I know, it's hard enough to make a harmonious and stylish home for ourselves, let alone for the bugs that surround us. But making a place for some of the creatures that support our ecosystem is becoming increasingly important. Inexplicable colony collapse disorder within the bee population, our continued use of pesticides that kill more than we intend, and general disregard for our ecosystem on grand levels is threatening the way we live.

Helping out some of the insects that keep our world beautiful and healthy is an easy thing that anyone, anywhere, can do. To encourage bees, ladybugs, and whole variety of beneficial insects it can be helpful to create homes for them. With this inspiration, I think you will find that it is possible to also make insect homes into beautiful garden features.

Links to how to instructions for making an insect habitat:

• BBC Breathing Places: Making a Bug Home
• RSPB: Building Insect Homes

Insect habitats where a huge trend at last year's Chelsea Flower show with numerous designers making them design features within the show gardens. Organizations like Urban Hedgerow are promoting the re-introduction of the wild into the urban environment and design groups like Green Roof Shelters are generating gorgeous but livable designs that place biodiversity at the forefront of the design process. It is a growing movement, that with your help will continue to expand.

(Images: 1 - 3 Urban Hedgerow/Lisa Lee Benjamin, Well Lady, John Grimshaws garden diary, Flora Grubb, and Studio 'g'. )