News — wildlife gardening

5 Tips to Attract Wildlife to Your Garden

Enjoying wildlife from the comfort of your own garden – what could be better? If your outside space isn’t proving popular with the local animal population, take a look at our top five tips for attracting wildlife to your garden:

Create a Water Source
Birds and small mammals need water to drink. Frogs and newts can use it as a breeding ground. A pond with sloping sides and plants to provide cover from predators is ideal. But if you don’t have the space for something so big, any container, even an upturned dustbin lid, will do the trick.

Put out Food
Most creatures get the nourishment they need from their natural environment. But sometimes adverse weather conditions or habitat changes can hamper their ability to find adequate food. Research the best foods to provide for garden animals and leave it for your visitors on a regular basis. Your garden will be instantly more attractive to wildlife.

Let Sections of the Garden Go Wild
A carefully manicured lawn won’t attract wildlife to your garden. In contrast, a wildflower meadow acts as a wildlife haven. It will attract small mammals, butterflies and bees. If you don’t want to let your garden go completely wild, try to leave longer grass or wildflowers in designated sections. A small pile of decaying wood will also create a welcoming habitat for various species of beetle.

Create Habitats
A bird box, a bat box, a hedgehog house, a bumble bee nester or a bug hotel – installing a wildlife friendly habitat is a great way to bring animals to your garden time and again. Do your research to maximise your chances of attracting wildlife to your habitat. Every bird and mammal species has their own set of preferences when it comes to house hunting.

Plant Wisely
Choosing flowers that provide high levels of pollen and nectar will attract bees, butterflies and other insects to your garden. Highly bred flower species contain little pollen or nectar so, if you do have some of these in your garden, counteract with plants like crocus, lavender, iris or alliums. You could go even further by carefully selecting plants to ensure constant flowering throughout the year, thus ensuring a year round food source for pollinators.

A garden full of wildlife is interesting for you and good for the environment. Introduce some wildlife-friendly changes and your garden could soon be a hive of mammal, bird, insect and amphibian activity.  Take a look at our wildlife subscription gift box which makes an ideal present for a nature lover