Using the space outside your home
Being around plants and nature can reduce stress and improve your mood.
Gardening also helps you stay active. Green spaces support wildlife, help cool areas in hot weather and reduce surface water during heavy rain or flooding.
Even with limited space, you can use window boxes, hanging planters or vertical gardening (growing plants upward). You could even grow your own food.
Growing your own food can be easier than you think and it can help you save money on your shopping bills. As long as you have sunlight, access to water and something to hold the soil in – you can get started!
Get practical tips on growing food in an allotment, a food garden, in your backyard or even on your windowsill!
Websites and resources to help you get you started
Urban gardening
Urban gardens often have small or awkward outdoor areas, or even no outdoor space at all, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a garden! From balconies to rooftops, green walls to houseplants, find advice on how to transform your home into a green have
How to garden without a garden
Fun gardening activities you can do at home, even if you don’t have a garden.
Small outdoor spaces
Even small yards and gardens (Yardens!) can help create habitats for wildlife and connect green spaces in urban areas. This toolkit shows simple ways to do this, whatever space you have.
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust has advice on trees that can be planted in small gardens, and explains which provide shade, can tolerate more extreme weather and support wildlife.
Front gardens
Paving over front gardens with hard surfaces (which stop water soaking into the ground) is often done for parking or low maintenance. However, if many homes on a street do this, it can increase the risk of flooding.
Find information, including advice on permeable driveways (which let water drain into the ground) and whether planning permission is needed with the link above.
Artificial grass
Artificial grass may seem low‑maintenance, but it still needs cleaning as leaves and dirt don’t break down naturally. Water can collect on the surface, and it can be difficult to clean if you have pets.
It also harms the environment. It stops rainwater soaking into the ground, which can increase flooding, and it removes habitats for insects and birds. In hot weather, it gets much hotter than real grass. It is made from plastic and chemicals (including PFAS) that can be harmful to people and wildlife, making it damaging to the natural environment overall.
Nature’s Way
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Street Space, Get Out More and Better Place are collaborating to deliver an innovative new project called Nature’s Way. Funded by Bradford Council, Nature’s Way supports inner-city communities to transform their neighbourhoods into thriving places for people and wildlife.
Ginnel Guidebook
Even if you’re not in an area where the project will be taking place, you can still download tips and advice on turning your ginnel, snicket or alleyway into a beautiful oasis.
Play Streets
Playing out is really important for children. It helps them move more and can help with mood and mental wellbeing as well as helping them to build resilience and social skills. Playing Out in the garden can be great fun, but not everyone has a garden, and whilst Bradford district has some wonderful parks, they aren’t always easy for people to get to.
Play Streets let communities apply to close their street to traffic for 1–3 hours, creating a safe space for children to play right outside their homes.
Physical activity guidelines
Guidelines for how much physical activity you and your family should aim to do.
Bradford Parks and Green Spaces
Find your nearest park and what is has to offer