Wildlife needs food, water, shelter and nesting sites. You can provide these necessities by planting native species that provide berries, seeds or nectar, or by choosing flowering plants with different bloom times to provide continuous food sources.
Numerous insects and arachnids spend their winter in leaf “litter”, providing essential ecosystem services. By leaving this material undisturbed or postponing cleanup efforts for as long as possible, beneficial insects and spiders will have ample time to complete their life cycles and continue doing their work.
Create a Variety of Habitats
Attracting wildlife into your garden requires providing them with what they need: food, water and shelter – that is the essence of habitat gardening. You can build this outdoor space in various ways – even small spaces! Simply adding a bird feeder, shrubs or trees and adding a pond will be enough to turn any backyard into a wildlife oasis! Adding native species that provide flowers, fruit nuts or flowering perennials also attract many different kinds of creatures into your space.
Diversity is key when creating an ideal habitat in your yard. Aim to have an abundance of plant types and textures ranging from shaded or sunny areas, dry or wet conditions, as well as dry rocky or sandy textures in each corner of your space. Also aim for year-round vegetation that provides food, cover and places for wildlife to nest – some plants may provide these benefits during spring/summer, but others will prove more useful during fall or winter.
Allow your garden to become wild. A more wild garden creates more diverse habitats that attract wildlife; plus it will attract pollinators that prey upon pests that reduces pesticide usage.
At the core of habitat gardening lies creating places for wildlife to rest and shelter in your garden, whether that means offering rock piles, logs and twig piles as cover material, thickets of brambles or leaving dead branches scattered about as sheltering areas in unobtrusive parts of your garden.
Last but not least, you must avoid overwatering your garden and using fertilizers containing harmful chemicals. Furthermore, to decrease light pollution you should avoid turning on outdoor lighting too early or late at night as this disrupts wildlife’s natural wake/sleep cycles and disrupts their wake up cycles. Finally, organic cultivation practices should always be utilized instead of using synthetic pesticides or herbicides in your garden.
Create a Water Source
Water is essential to all wildlife, and one of the easiest elements to add to any garden. Even small amounts can bring an array of creatures ranging from frogs and newts to dragonflies and birdlife into your space. A pond can make your garden even more wildlife-friendly; but even without space a water feature like a water butt or bird bath will do just as well.
Wild animals need access to clean water sources for drinking and bathing purposes. While a pond or stream would provide an ideal setting, most gardens don’t allow this habitat. Therefore, adding a water feature provides an effective alternative way of providing wildlife watching opportunities while giving close up encounters with nature.
Recirculating fountains offer an economical and straightforward solution, collecting water at its base in a basin and pumping it back up towards the structure’s peak. Other options may include waterfalls, core-drilled boulders with water flowing over them or formal fountains.
All these features add beauty and interest to your garden, but will likely be most appreciated by birds, insects, and other wildlife. Moving water can mask noise from traffic or neighbours while simultaneously being soothing to humans.
If you have a paved garden, creating wildlife-friendly habitat by letting part of it turn into a wild meadow or planting native shrubs will attract wildlife into your garden and provide shelter and food. Planting fruit trees with seeds for wildlife to eat is another effective way of encouraging them to visit.
Nesting boxes can make an invaluable contribution to wildlife conservation in an age when natural nesting sites for birds are disappearing, and installing one is an invaluable act of preservation. Dovecote-shaped nesting boxes are easiest for novice builders, although other designs exist as well. Make sure that before creating one you consult your local conservation group.
Provide Food
Many species of birds and insects rely on your garden plants as food sources for them, making native plants, shrubs and trees an easy way to provide an array of sustenance for local wildlife. Nurseries or cooperative extension offices may help you select an array of options suitable to your climate – look out for varieties labeled bird, butterfly or pollinator friendly when choosing suitable plant varieties.
As part of your landscaping plans, consider including plants with berries and nuts as additional food sources for wildlife in winter months. Make sure that birdbaths have regular breaks in ice so as to provide shelter and provide enough room for birdlife and amphibians; consider also creating a small pond or water garden to offer shelter to frogs and other forms of life; use drip irrigation systems to control how much water flows into your garden at one time – these systems also allow you to reduce water usage while giving you control over how much water comes through.
Wood piles provide shelter and cover for insects, birds and other forms of wildlife in your yard. Birds may use it as shelter from predators. Make sure to regularly check on it and move it if it becomes overgrown; avoid using chemical-laden fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides in the yard as these could harm wildlife and children alike.
Leave some dead branches or snags in the corners of your garden as shelter for birds and other wildlife, such as tall grass growing tall and wild to provide cover. Make your yard less manicured to encourage growth of berry-producing plants, herbs and natural foods; adjust outdoor lighting so as not to disturb animals’ sleep cycles.
Establishing an environment in your garden that welcomes wildlife is both enjoyable and rewarding, while simultaneously encouraging biodiversity. Our team of professionals are available to assist with planning new gardens or making existing spaces wildlife friendly – contact us now to set up a consultation appointment.
Provide Shelter
Additions of food, water and shelter can have a significant impact on local and migratory wildlife in any outdoor space – be it suburban plot, city park or corporate campus gardening. By taking just a few simple steps, your property can support local birds and animals while simultaneously creating a stunning eco-friendly backyard for yourself!
Planting native trees, shrubs and bushes helps create an ecosystem right at home. Look for species that provide birds with food sources like nuts or berries; consult an expert gardener from a nursery about finding varieties adapted to your climate zone.
Birds and insects need shelter for protection from predators and harsh weather conditions as well as to raise young. A range of structures such as birdhouses, bat boxes and nesting sites such as hollow tree branches or old logs provide such shelter; you could also add brush piles of branches, leaves and twigs in less noticeable spots to provide cover without disrupting your garden’s overall aesthetics.
Reduce chemical and pesticide usage on your property to make it more wildlife-friendly, including herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers that harm wildlife as well as pets. Look for organic options which won’t harm the environment and are safer around children, pets and gardens.
Humane backyards provide wildlife with sanctuary from humans and their pet activities. Designing animal-friendly outdoor spaces are becoming increasingly essential as habitat loss continues across the United States.
An eco-friendly backyard can be created in any outdoor space, regardless of its size or budget. From apartment balconies to townhomes with small yards or sprawling suburban landscapes, creating wildlife-friendly living areas can start immediately. Follow this article’s tips on turning your outdoor living area into a wildlife refuge that supports nature while increasing property values.
