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All gardens will contain wildlife, even
if you can't see any at first glance.
Even a bare concrete yard in the middle
of the city will attract wildlife
and will have bugs and insects hiding
under bricks and in nooks and crannies
in walls.
Of course, most of us want to see more
exciting creatures such as birds and
mammals and most gardens can be
transformed into wildlife habitats
fairly easily with just a few additions
of the right plants, flowers and cover.
If you are lucky enough to have a large
garden, then you can go further and
create different areas to suit different
animal species. If you only have a small
yard, or even just a flat with a
balcony, you can still attract birds by
placing a
Bird Feeder
or water outside.
Hints and Tips for Gardening to Attract
Wildlife
Start with the basics:
Birds and Animals need food, water and
shelter. If your garden is too clean and
tidy there will be nowhere for
creatures, especially bugs and insects
to hide. This is especially true in
Autumn and Winter when lots of different
insects will have hibernated or laid
eggs in log and leaf piles. These small creatures form a
major part of the natural food chain for
other animals species. Therefore, leave
at least part of the garden a little
unkempt and undisturbed, place small log
piles or bricks and stones in a pile to
attract insects. Larger log piles and
piles of leaves will attract larger
animals such as hedgehogs too. Compost
heaps are great for encouraging worms,
beetles and even toads. Consider leaving
an area of grass to grow longer.
A water supply is essential. If the
garden is large enough, then a small
water feature can be added, but if not
provide a water dish or Bird Bath.
Different Habitats for
Wildlife
Some wildlife such as frogs and toads
like cool, damp areas. Others need dry
areas. Most need shelter from the worst
elements such as rain and frost.
Therefore, ideally different areas of
the garden should provide these
different habitats. If you can't fit a
pond then it is possible to make a bog
garden fairly easily and introduce
plants that thrive in a damp
environment.
Flowers and Planting to
attract wildlife
Planting should be considered for food
and shelter and year round cover. Most
flowering plants will attract
pollinators such as bees. Berry and seed
bearing plants will provide food for
birds and small mammals. When
considering cover for animals, ideally
plant flowers, shrubs and trees of
varying height and consider species that
will still have good cover in winter.
Choose flowering plants that flower at
different times of the year. These will
attract bees and butterflies.
Climbing plants can be used to excellent
effect for covering bare walls and
fences, giving birds a natural place to
nest. Whatever you consider planting to
attract wildlife to your garden, it is
best to use native species that the
animals are used to.
For one of the best sources of plants,
seeds, shrubs and trees online,
visit Gardening
Express.
Trees
Trees are excellent for providing
roosts, shelter and nest sites for
birds, squirrels and bats. Even solitary
trees in small gardens can have
a
Bird Nest Box
fitted. The leaves can be collected and
placed in piles in a sheltered spot.
These will compost attracting insects
and other animals such as hedgehogs will
use them as bedding and may nest beneath
larger piles. As always, native tree
species are recommended for a wildlife
garden. Tree2mydoor
provide an excellent selection and will
deliver anywhere in the UK, why not send
a tree as a gift to someone that is
starting there own wildlife garden?
Consider planting fruit trees too, this
will provide food for birds and insects
and pollinators will also be attracted
to the flowering buds.
Ponds and Water Features
Ponds are one of the best ways to
provide an excellent range of habitats
for a myriad of creatures as well as a
water source for other animals and a
bath for birds. Ponds do not need to be
large, you will find creatures such as:
water boatman, frogs, toads and newts.
Create your pond with shallow areas and
deeper areas (at least 60cm if you
intend to keep fish). At least one side
should have a shallow sloping "beach"
area to allow animals easy entry and
exit from the pond.
Ponds will also attract large mammals to
drink such as foxes and badgers and you
may see bats feeding of the insects
attracted to the pond. More pond
information can be found on our
Garden Ponds for
Wildlife page.
Pesticides and Insecticides
Avoid using pesticides and insecticides.
They can be harmful to creatures higher
up the food chain such as hedgehogs that
feed on slugs that may have eaten your
slug pellets. If you attract enough
wildlife to the garden, the number of
pests should reduce anyway. Consider
putting up a
Ladybird House
or Lacewing Box, to attract these aphid
munching natural pesticides. Encouraging
Hedgehogs by leaving piles of logs and
leaves or placing a hedgehog box in a
quiet corner will do wonders for
reducing the local slug population!
Sheds and Outbuildings
Animals such as hedgehogs and even foxes
will live under or borrow under sheds
and outbuildings. Provide cover around
the base and make sure there is a gap
underneath. Barns and larger buildings
away from habitation provide nest sites
for bats and owls. Barn Owls in
particular are in decline and if you are
lucky enough to have a large outbuilding
or know of a current nest site, then
consider placing an
Owl Nest Box
in or on the building.
We recommend shedstore who provide a huge range of garden
sheds to suit all budgets.
Wildflower Meadow
If you have the space, then a wildflower
meadow makes and excellent natural
habitat, especially for bees and
butterflies. Even a small space can be
planted with wild flowers. Another
alternative is to leave the grass in one
area to grow long and allow some weeds
like dandelions to grow. Bees have been
in the news a lot in recent months as
their numbers are on the decline so
encouraging them with a suitable Insect
Habitat placed near wildflowers or other
flowering plants will help. Why not
consider a hive, bee keeping is a
popular pastime and has the benefit of
the honey and beeswax produced.
DIY Projects for the Garden
Why not build your own: Arbor, Trellis,
Shed, Containers, Bird Nest Boxes, Bird
Feeders, Bat Houses, Bee Hives, Compost
Bins and much more for the garden and
home with
DIY Garden Woodworking Projects.
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