How to Attract Wildlife to Your Garden

After a long winter spent inside our homes, spring is finally in the air and we are all experiencing a little bit of longed for vitamin D!

Roll on those balmy summer evenings when we can finally sit with a cold drink and chill, taking in the summer sounds and watching the wildlife in our gardens. It’s great to be able to attract an array of wildlife to our gardens and it’s not only fantastic for the environment, but it is an enjoyable and exciting process. Seeing the results of your hard work come to fruition is hugely satisfying.

Creating a wildlife-friendly garden will provide you with a source of joy all year round, allowing you to appreciate the wonders of the great outdoors.

So, what can you do to make your garden a haven for insects and wildlife?

Sow Wildflowers

Wildflowers are a simple, inexpensive, and beautiful way to attract wildlife into your garden.

Birds, bees, and butterflies are drawn to wildflowers, and within a short space of time, you will see them flocking to your garden to enjoy the beauty you have cultivated.

Many popular plants have been seriously overbred, meaning they do not provide a good nectar or pollen source, but Foxgloves and Bluebells are perfect examples of stunning wildflowers that are simple to grow and will attract a wealth of wildlife.

To create a wildflower patch in your garden:

• Remove the top few inches of soil.
• Rake the area.
• Sow a mixture of seeds into the soil.

You can contact your local Wildlife Trust who will be able to provide you with seeds that will flourish in your garden.

How 'wild' you want your patch to look is entirely up to you. You can choose to leave the flowers to work their magic, growing more beautiful as each season passes. Alternatively, you could conduct an annual mow towards the end of the summer for something a little tamer.

Provide a Water Source

A water source is an essential element of any wildlife-friendly garden. Birdbaths not only provide an excellent place for birds to bask and rehydrate, but they also look incredible in just about any outside space.
There are a couple of things to bear in mind when erecting a birdbath.

• The bath can freeze over in the winter months, causing potential danger to creatures attempting to access. Keep an eye on this and use boiling water to thaw should freezing occur.
• If you have a pet cat, you must ensure that it has a collar with a bell. Failure to do so may mean your efforts to attract birds to the home are somewhat in vain and your cat gets an extra helping of lunch.

If you want to take this one step further, you could consider investing in a water feature or a pond. Ponds also enable you to keep a broader range of plants, including water lilies to create a beautiful aesthetic and a fascinating underwater ecosystem. Make sure it’s safe if you have young children.

Build a Bee Hotel

Over the past few years, we have all been made aware of the importance of bees in the UK. A thriving population of bees is vital for pollinating a considerable proportion of foods that we eat.
A bee hotel provides a place for solitary bees to build a nest and mate. Solitary bees build their nests alone, and hollow tubes offer the perfect environment for this. Lend the creatures a helping hand by providing a ready-made place for them to nest.

• Situate your bee hotel close to a water source.
• Place it in direct sunlight, to increase its chances of thriving.

Provide Nesting Boxes

Birds will generally nest in holes inside trees. However, where appropriate trees are lacking, nesting boxes provide a handy alternative.

Adding a nesting box to your garden in the autumn can provide some much-needed respite for birds during the challenging winter months.

The boxes can be hung to trees, fences, or sheds, meaning there is a massive variety in where you can place them. However, you must set the box at least two meters from the ground. This is to minimise the risk of predators accessing the nest. It will also help reduce human interference with the habitat.

Nest boxes require very little maintenance. One annual clean in the autumn will be sufficient.

Don’t clean the box during the spring or summer, as it will likely be occupied, and you risk disrupting the bird’s home.

Provide a Food Source

One of the simplest methods to encourage wildlife into your garden is to provide a decent meal.

This can be as simple as putting out some nuts and seeds to feed the local birds. Different birds prefer different snacks. For example, woodpeckers enjoy peanuts and fat balls, whereas Robins prefer live foods such as mealworms. 

And don’t forget the hedgehogs! They love cat food, or you can purchase special dried pellets – but make sure you also leave some water close by.

Implement any or all of these easy tips and you will fill your outdoor space with an abundance of wildlife in the coming months.

Looking for a home with a garden worthy of wildlife? Contact us and we’ll be delighted to show you a range of properties that fit the bill. Call the Satchells team on 01462 410394 or email us at salesadmincentre@satchells.co.uk