Attracting Wildlife To The Garden

For us green-fingered folk, our gardens are a sanctuary, a place to relax, unwind and soak up the benefits nature provides. The work required to keep them looking their best is merely part of the experience, enhancing and extending it, only adding to the beauty and tranquillity already bestowed. Nature has proven to be as essential as sustenance in many ways, so creating and maintaining an inviting outdoor space is on a par with creating and maintaining a fully-functioning kitchen, albeit with a different approach. Improving one’s kitchen may involve investing in the latest gadgets to save time and effort, and whilst the odd gadget or two may well do the same in the garden, to improve nature, there’s only one real option: add more nature.

Whilst it generally works very well on its own, lending nature a little helping hand can only be a good thing, and in doing so, nature will return the favour. You have the flowers, shrubs and trees, so what else is there? In the wild, there’d be bugs, there’d be birds, there’d be small animals, and maybe you don’t want them all in your garden, but the food chain works so much better when all stages are catered for, and most are advantageous in some way or another. Yes, you want bugs in your garden, but too many, and you have an infestation; bigger bugs are often on hand to keep them under control, that’s also where birds and small animals come in; too many of any of those, however, and suddenly your garden’s no longer your own; slightly bigger animals will keep the small ones in check, and some will also take care of some of the bugs too. In short, your garden needs as much help as nature can give, and although there’s the potential for damage, a little careful planning can keep that to a minimum.

If you want to exploit the free services of nature, a few tweaks to your garden could see a deluge of unwitting support to your pride and joy, and a flourishing of all your garden already provides; that’s really not a bad thing.

The obvious starting point is plants. When you’re looking to add new or replace old plants, consider buying some with wildlife in mind; your plants could provide both food and shelter for a number of insects and birds. Flowering plants will offer a meal to pollinators – bees, butterflies – and once their flowering season ends, their seeds and berries are great food sources for birds and small animals. Many climbers will provide the same nourishment, and for some, there’ll be shelter from predators. Hedges and bushes will do the very same, and trees – particularly fruit trees – have it all going on! Blossom will feed pollinators, foliage provides a refuge, and fruit – both on and off the tree – will provide nourishment for many.

At the very least, shop-bought bird feed – available here all year round – in a safe, clean feeder will encourage birds, and once they find the delights you’ve provided, they’ll also snack on the bugs you’ve welcomed to your outdoor space. A nesting box or two in a safe location would help birds that may not find shelter elsewhere.

With a small, redundant area in your garden, you could consider creating your own compost heap, and whilst you’ll be creating vital feed for your plants, you’ll also create a very attractive home for bugs and worms; as they work their magic in your garden, they become further treats for visiting birds and small animals.

Stacked sticks, branches and logs in a quiet part of your garden are another great haven for bugs and small animals, and when leaves start to fall, they’ll also become a hiding place. Patches of long grass with or without wild flowers are their very own little eco-systems for bugs and small animals, that will also attract hunting birds. What we deem weeds are just home and fuel for some wildlife. 

Food and shelter covered; it’s time for water. A pond would be ideal, but it requires space and a certain level of maintenance; a mini pond – any available vessel dug into the ground – would suffice, so long as there are pebbles or stones for accessibility and they’re kept clean, with frequent top-ups. Bird baths may well serve more than just birds, but they should always be placed in a safe area that allows visitors to escape easily from domestic predators. Bees and other insects will also appreciate a little water source, but those vessels will need to be shallow with stones for easy access.

An extremely important part of a garden’s eco-system is the hedgehog; give wildlife a home in your outdoor space, and these prickly predators will soon follow. If your boundaries are completely sealed by walls or fences, however, you’ll be keeping this essential mammal out. Small gaps will grant access and allow hedgehogs to play their part in nature’s plan; throw in a nesting and hibernating house, and you’ve got a fairly permanent resident.

Aside from the building of houses impacting habitats, the number of households choosing to lose traditional gardens in favour of more sculpted, paved areas is increasing, and that’s another blow to the already decreasing wildlife. Any help given to the birds and bugs, amphibians and small mammals will only benefit us and our gardens. We need these creatures as much as they need us – or rather, our gardens – and although they’re not really in a position to say thanks, the improvements in our outdoor spaces is, surely, thanks enough.

Some photos have been supplied by Pexels and Pixabay