PART of an urban garden in Ipswich will be forever wild thanks to a £6,000 wildlife-friendly makeover.Maria Krolik, of Camberley Road, Ipswich, was one thousands of people to enter the national competition to win the garden makeover.

PART of an urban garden in Ipswich will be forever wild thanks to a £6,000 wildlife-friendly makeover.

Maria Krolik, of Camberley Road, Ipswich, was one thousands of people to enter the national competition to win the garden makeover.

The competition, organised by The Wildlife Trusts and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is part of a major initiative to encourage wildlife habitats in urban gardens and the countryside.

Award winning gardener Alan Sargent designed the wildlife-friendly garden with Maria and was inspired by Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Foxburrow Farm, near Melton.

Maria said: "It's the first time I've entered anything like this and I'd never really considered wildlife gardening before.

"Since winning this, I've become very interested in using plants to attract wildlife. I'm amazed at the transformation and hope to spend time watching all the visiting wildlife."

The transformation of Maria's garden includes a pond to attract frogs, dragonflies and damselflies and the planting of nectar and berry rich shrubs to feed and shelter birds and butterflies.

WEBLINK www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/suffolk