My Garden and Other Animals

Since an early age, Mike has had an intense desire to own and manage his own personal garden nature reserve. Now his opportunity has come, and Mike is determined to make the most of it.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of gardens often tend to be petite, they need not necessarily be lacking in either interesting species or biological diversity. 'Potential' was definitely the word that sprung to mind the very first time Mike and his partner Christina viewed their new 'house-and-garden-to-be' in the small rural village of Chew Stoke, some eight miles south of Bristol. True, the house was an ex-council property, with a pebble-dashed facade the colour of boiled shite and an interior stuck in a 1970s time-warp, but the long, uncared-for lawn which ran down to a tree-covered bank revealing at its base a small, tinkling stream, offered huge promise under the right stewardship. And so begins their year-long journey to create their very own wildlife sanctuary.
Illustrated throughout with beautifully evocative black-and-white line drawings by Christina Holvey, Mike Dilger's partner-in-crime, this light-hearted, amusing narrative will appeal to anyone interested in quirky nature tales with a twist, and wildlife enthusiasts generally.