The Wirral eco gardener on a mission to save wildlife

Tristan Skelly, 30, from Puddington, transforms people’s gardens into lush green spaces that protect and attract a wide range of wildlife.

Tristan founded Wirral Wildlife Landscaping in 2022, with the aim of re-wilding gardens and creating havens for wildlife to thrive in and for people to enjoy.

Tristan said: “I’ve always had a keen interest in nature, from watching Bill Oddie as a kid to watching Ray Mears as a teenager. I ended up working in sales and marketing roles but always had a call to work with nature. I began landscaping in my spare time in 2016 and in 2022 I took the leap of faith and decided to set up Wirral Wildlife Landscaping.

Tristan founded Wirral Wildlife Landscaping in 2022 (Image: NQ)

“It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made — transforming people’s gardens into beautiful wild spaces that help protect and preserve wildlife gives me such enjoyment. It’s great for nature and the environment but also allows people to enjoy nature whilst adding value to their property.”

With nature at the forefront of everything he does, Tristan offers bespoke features such as ponds, bird boxes, barrel ponds, waterfalls, plants and flowers, and wild meadows.

Tristan added: “It’s no secret that humans are destroying the planet and having a negative impact on wildlife. Since the 1930s, we’ve lost 97% of our wildflower meadows in the UK and 41% of UK species have declined since 1970s. I want to bridge that gap by giving people thriving gardens whilst encouraging nature to reclaim the space.

“Ponds are a big part of what I do. I build my ponds in a more natural way than usual — the liner is buried under a protective layer then in clay soil, as a pond would be in the countryside, and it is the same kind of pond that wildlife has evolved with. The native plants attract a wide variety of wildlife and some customers have even seen the endangered great crested newts move into their ponds.

Before and after of Tristan's work (Image: NQ)

“We live in a world of technological advances but with all that ‘progress’ humans seem to be neglecting wildlife and nature. One way to combat that is right on our doorsteps, in our own gardens. One garden at a time, we can preserve and protect wildlife and make our world greener — it’s time for nature to reclaim these spaces.”