardening.

She is the author of several influential books, including ‘One Garden Against the World’ and ‘Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything’, which have inspired thousands to create nature-friendly spaces in their own gardens.

Kate is a regular contributor to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and has regular columns in The Guardian Country Diary and BBC Wildlife Magazine. She and her garden have appeared on BBC Gardeners’ World, Springwatch and Autumnwatch. She is ambassador for a number of charities, including the RHS, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Froglife. 

Watch previous John MacLeod lectures

  • 2025: Coming soon – please check back
  • 2024:
  • 2023:
  • 2022:
  • 2021: 
  • 2019:   
  • 2018: 

History of the lecture

The John MacLeod Annual Lecture was created to highlight important and inspiring topics on horticultural science. A broad audience of RHS members, scientists, policymakers and the media is invited every year to hear luminaries of the scientific field give talks on major research projects or new areas of thought.

Who was John MacLeod?

The lecture’s namesake, Professor John MacLeod, who died in 2010, was a plant scientist and Professor of Horticulture at the RHS. He was also chairperson of the RHS Scientific Committee and was a powerful advocate for horticultural science. He was acutely aware of its pressing relevance in sustaining the natural environment and world food supplies.

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