How a stretch of urban riverside became a glorious garden However, this tiny oasis on the River Lea is the creation of the Gasworks Dock Partnership. They are turning a currently unused kilometre of urban riverside into wetland, woodland and wildflower meadows. Known as the Cody Wilds project, the gateway site is Cody Dock, part of the old Imperial Gas and Chemical Works. The transformation has been achieved by residents led by Simon Myers. Sponsored by Thames21 (London's waterway charity), the RSPB, the Co-operative Bank, the Eden Project and local businesses, they're clearing the final obstacle in a 26-mile riverside walk all the way from Hertfordshire to the Thames, opening bridges and restoring rights of way. The gateway site is Cody Dock, part of the old Imperial Gas and Chemical Works Communities have come together to transform local spaces into wildlife havens and to plant wildflowers. Cody Dock will lead the effort to turn this unique area into habitat for all the wildlife from neighbouring brownfield sites. Many of these will soon be redeveloped to create badly needed new housing. As I walked along the River Lea through to the Olympic Park (the gardens, under pressure from builders again, are bearing up) to the station, I felt I'd been in another more exciting world, where anything is possible. Then back to my own garden and home to my own small cohort of local wildlife. Even the Environment Secretary is urging us to let our lawns grow a little wilder. Here are my tips with winter wildlife in mind: Leave as much growth as you can, only cutting back in spring. It provides shelter and cover and birds eat tiny seeds from lavender, verbena, grasses, agastache and fennel. Don't prune hawthorn or climbers such as ivy and honeysuckle. They offer long-lasting, calorie-rich berries and much-needed winter shelter for birds. Rake leaves from lawns and paths into piles in a corner for shelter for insects (which feed birds). Put the rest in large builders" bags for leaf mould next year. Mulch borders with compost and leaf mould. Feed birds - put up a table for them in a quiet area near cover they can hide in. Top up drinking and bathing water and pop in a ball or twig to stop water freezing. Adult and larval insects overwinter in hollow stems, decaying vegetation and leaf litter. Bees and wasps hibernate in burrows in sunny banks. Leave areas of long grass for caterpillars and leather jackets; piles of logs and stones for beetles and hedgehogs. Plan to plant a diverse menu of plants for wildlife over the next year. For suggestions see rspb.org.uk and rhs.org.uk Cody Dock is at 11c South Crescent, Canning Town, London E16. Nearest DLR station is Star Lane. To visit, volunteer, donate, apply for a mooring or hire the riverboat, see gasworksdock.org.uk