Making Your Garden a Haven for Local Wildlife
When we think of gardening, we tend to think of planting flowers, pruning trees and cutting the grass. But you can take steps to make your garden that little bit more pleasant by drawing local wildlife into it. There’s little more rewarding than seeing birds stopping off in your space, butterflies and bees flitting about and maybe even catching sight of a hedgehog or two. So, if this sounds like something appealing to you, here are a few steps you can take to make your garden a real haven for local wildlife!
When we think of gardening, we tend to think of planting flowers, pruning trees and cutting the grass. But you can take steps to make your garden that little bit more pleasant by drawing local wildlife into it. There’s little more rewarding than seeing birds stopping off in your space, butterflies and bees flitting about and maybe even catching sight of a hedgehog or two. So, if this sounds like something appealing to you, here are a few steps you can take to make your garden a real haven for local wildlife!
Fit Bird Feeders
The first and easiest step you can make towards seeing a little more wildlife in your garden is to install a bird feeder. Bird feeders are cheap and widely available, so are a great means of feeding the birds at a low cost. Just make sure the feeder you opt for is safe, sturdy, and secure. You can then hang it in a safe spot – preferably in wide open spaces, away from bushes or other foliage where cats can hide and sneak up on the birds while they feed.
When it comes to bird mix, there are plenty of options out there. They generally consist of seeds, but may also contain suet and fats that are great for birds heading into the winter months.
Install a Pond
By having a pond fitted in your garden, you create a whole new ecosystem that animals can travel far and wide to visit. Small mammals will stop off here to drink and other animals may actually make this space their home – including amphibians like frogs and newts. Just make sure that you have a professional build your pond, rather than digging a hole and filling it with water. This will make the space more presentable and stable.
You will also want to fit a pool filter like those available at https://www.swelluk.com/pond/pond-pumps-62/. Just bear in mind that a pond might not be the best feature if you have pets or small children, who can be in danger if they happen to fall in.
Create a Hedgehog Highway
Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures and only really come out during the night, so many of us don’t realise they are passing through our gardens on a pretty regular basis. But you should seriously consider installing a hedgehog highway in your garden.
The average hedgehog will roam between one and two miles every night in search of food, so creating a small gap in your fences for them to pass through saves them having to scale the fence or walk the long way around. Just make sure the hole in your fence panel is smoothly finished and sufficiently large for an adult hedgehog to pass through.
These, of course, are just a few areas you can focus on. There are plenty more you can try out too! But they’re great first steps towards making your garden a hub of wildlife activity.