Create a wildlife haven
Attracting birds and insects is easy (and will make all the difference to your garden), says Caroline Donald
Turn your garden into an oasis for the birds and the bees
Basking in the sun at my back door the other day was a frog – a long way from the cosy cover of the compost heap or long grass frogs love, so I picked it up and took it back there for safety. As most gardeners know, a hungry frog means far fewer seedling-munching slugs and snails. Not everyone will go to the lengths of touching an amphibian, but if you’re keen to help out wildlife, and have a garden, you can pat yourself on your back: you’re halfway there just by having a patch of greenery. Whether it’s a perfect lawn with neat borders, or as messy as a teenager’s bedroom: wildlife loves it all. There’s tons you can do to get your green patch alive with wildlife – and what lovelier sounds are there in the garden than birdsong and the contented buzz of bees?
WHAT TO PLANT
There are plenty of plants that will provide both nectar and attract the small insects that are part of a bird’s diet in summer (and seeds or fruits in winter). Avoid any fancy doubleflowered hybrids, as it’s difficult for birds and insects to get at all that lovely energy-giving nectar. That's why simple daisy shapes are so popular: it’s as if their petals are all pointing to the centre saying ‘take me, take me’.
CREATE SHELTER
Leave a patch of grass long at the edge of your lawn, so creatures foraging for food have cover when they move into the borders. If you like your lawn buzz-cut to the last inch, keep the shagginess to the far end. And if you have lots of space, a path cut through a whole area – say, through a group of apple trees – looks terribly romantic, and saves on mowing!
FEED THE BIRDS
During summer, birds are more interested in juicy earthworms and insects than plants (though make sure you net your raspberries and currants, as they have a taste for them). You can, however, help the birds with food through the winter. Most of us know about putting out peanuts, but by resisting the temptation to cut plants down in autumn, the seed heads can be a nice canteen for birds and insects over winter, as well as providing shelter for the latter. Plant shrubs with berries and hips (see our list, below right) for winter snacks and, if you have apple trees, leave a few windfalls on the ground; the thrushes will love them. Not only will you be encouraging the great cycle of life in your garden, but identifying all the different species and watching them feed is better than telly!
GET DIRTY
Don’t be tempted to tidy away all the detritus in the garden – leave some for wildlife. Little piles of leaves, stacks of wood or even a compost heap give creatures, such as frogs and hedgehogs, somewhere to live.
GO BOXING
Hang up nesting boxes, well out of reach of cats – if you do it now, the birds in the garden will have got used to them by next season and start using them. You can also buy wooden ‘hotels’ for solitary bees (ones that don’t live in colonies).
Try notonthehighstreet.com – it has bee houses from £8.99 and local garden centres also sell them. Don’t forget that British bees rarely sting and are great for pollinating fruit, flowers and crops.
WATERING TIME
The single most essential thing to encourage wildlife, however, is water. Not everyone has a pond, but a shallow bowl – even a plastic one that goes under a large plant pot – is better than nothing. Again, make sure that the birds have somewhere to perch nearby, out of the way of cats.