Becky Matthews

Environmental & Wildlife Specialist

33 Products Tested
67 Articles Written
2020 Year Joined

Quick Navigation

Areas of Expertise
Backstory & Experience
Product Reviews
Products Tested
Articles Written

Becky's Key Areas of Expertise

Product Reviews

Informational Articles

Becky's Backstory & Experience

I grew up in a tiny Dorset village where growing your own and having a great front garden was the norm. Since then, I’ve moved about settling for a time in London and then Reading. Wherever I went, I took with me that ingrained love of gardens and wildlife.

I have a productive kitchen garden with a herb bed for soaps, a wildlife area, ex-battery hens, and a wildflower allotment just up the road. Most importantly, I have lots of seating that catches the sun, so I can always drink a cup of tea in the warmth.

When I plant flowers, they’re for pollinators. Giving wildlife and the environment a helping hand is my real passion. I regularly rescue and release hedgehogs – sometimes even keeping small ones over winter.

Locally I’m known as ‘The Nature Lady’. I help at a local wildlife rescue centre with foxes, pheasants, pigeons, grass snakes, wood mice – all sorts. I’m often found with an exhausted and shivering Dumbledore in my coat pocket.

One of the gardens I’m most proud of are at my son’s school where I’ve introduced a sensory herb area and a veggie patch. Involving children with the upkeep is important to me. I love sending kids home plastered in mud (their parents not so much!), conquering their fear of bees, and explaining why plastic and pesticides are such problems for the environment.

I love writing for DIY Garden because it’s all about helping you enjoy outdoor spaces, improving lives through nature, and interacting with the natural world around us – all in an achievable and practical way.