22 May 2025
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Welcome wildlife to your garden with these simple organic steps, writes Chris Collins, Garden Organic’s head of organic horticulture
Wildlife does n’t care if your garden is self-aggrandizing or small . If you provide food / water and shelter – it will do , and if you live in an urban area , your garden can crumple together with other gardens to make one giant wildlife - health corridor . pull nature to your garden also helps you grow better , because many insects and birds are nifty for natural pest controller .
gentle ways to pull in wildlife
garden for wildlife organically does n’t stand for spending band of money on appliance or bird nutrient because there ’s plenty of low - cost ways you may tempt them in .
Sow pollinator - friendly plant such as herbaceous plant and wild flower , which will attract butterflies , bee , lacewings and hoverflies . Or green - up wall with native flowering bush and climbing iron such as holly , hawthorn or honeysuckle which are a fantastic source of berries and nectar .
tally some home ground flock of logs or leaves , and insect home such as a cannister can stuffed with stems or a ‘ hoverfly lagoon ’ container fulfil with upright bamboo – and you have your own tiny wilderness .
Believe it or not , a compost heap can support 2,000 life contour , from hoot and dumb worm to fungus and nematode . Why not ramp up a belittled container from pallets . Do n’t palpate you have to hide it away – be proud of your bin and its huge organic benefits .
Weekend wildlife projects
If you ’ve got a bit more time , add some water supply . A trug pool can draw birds and toad , but a bog garden is even good as there ’s no algal work up up and it requires less maintenance . just grind a hole in the reason to a profundity of 12 in ( 30 cm ) . Line it with stocky plastic and puncture it with a few maw . Back fill with garden ground , adding rocks and plants as cover for wildlife .
It ’s easy to forget about flying creatures , for at nightfall in the summertime , urban garden can be penetrate with bat trajectory . Encourage them to abide by building a bat corner from untreated rough sawn woodwind at least 1 in ( 2 cm ) blockheaded . Create a back plateful , sloping ceiling , front and trading floor . Ensure there ’s a 1 in ( 2 atomic number 96 ) opening at the back as this prevents birds nesting . Hang the box seat 9 ft ( 3 megabyte ) above ground in a southeasterly or westerly aspect .
Question and Answer
Q. How can I further hedgehogs into my garden ?
A. Hedgehogs care to range through multiple gardens so guarantee fences have small holes or ‘ hedgehog main road ’ , at the base for easy access . Piles of leaves or logs and ponds with steps are also great habitats for porcupine .
Q. What are the proficient diminished shrub for birds ?
A. I likeViburnum opulus(guelder - rose ) for its flowers / Charles Edward Berry and canopy screening . Elderflowers , hollies , blackthorn and dogwood are also nature friendly .
Q. I ’ve heard people spill the beans about ‘ waste holes ’ for wildlife – what are they ?
A. These are concave crevices in old forest , commonly where a branch has broken , and a perfect home for earwigs , woodlice , centipede and spiders .
