How To Create A Wildlife Garden? – For many of us, our garden is a space to play, relax and socialize. If time has been spent on the garden, it can be a riot of color, an elegant space, a source of food or a perfect bowling green. For many people, the joy of their garden comes when it is shared by wildlife. Spotting a variety of birds, a frog, butterfly or hedgehog in your garden can bring a lot of pleasure. It can be an honor to experience wildlife up close and can be especially intriguing to children.
As more and more houses are built there is less natural space for wildlife to thrive. In considering how you can create an outdoor space that suits your requirements, but is also attractive to wildlife, we can help provide the space, shelter and food they need.
Space of wildlife garden
It’s simple, if you have a garden and grow plants in it, then it can provide a space for wildlife. The greater the variety of plants, the more attractive it will be to wildlife. If you have small gaps in your fence or hedge, leave them as these can allow wildlife to easily move between gardens in search of food and shelter.
Shelter
All animals need protection from the elements and from predators. Trees and hedges provide an ideal haven for birds, whilst dense planting in your boarders will provide shelter for frogs and hedgehogs. Add a log pile into a corner of your garden and this will provide a home for beetles, hedgehogs and insects. A collection of bamboo sticks and other hollow tubes provides a home for solitary bees and other insects too.
All animals need water and even a small pond can significantly increase your chances of spotting wildlife in your garden. Ponds provide an ideal home for newts and frogs, but will also attract damselflies, dragonflies and birds.
Food
Crab apple trees and bushes with berries are great sources of food for birds, as are sunflower seeds and teasels. Butterflies, bees and other insects will be attracted to the nectar in flowers and a good variety of blooms from early through to late flowering will offer a plentiful supply. If your garden includes lavender, heleniums, foxgloves and honeywort, you will hear the bees buzzing through your boarders all summer. At this point it is worth saying that its best to avoid using chemicals on your garden as this can have a negative impact on the wildlife, especially when injested.
Benefits of having a wildlife garden
Beyond the delight of seeing wildlife, there are other benefits to attracting wildlife to your garden, primarily because they can offer great pest control. From ladybirds that help tackle aphids, to frogs and thrushes that feast on slugs and snails, letting nature take its course can save you a job.
Being wildlife friendly doesn’t necessarily mean you need to compromise. You can still enjoy the shade of a tree, a coordinated boarder of flowers, a plot for growing vegetables or just a space for the children to play. With the careful selection of a few plants and an additional feature or two, your garden can also be wildlife friendly.
