How to encourage Wildlife in your garden.
With the increase in urbanisation and the reduction in natural meadows and woodlands it is very important that we do our piece for wildlife
within our gardens.
We enjoy our gardens for relaxing, entertaining and growing plants, shrubs and trees, it’s our way of reconnecting with nature.
It’s nice to enjoy the birds and many other wildlife such as frogs, hedgehogs, butterflies and dragonflies etc. We must also encourage insect
life as they are an important part of the natural food chain.
People think wildlife gardens have to be wild and overgrown but this is not the case. Grow a wide variety of Shrubs, trees and flowering plants.
The size of your garden will limit what you can plant.
Things we can do to.
1, Create a log pile, this creates a habitat for various insects, fungi, birds, hedgehogs, worms and frogs.
2, Leave some plants uncut over winter as it provides food and shelter for living things.
3, Reduce or stop the use of chemicals, particularly for the control of insects.
4, Build a garden pond, this is good for enjoying birdlife. Birds need water to drink and bathe in, frogs need water to reproduce in.
5, Control the cat if you have one. Put a bell on your cat as it acts as a warning to the birds.
6 Put up bird boxes for nesting. Make sure there placed in safe and sheltered areas away from cats gaining access.
7, Create a compost heap with garden waste, this is great for insects and worm life. Worms are great for aeration and mixing the soil. Later the compost is good to mix in with the soil.
8, Feed birds in winter with nuts, seeds and fat balls. Keep up a constant supply throughout the winter and early spring as birds remember the gardens with regular food and rely on them.
Wildlife pond
The pond is the single most important habitat for birds and wildlife in the garden.
Any size pond is good for encouraging wildlife. Create a pond with both shallow and deep areas.
Slope the sides and add rocks and pebbles so birds can wade in to bathe and drink, frogs and toads can climb in and out.
Aquatic plants are important also, frogs love to sit on lilie pads. Aquatic plants are good for aeration and help oxygenate the pond.
Other pond life you can expect are pond skaters, water beetles, pond snails, some areas fresh water mussels, harmless leeches and many more species that are too small to the naked eye.
In the spring and summer months dragonflies and damselflies fly around the pond surface, they feed on small flies and mosquito larva.
It’s not good to mix fish and frogs together as the fish eat tadpoles and the dragonfly larve. Small fish like sticklebacks and minnows can provide interest and not eat many tadpoles.
Insects
Ladybirds, lace wings, and hover flies live on aphids and many other insects considered less beneficial to gardens such as green fly.
Bees and Wasps help pollinate plants. We can create artificial homes for these insects to feed, breed and shelter in the garden by building insect and bug boxes.
Flowering Plants to encourage wildlife.
Dog rose- Birds feed on the hips, especially finches.
Primrose- Seeds for birds and nectar for bees.
Marigold- Nectar for bees.
Lavender- Flowers for bees and seeds for birds.
Honeysuckle- Nectar for bees and berries for birds.
Daisy’s- Fowers attract butterflies.
Ivy- Nectar for insects, berries for birds and also provides good shelter.
Buddleia, Sedum, Hebes and Broom- good for butterflies.
Hypericum- For bees and Hoverflys.
Aliums- For bees.
Kniphofia (red hot poker) - Birds especially sparrows love the nectar.
Trees for Wildlife
Oak, Chestnut, Beech, Birch, Ash, Cherry and Malus, Holly, Hazel, Willow,
Laburnum and common yew. Trees provide shelter and fruit and nuts for feeding.
The Lawn area is also very important for birds to rummage for worms. Birds who favour the lawns are song thrushes, blackbirds and starlings.
There are many more plants, so check with your garden centre for more details.
Don'ts
Don’t feed hedgehogs with bread and milk as it’s not good for their digestive system. If you want to feed them give them dog meat.
Don’t use slug pellets for slug control with plants like Hostas. Control slugs by pouring liquid garlic on the plants and this will deter them.
Don't cut back hedges during nesting season.
Links: www.birdwatchireland.ie
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