How to Create a Wildlife Garden
Modern gardens are often tidier and less diverse than they once were. Hard landscaping, artificial lawns, the removal of ponds and hedgerows, and the use of pesticides have all reduced the habitats that wildlife relies on. Combined with the effects of climate change and increasing urban development, many species are finding it harder to survive. By creating wildlife-friendly gardens with ponds, native plants and natural shelter, gardeners can play an important role in reversing this trend.
A wildlife garden is not necessarily one that is left to become tangled with undergrowth and weeds. Or, that needs to be wild to attract wildlife. While this is true to some extent as you will find some wildlife such as birds and rabbits, but the diversity is far less than you will find in a well managed garden with a range of plants and habitats such as log-piles and a garden pond.
By simple definition, a wildlife garden is one which is planned in favour of wildlife. Some gardeners do prefer a slightly overgrown garden while others prefer a more formal plan - if you are a person who is tidy and orderly by nature then a less formal plan will start to irritate you so go according to the style that suits you.
Even the smallest garden can be used to provide an island of support for wildlife. Any garden with a good range of different plants can be perfect for wildlife. It need not require a huge effort to change a conventionally managed garden into one that you can share with a variety of wild creatures.
Understanding the connection between plants and wildlife
The most important first step in wildlife gardening is to lay-off the pesticides and chemical sprays. The second step is to try to understand the connection between plants and living creatures. In other words to think more like an ecologist rather than as a gardener just managing a garden for its aesthetic appeal. Think about how your actions in the garden could affect wildlife, such as clearing away leaves or decayed plants which could be home to a number of creatures. When shrubs or hedges need pruning, it is important to get the timing right to avoid disturbing birds that are nesting.
You may even consider creating specific habitats for invertebrates. Or, you may decide specifically what creatures you want to attract into your garden and plant to their needs.
Wildlife gardening is a gradual process. The range of wildlife you can attract and host will depend on the size of your garden and the habitats you can create for them. A garden with at least one native tree, plenty of ground cover, a variety of nectar filled flowers and autumn berries, free of pesticides and herbicides will provide a very welcome habitat for insects and birds.
Why wildlife also need shelter
Wildlife needs cover and overwintering habitats. These can include:
- log piles
- an area of long grass
- native shrubs
- wildflowers
- leaf litter
Wildlife garden ideas :
- Add native plants - these will host a wide range of insect species versus a non-native plant,
- Availability of water - build a garden pond lined with a pond liner and a slopping edge. This will attract wildlife such as frogs, newts, dragonflies and beetles,
- Wildflowers, grasses and weeds (nettles) - will attract butterflies and many other insects
- Nectar and pollen rich flowering plants - to feed butterflies, bees and numerous other insects that act as pollinators.
Why a garden pond is so important for wildlife
Even a small garden pond can become home to frogs, newts, dragonflies, damselflies, water beetles, birds and pollinating insects. In fact, adding water is often regarded as the single most effective way of increasing biodiversity in a garden
A wildlife pond doesn't have to be large. Even a container pond on a patio or a pond measuring just one square metre can attract frogs, birds and beneficial insects.
If you have space for a pond of 1m x 1m or larger, it is recommended to line with a pond liner and protective underlay to maintain an appropriate water level rather than lose water to ground seepage (unless you have clay soil). Unlike preformed ponds, a flexible pond liner allows you to create gently sloping edges, shallow shelves and varying depths, producing a much more natural habitat for wildlife
Then encourage a balanced ecosystem by including a variety of native aquatic plants which will attract plenty of other wildlife. Dragonflies and damselflies will flit about your marginal plants while flowering perennials will help to invite butterflies, bees and other invertebrates. The presence of insects will attract frogs which will take full advantage of sunning themselves on waterlily leaves. Add a log pile close to your garden pond to attract newts and toads - a safe place where they can hide away from predators. Snails may also populate but these may need to be controlled as they can damage your plants or pass on disease to your fish.
If you do decide to add fish to your pond, make sure that there are plenty of places for insect larvae to hide out. They are great for controlling mosquitoes and other pests but may end up eating other insect larvae of pleasant garden visitors like dragonflies.
Whether your garden is large or small, creating a wildlife-friendly space is one of the most rewarding gardening projects you can undertake. By adding a pond, planting native flowers and providing shelter, you'll soon discover that nature is eager to return.
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