Landscape
Plant a Tree Consider planting a tree if you have room in your garden. Research has shown that gardens with trees are more attractive to wildlife than those without. Native species can deliver the greatest benefits, providing shade, reduced noise pollution, purer air, which is really beneficial if you live in an urban setting. If space permits, why not try planting a large tree, such as a birch, beech or magnolia, to produce oxygen and help remove harmful particles from the air?
Make Your Own Compost Instead of buying compost, consider making your own. Creating your own garden compost is very easy to do, and has great benefits for the garden. By recycling garden and food waste, you can create a rich,moisture-retentive humus and your plants will profit from this natural addition to the soil. Compost heaps are also a surprisingly valuable habitat for wildlife. They may help to attract a wide variety of creatures into your garden, ranging from earthworms and frogs to hedgehogs and lizards.
Connect Your Garden to Next Door You can make your garden more connected, and thus more friendly to ground-dwelling native wildlife, by ensuring there’s access to surrounding gardens, helping to create a “green highway” for small mammals to safely travel around. By not welcoming wildlife, you’re reducing the diversity of your outdoor space. Martin suggests even cutting a small hole in your fence to help aid in this movement.
Reduce Energy Use With Solar-Powered Lights and Water Features “You could help to reduce the amount of electricity used in your garden by choosing solar-powered lights and water features,” Pip says. These lights store energy produced by natural light during the day, releasing it at night when needed. “They’re improving all the time,” he says of the solar-powered lights’ performance and design styles. “They’re very easy to install.”
Plant Natives to Support Pollinators and Wildlife One of the best ways to attract wildlife into your garden is to fill it with as many native plants as possible. Native wildflowers are well-adapted, easier to grow and maintain, more resistant to pests, and ideal for attracting bees and butterflies. Think about the entire year when designing a garden to attract wildlife. Put in nectar-rich plants for the winter and spring, too — ideal for early bees on warmer day. Herbs are a good choice, as they’re highly attractive to insects. Don’t forget a few night-scented flowers for moths.
Grow Fruits and Veggies A satisfying way to save money and reduce your environmental footprint is to try growing portions of your own food. Depending on your garden’s size and conditions, carrots, potatoes, apples, berries and more are all possible to grow at home. To support growing your own food, encourage insects to visit your garden. “Pollinators are so very important, so we need to do everything we can to encourage them into the garden. Put pollinator-attracting plants near your edible garden. “By having a flower-rich planting scheme, you’ll be providing them with a diverse range of nectar throughout the seasons.”
Be Water Wise “Water is a valuable resource and not one to be wasted, as every little drop counts,” Probert says. “Where possible, try to remove sprinkler systems or, if they’re necessary, set them on a timer for minimal use.” Drip systems can be a more efficient option. “There’s less waste, with the water going directly to the plant,” he says. Professionals advise using rainwater where possible to irrigate plants instead of taking it from a tap. Shipman suggests directing your roof’s downpipe, if accessible, to a rain barrel in order to collect rainwater from the roof. “Choose the biggest volume you can accommodate,” she says.
Keep Wildlife Refreshed Garden water features are valuable to wildlife. A pond provides a home for amphibians and insects, as well as drinking and bathing water for birds and mammals. If you don’t have room for a whole pond, a bird bath is a good option. In a very small garden, even just a dish of fresh water will keep animals and insects refreshed. Ceramic plant saucers are ideal. Insects will drink from these as well as mammals.
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