How I create Wildlife Friendly Gardens

Whether your hard at work digging and planting or just sitting back with a coffee, it’s impossible to ignore the chirping of birds and buzzing of bees in the warmer spring and summer months. Wildlife is hugely important not only to us gardeners but to the environment as a whole. We rely on them for pollination, pest control, providing a food source for other creatures and as a bonus they add colour, movement and sound to our outdoor spaces too.

With the loss of natural habitats, we gardeners can do some simple things to encourage more wildlife and make up for the losses elsewhere. Incorporating wildlife friendly features and plants into our gardens we will all benefit them and us hugely.

So what are the essentials for this type of garden?
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Ponds are great habitats for Frogs, toads and newts.  Damselflies, dragonflies, pond skaters, snails and water beetles all breed in water and for those with space for a large pond, they may even see swallows and house martins gathering insects from the water surface and using muddy areas for nest building.
Ponds can be large or small; it’s possible to convert decorative pots, old sinks, troughs and even old baths into a pond once the drainage holes have been sealed.  Pots with a minimum water depth of 20-30cm (8-12in) will allow a few plants to be added.
For larger spaces natural style ponds can be created with shallow sides to allow frogs easy access & to allow birds to drink safely.  Aim for some foliage around the edges for wildlife to shelter and to encourage greater diversity.  Be sure to top up the water in the summer months.

Bug boxes are made up of materials like bamboo canes, sticks and cones to provide nooks and crannies as snug, safe places for insects to hibernate. They are especially good our natural pest exterminators - lacewings and ladybirds.  Solitary bees also hibernate in the hollow tubes of the bamboo.  Bug boxes are available to buy easily or they can be made simply from scraps of wood and garden twigs.

​Hedgehog habitats like piles of logs & leaves, a compost heap or space beneath a shed will provide shelter and space for nesting or hibernating hogs.  Encouraging them into your garden will help with pest control as they love to munch on slugs, beetles and caterpillars. I love to hear them snuffling around on a summers evening.   
Log Piles made up of a mixture of logs and twigs from various plants they provide homes for creepy crawlies and a food source for plenty of wildlife. Simulating a natural woodland floor, they’re best placed in a shady spot, so that it remains cool and damp.

Make it stand out

Plants which are nectar and seed rich will attract a wealth of bees, butterflies, insects and birds throughout the year.  Daisies like Echinacea, Rudbeckia and Leucanthemum, act as landing pads for bees and butterflies, drawing them in to gather nectar and pollinate the blooms. Thistle-like perennials like Eryngium, Echinops and Teasels offer a valuable food source for birds in the autumn-winter months.   Native wildflowers will bring a whole host of wildlife into the garden.  Choose those which are not invasive like Wild Primrose and Violets which flower in early spring when there is little else about. 

Berrying & fruiting shrubs and trees like Rowan, Pyracantha and Crab Apple offer an easy food source for birds and insects from late summer onwards.  Leave fallen fruit for insects, decomposing bacteria and fungi to scavenge from in the autumn-winter.

Plants which are nectar and seed rich will attract a wealth of bees, butterflies, insects and birds throughout the year.  Daisies like Echinacea, Rudbeckia and Leucanthemum, act as landing pads for bees and butterflies, drawing them in to gather nectar and pollinate the blooms. Thistle-like perennials like Eryngium, Echinops and Teasels offer a valuable food source for birds in the autumn-winter months.   Native wildflowers will bring a whole host of wildlife into the garden.  Choose those which are not invasive like Wild Primrose and Violets which flower in early spring when there is little else about. 

Berrying & fruiting shrubs and trees like Rowan, Pyracantha and Crab Apple offer an easy food source for birds and insects from late summer onwards.  Leave fallen fruit for insects, decomposing bacteria and fungi to scavenge from in the autumn-winter.

Wildflower Meadows can be created within a garden very simply. Easy to lay Wildflower Meadow Turf can replace formal lawn or be incorporated into it to increase diversity and offer colour through from spring to autumn. I’m currently working on projects to add meadow to a small orchard, large paddock and a formal lawn, all which will offer much to the local wildlife and my clients. Look out for a future article on Wild flower Meadows on the ADVICE HUB

Bird Feeders are essential if you want to attract more birds to the garden.  There’s a huge range of bird food to choose from to attract finches, Tits, Sparrows & Robins. Ensure they are kept clean to keep the birds healthy and regularly top them up to keep a steady stream of feathered friends calling.
There’s a whole host of simple things we can do to encourage wildlife into our gardens and help nature to recover from diminishing natural habitats. I hope you are inspired to incorporate some wildlife friendly features into your garden or design project.

More information on the Planting Design Process can be found on my website and case studies of my projects are available in the Portfolio