A habitat wall is a striking addition to your garden, a great wildlife resource and it’s very simple to make.

Habitat walls are palatial mini-beast hotels where insects can shelter and lay their eggs. They can also be feeding places for insects and small mammals, and provide them with nesting materials.

1. Find three to seven old wooden pallets, ideally the same size, and remove protruding nails.

2. Choose the location. The best spots are level, sheltered and either next to a wall, under a tree or in a shady corner.

3. Stack the pallets, as evenly as possible, flat side down. You could secure them together with long screws if the pallets are uneven or your spot is exposed.

4. Collect material to create dark nooks and crannies in the gaps in the pallets. These are the places where insects can shelter or nest. You can use dead seed heads and stalks, small piles of rocks, old wood or wood with holes drilled in it, bundles of twigs, egg cartons or containers stuffed with straw.

5. Fill the gaps in the pallets with your material. Use the bottom level for larger items, such as pots, bigger pieces of wood or piles of sticks and leaves. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough material to hand. You can add more over time as the wall develops.

6. Cover the top of the wall with bark. We recommend you get this from a local tree surgeon. Don’t disturb old pieces of bark, which may already be sheltering insects.

7. Once you have filled the gaps, don’t disturb the wall and give wildlife a chance to establish.

On a smaller scale, you could make a mini habitat wall using old bird boxes or similar for your garden or your balcony.

The habitat wall in our Future Garden was really popular with visitors to Hampton Court Flower Show.

Find out more - get more ideas for homemade habitats

Find out more - download free Garden for a Living London 'how to' guides

Find out more - download a free Wildlife Gardening Pack