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Creating a wildlife friendly garden
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The first decision, how much of your lawn and vegetable plot are going to turn into a wildlife garden.
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The second, how much time do you want to put into maintaining your wildlife garden.
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Even a small area set aside as a wildlife garden will help bring wildlife in.
On this page I have described simple, step by step things we can do over time, to create wildlife areas in even the smallest garden.Like siting bird nesting boxes and Hedgehog areas. The links lead to more detailed information i/e creating Wildflower lawns Natural ponds and Traditional British hay meadows.
The first decision is probably the most important. Do you want to grow a Hay meadow, wildflower lawn or if space in a small garden is a problem, herbaceous borders, rockeries, hedghog friendly area, bog area (great if you have a soggy bit of garden) are all great for wildlife. Wildlife will appreciate even the smallest things you do, like planting a Budlea butterfly tree to attract,
butterflies, they will love it.
The second is fairly easy, less is best in a wildlife garden. There is some maintenace, looking after nest boxes etc and more about that later.
Wildflower lawns and mini hay meadows are explained here Wildflower lawn
Planting a Wildlife friendly hedgerow, Growing a native hedge or copse of berry and nut producing trees is a really great way of attracting wildlife into a garden. I have explained, what, how and the hedging plants you can plant from October through to March here Native British hedgerow
Creating a wildlife friendly herbaceous border
Perennial plants flower each year so they're easy to tend. Some are the plants we weed out of our prim and proper borders even though they are pretty and great for wildlife. like Forget-me-nots, buttercups and ox-eye daisies. Early spring bulbs like bluebells (our native ones) lesser celandine, wild daffodils and snakeshead fritillary all supply nectar for insects when food is still scarce in spring. Borage and clover (the same clover we try to weed kill from our chemical dependant lawns) are great for bumble bees. Cowslip, cranesbill, foxglove, poppy and cornflower are both pretty and wildlife friendly plants.
Siting a hedgehog house
Hedgehog houses are simple to make. Piling stones, earth or wood over a sturdy upturned crate leaving just enough space for the hedgehogs to get in and out, keeping dogs and foxes out, may be enough to encourage habitation. Hedgehogs will often choose thier own space to set up home in a hedgehog-friendly garden, under sheds or hedges, log piles and compost heaps, iIf you choose to buy your hedgehog house Amazon carry a good range.
Pet dogs, badgers and foxes are the hedgehogs biggest enemy so make sure that your hedgehog box is sturdy.
Hedgehogs prefer a quiet area of the garden,against a wall, bank or fence and will make their own nests in the hedgehog house, out of leaves and other stuff found in your wildlife garden.
They are great little natural pest controllers eating slugs and snails found in damp, grassy areas of the garden, slug pellets and other garden chemicals are harmfull to hedgehogs so let your hedgehogs keep slugs and snails under control for you.
If you can site the nest box in an overgrown area of your garden so the hedgehogs can forage nearby with protective cover.
Try not to disturb the nest once it's occupied, as a frightened mother hedgehog may abandon her young.
A simple rockery to attract wildlife.
Attracting insects and wildlife that feed on them.
A rockery made from garden stones and old house bricks makes a great shelter for insects during the colder months
Spiders, Woodlice and beetles all add to the biodiversity of your wildlife garden and encourage the animals that feed on them.
Even providing shelter for our worst garden nightmare slugs and snails, will attract thrushes and hedgehogs to feed on them. Brushing yoghurt onto stones and terraccotta flowerpots will encourage lichens to grow, making the rockery even more natural. Planting crocuses and natural British Bluebells between the rocks will provide insects with an early nectar and pollen supply.
Attracting wildlife like frogs, toads and newts into my garden.
If you site the rockery near to a nature pond, even a small one and use larger pieces of stone or rocks to create nooks and crannies, newts and frogs will shelter and hibernate in the cool, damp crevices and toads may hibernate in burrows under the rocks. Slow worms may hide under the rocks and stones until dusk when they come out to hunt but they seem happiest in my compost heap
Wildlife friendly Nature ponds information can be found on my garden pond page.
How to make a woodpile.
Its even easier than the rockery and herbaceous border. Find a moist shady area under large shrubs or trees, pile logs and dead branches on top of each other and let the wood rot naturally. Many insects like Ground and Rove beetles eat both adults and slug eggs and prefer undisturbed damp shady areas. The insect eating animals that in turn live of the insects will visit the area too, just wait and see. The wood pile is also best left undisturbed because Stag beetles larvae will live in this wood for several years until they reach maturity.
I guess one of the simplist ways to create a wildlife garden, once you have chosen an area to set aside, is to spread a packet of wildflower seeds or a meadow mix over the area. (Follow the instructions on the seed packet.) and depending on the habitat gradually add the features I have outlined below. Good luck and enjoy.
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Bird nesting boxes.
Most nest boxes are simply boxes with a hole in the front. The size of the hole will depend on the type of bird you're trying to attract.
Blue tits, coal tits and marsh tits about 25mm across.
Great tits, nuthatches, house sparrows and tree sparrows, slightly bigger about 32mm.
Robins, wrens and pied wagtails prefer open fronted boxes but these can be vulnerable to attack by cats so put them somewhere safe.
House martins: use nest bowls, large 3/4 coconot shell works.
Starlings like a long deep box with a hole near the roof.
Sparrows nest close to each other in communal boxes, the box has three compartments with a hole just under the lid at each side and in the centre. They will also nest in the roof of your house.
Siting your bird box
Site nest boxes so that they are sheltered from the wind, rain and strong sunlight. If they are in full sun, the chicks could overheat and die.
Position boxes 5 to 6ft above ground so they are out of reach of cats and other predators.
Drill small drainage holes at the bottom and make sure the lid is secure to keep out magpies and squirrels.
Sit the box near to small branches that will support fledglings but won't hold the weight of cats.
House martin nest bowls should be situated under the eaves of your house, they often return to the same nesting sites year after year.
Most nesting birds prefer to nest and hatch eggs in quiet areas of the garden with good cover.
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Natural cover for wild birds to build nests.
Ivy is great for birds as its nectar and berries provide much-needed winter food. Its also great cover for placing nest boxes and for natural nesting sites. Ivy needs controling though or it will stifle and kill off other wildlife fiendly plants. more information here clearing ivy
Common honeysuckle not only smells lovely but it's a rich source of nectar and pollen for both insects and birds. It grows quickly up trees, walls and trellises, providing great cover for placing nest boxes and for natural nesting sites. Planting berry-bearing shrubs and trees like Firethorn, rowan and holly not only provide cover but also an extra source of food for birds and other wildlife in the Autumn.
How to maintain your bird box
Clean the nest box out with boiling water in the autumn when the young birds have flown the nest. This will ensure Disease and parasites are not passed to next seasons nesting wild birds.
Your bird box might not be used in the first year, as wild birds often choose a nesting site during the autumn, winter or early spring. leave it up for a couple of seasons and if its not used, try it in another area of your garden. (leaving your box up in winter may provide a useful roost in bad weather).
Cottage gardens and tips from an old landscape cottage gardener
Types of Soil and the wild meadow flowers that will grow and thrive in them I have listed a few species of wild flowers and the soil they thrive in best on this page, soil wildflowers grow in
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Wild flower lawn seed
A blend of grasses and colourful wild flowers to Create your own little wildlife habitat with Suttons Wildflower Lawn! to encourage wildlife into the garden. Rapid Green Wild Flower Lawn seed contains a special blend of grass varieties, selected for quick establishment yet with an informal appearance, combined with a colourful blend of wild flowers.
Wildflower Seeds and Wildlife attracting seeds
to attract birds and other wildlife to your garden.
Wildflowers Include Wild Foxglove, Oxlip, Columbine and Wood Sage. Field Poppy, Field Cornflower, Corn Marigold and Ox eye daisy (Dog Daisy and Marguerite). Cowslip Seeds, Primrose seeds see the full range of Wildflower seeds in Suttons seed shop
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