How wildlife friendly is your garden? Gardens are an increasingly important refuge for wildlife and even the smallest garden can provide food and shelter for a surprisingly diverse range of small creatures. Its not hard to make your garden wildlife friendly - here are some easy things you can do.
Making your garden wildlife friendly
Birds
Feed the birds all year round. Provide nesting sites for birds - erect nest boxes and plant or retain, shrubs, trees, climbing plants and hedges to provide natural cover.
Don't be too tidy
Deliberately leaving some areas of the garden a little wilder can be highly beneficial for wildlife and increasing the diversity of it in your garden. For example leaving patches of nettles, long grass and wildflowers can help to attract butterflies and bees. Simply providing a pile of twigs, leaves or heap of stones in a corner offers a habitat for insects, small amphibians and reptiles and small mammals. Avoid using pesticides and weedkillers. Compost garden and vegetable peelings and other decomposable waste such as paper, card and egg boxes.
Plant nectar rich plants to attract pollinators
Pollinators such as bees, hover flies, moths and butterflies play a vital role in gardens and the environment. Plant your garden with nectar rich species of plants and you will attract these highly beneficial insects to your garden.
Provide water
Ponds and boggy areas if you have the space or even just a shallow dish filled with pebbles and water.