From grasshoppers and butterflies to caterpillars and birds, garden wildlife is both varied and surprising. For gardeners and homeowners, this outdoor space is also an opportunity to provide refuge for wildlife.
Domestic gardens occupy a land area larger than all the nature reserves across the UK combined. Apart from adding great value to your home, gardens also present an opportunity for you to give back to Mother Nature by taking care of her sons and daughters.
What exactly do you need to do to create a wildlife-friendly outdoor space?
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Feed the Birds
Enjoy seeing wildlife in your backyard is by putting up a bird feeder and keeping it clean and full at all times.
Surrey-based garden centre Longacres Garden Centre Limited explains that bird feeders and other accessories are a great way to attract all kinds of birds to your garden. This is also a mutual benefit thing, as you feed the birds, and they, in turn, help grow and pollinate your outdoor space.
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Water Up
We need it and so does the wildlife. Especially in the dry summer or during winter freezes, a small act of putting out a shallow dish of clean water and refilling the birdbath can greatly help birds and other creatures.
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Encourage Life
Create a living garden by planting as much green as you can. Grass, foliage, flowers, and trees all help support the wildlife ecosystem in your garden, from the caterpillar, birds, and small mammals.
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Go Organic
Chemicals and pesticides are wildlife’s worst enemy. Reduce your use of this, or stop it entirely. Our country’s latest National Pollinator Strategy initiative will not be that effective if we do not stop the use of pesticides, which harm the bees and other garden creatures.
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Go Wild
Loss of habitat is one of the biggest reasons for loss of wildlife. As such, mix up your garden in terms of plant life and textures. The greater the diversity you can put in, the more wildlife you will attract.
Making your garden more wildlife-friendly is not just a way to improve your outdoor space; it is also a way to give back to Mother Nature and the bounty she gives us.