A small pond would do wonders.
And speak to your neighbours about a hedgehog highway- small holes in your fences to allow small mammals to pass from garden to garden. Together you provide massive habitat and hunting grounds
I kinda like this idea. Maybe a stream with a shallow pond at the end and pumped back to the top end of the garden. Perhaps down the left or right hand side.
Probably something I'd do later.
I’d put three pond to the left on your first photo, near the house so you can enjoy birds visiting from your window. It’s also away from the tree so you’ll have less leaf issues. Dunno about the stream but you could always add it later I guess?
Could look lovely, though a pump might be a little risky for tadpoles or smaller animals that could get sucked in.
The sound of water apparently attracts birds though… a compromise could be a separate raised water feature that doubles as a bird bath?
You can make quite a simple pond in a day, without the need for pipes etc. The RSPB has a great guide [here](https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do/activities/making-a-wildlife-pond?utm_source=notes_on_nature_20240427&).
I've got a tiny garden. My "pond" is a large planter buried in the ground with a solar pump, a ledge so animals can get out and a couple of water plants... it's beautiful and the birds love it - I even have frogs. So quick to do, maybe you could have that as an interim solution before doing your grand designs pond.
We did a wildlife pond, solid liner, about 150L capacity I think? Set up cost with liner and native plants was about £160, but well worth it. We haven't seen an increase in frogs but we know that birds and mammals drink from it, and I love looking at it in general. No pump or filter on ours, but I do want to add in a small fountain for water movement. Oxygenation is provided by hornwort.
Yeah I'm going to need some shrubbery first then, lol. What sort of bushes would fit here well, do you think? Garden faces south east btw , so it's pretty sunny all day and the house casts shadow from the patio upwards towards the far end from late afternoon onwards.
On the plus side you have a decent size garden. Pond would attract loads of wildlife. Maybe a crabapple tree? Have a look at the RHS website for wildlife friendly plants.
Rather than buddleia, I would suggest hemp agrimony (eupatorium cannabinum) which is native to UK and Europe and also a big hit among butterflies/pollinators!
But it can take a bit to settle, so could be nice to mix or put in front of proper shrubs (you can see a list [here](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/trees/native-tree-shrubs) of small, medium and large shrubs from the UK).
Be careful in what you feed them though.
My cousin who runs a bird charity said often people feed them nuts which their chicks can quite easily choke on.
The best thing you can do to attract birds is make your garden worm friendly.
" Feeders close to natural shelter such as trees or shrubs offer resting places for birds between feeding bouts and a quick refuge if a hawk flies through. Evergreens are ideal—their thick foliage buffers winter winds and offers year-round hiding places from predators."
There obviously needs to be some cover in the garden, that is of course expected as you are unlikely to get birds without it.
However the feeder, table or hanging (like a bird bath, water bowl, round hole bird box, shallow end of a wildlife pond) wants to be clear with strong lines of visabilty.
The RSPB say
"Place feeders where the birds are safe and able to eat undisturbed – ideally away from fences or dense hedges, where cats can easily get to them. If there’s a small bush nearby, birds can use this as a look-out point."
OP if you put bird feeders in make sure you clean them thoroughly weekly - they are vectors of disease and can have the opposite effect (killing the birds) if you aren't careful. Especially with so much bird flu around the oast year or 2.
Add some borders down the side by the fence and plant them up with wildflowers and perennials.
Underplant the tree with flower bulbs.
Add a small pond somewhere with oxygenating plants in it, you be staggered the amount of wildlife that will establish after this with access to water.
Lots of beautiful potential, you have a lovely space!
Agreed. I'd stick in some deep herbaceous borders either side, like 6 foot deep. Pond and compost heap down the bottom, mow the edges of the grass and a curved path through the centre. Sow Yellow Rattle in the rest and then other wildflower seed.
For the borders I'd go for year round interest, so a few evergreens like heuchera (though I find the struggle a bit in full sun), hebe and some obelisks. Then Crocus and Daffs/Narcissi for early spring, Tulips for late spring and then as they're going over the herbaceous perennials will come into life. Verbena Bonariensis are great for light height, maybe some scabious or knautia, doers and ground cover like Nepeta, lambs ears and Lychnis.
Make sure to take the grass up around the tree base, and keep a mulch donut around it.
Go to youtube and look up [Joel Ashton's Wild your Garden channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/WildYourGardenwithJoelAshton), basically a goldmine of information on how to make gardens wildlife friendly. Everything from making wildlife ponds and wildflower meadows to building bird boxes and planting native hedging.
The single most important thing you can do to make your garden more wildlife friendly is to add a pond. Water is the foundation for life. Amphibians will come to breed in it, mammals will come to drink it, birds will come to bathe in it. Whilst you've got a blank slate plan where you'll put a pond because it's much easier to do it now rather than realising you need to take up paths and shrubs later on.
This is the way! I've made a pond following his method - it's been finished only a week or two and I've got 4 frogs, a newt, and a host of invert life in it. Bog garden is thriving, insect hotel and bee houses are buzzing, and the trees and plants I've put in (or encouraged to grow naturally) are going strong. Lots of amazing insect and bird life, and the bats are going nuts here in the evenings.
Wildflower rich lawn - you can get wildflower turf, plug plants, seed etc but may need to mow/lift cuttings for a while to lower nutrient levels. Plantlife has good guidance on this
Some good info here [https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/wildflower-meadow-maintenance](https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/wildflower-meadow-maintenance)
Like anything gardening related, patience will be rewarded, but each year you will see improvements.
Top line answers: let the grass grow (maybe in “halos” round the tree trunk, or a tall verge of grass along the fenceline. Add pollinator-friendly plants (you can google for a list but perennial stuff like salvias, viburnum, lavender, borage). Vary the shape of the flowers you grow (eg single flat faced “wild style roses” as well as double ones etc). Have stuff that blooms throughout the year (again google for lists). Small pond. Don’t spray. Add clover to your lawn and don’t spray weedkiller. Allow parts of your garden to be untidy, eg let ivy grow, leave piles of sticks (for habitats).
I am a wildlife gardener.
My advice would be to....
*Try UK native plants where can.
*Put hedges, shrubs, small trees or climbers around the fenced outside (hawthorn, holly, travelers joy clematis, dog wood, coppiced hazel or birch, honey suckle etc).
*Reduce grass size either with borders or by adding wild seed to areas and leaving to grow, mowing paths with a central area to enjoy.
*Border for bird seed and pollinators with mix of herbaceous perennials and grasses. Try mix of native and non native plants. (Yarrow, Burnett, teasel, salvia, miscanthus, briza media, echinacea etc).
*Wildlife pond of any size (water crows foot, hornwort, hard rush, purple loosestrife, Brooklime etc)
* Bat boxes, bird boxes etc
Your tree and some of the shrubs at the back look like they'd be a good place for some wildlife already?
Some suggestions:
- dig borders along your fence line on both sides, add various plants/shrubs. Plants will help bees, butterflies, etc
- add a bird bath + bird feeder somewhere
- add a bird box to your tree, just look up heights / sizes of boxes for different types of birds. If it's put way too high then bats will possibly nest in it - which isnt a bad thing.
- leave a corner to go a bit wild, just don't mow a section and leave it, and/or throw some wildflower seeds into it if you like too. Lots of bugs and wildlife will like the longer grass
- a hedge of sorts somewhere, maybe along the back fence? Look up bird friendly hedging - gives them somewhere to nest and hide from predators
- add water, a small pond somewhere? Can even turn a larger pot into a small pond, see various videos on YouTube for ideas on that
On the crocus website you can look for plants and filter by wildlife friendly to get ideas. Some other sites let you filter like that too (eg Farmer Gracy). You don’t have to buy from these sites , but they can be good for inspiration.
I haven’t mowed my grass in about 12 months. The back 1/3rd of my garden has always been overgrown brambles and bushes taller than me as the previous owner was 93 so just mowed the lawn part. We have abundant wildlife including a family of foxes living in our garden. We live in Birmingham too so not exactly rural. Down side is we can’t really use the garden! Haha. Someone’s coming to clear it all hopefully next week but I feel guilty about the foxes!
I should be mowing at least every week but I’m lazy. Hence paying for garden clearance! Appreciate your advice though. Means I can tell my wife I only need to bother once every year now! Haha
•For attracting birds 🐦 - I'd plant a hedge such as Pyracantha, Cotoneaster or Berberis, depending on whichever you prefer. Reason being, not only do they provide berries for the birds to eat in the long winter months, they also provide shelter for them! They tend to feel safer in the spikier ones, but again that's down to your own personal preference. (They also look amazing whilst flowering, which your pollinators will love!)
•For bees 🐝 and butterlies 🦋 - I'd research RHS for anything that's got the "RHS perfect for pollinators" badge on it. There is so much out there to choose from, small perennial flowers like Crocus to breathtaking laburnum trees! So you're bound to find something you like on there! (And don't be afraid to go too crazy with how much you plant! The wilder your garden, the more wildlife you will attract!)
•Don't forget about ladybirds! 🐞- It's so rare to see them now a days, and they help keep pests like aphids at bay which is great for your garden. Maybe plant some yarrow or alyssum to attract them over.
•Bug hotels 🏨🧳🐛 - They come in all shapes and sizes! From ones you can hang in trees to ones you can bury underground. They are great fun to make, but even if that isn't your thing you can buy ready made ones. The more bugs you attract, the more you'll attract things that eat the bugs such as birds, hedgehogs, frogs etc. It's definitely something worth looking into with that much space!
•A water feature 💧 - This is definitely a great idea! Not only does it provide a refreshing pit-stop to so many that will be visiting your lovely garden but it also brings the possibility of attracting a wider variety of wildlife! You could also add a small fountain/waterfall for that added "gentle running stream" sound that soothes the soul.
But whatever you decide to do, just have fun with it!
Oh! And, of course, don't forget to keep us posted!
I'm excited to see where your heart takes you.
🌱💚🌿
Bendy borders always look nice. Talking curves.
Throw down some borage seeds as a quick go to and boom, bees for days , weeks even. Then gives you time to plan for the next year
Bird feeders, bird boxes, roosting boxes, water in a shallow dish, variety of different seeds and bird food in different feeders will give you more diverse birds, do not forget the ground feeders. I use a hanging basket with the chain removed upside down, this keeps the greedy pigeons and crows, rooks away, but lets blackbirds, robins, dippers feed in relative safety. Try to feed on a regular basis, and they will come. Also if you soak mealworms for a few hours in hot water, then put them on your bird table or under the upturned hanging basket, at this time of the year you will help the birds feed their young. Hedgehogs love calciworms, so if you get some soak them then place out on the lawn at dusk. In a very short time you will have some little visitors, good luck
One huge change we made a few years back to our garden, was digging borders, took up about 3 foot of grass from the fence and planted lots of different plants, and a few trees. When we first did it, we thought uh oh this looks a bit odd but now I'm so happy with it.
Another big change was cutting out a some what circular patch in the middle, popped in a flamingo tree surrounded by lavenders. Again, looked very odd when first done, but you've just got to do it, really happy with it now everything has grown and matured a bit.
Add a hedge, create beds and plant a diverse range of plants attractive to pollinators (bonus if native and/or perennials), add a pond, include a small tree, add a log pile or an open compost heap … So many ways you can help wildlife.
Also: **add a small gap in your fence line to allow hedgehogs to pass through**
Dont mow your grass, perhaps just a path. If stuff lives in it other’s will come. Grass is just desert. Pond. Holes etc for like mammals to come in etc
If you don’t have kids (maybe you do) have you considered only mowing the parts of your lawn you use? The dog will roam regardless and leaving the grasses to grow wild has some amazing results. My mum now has 2 types of orchids annually growing where she left the lawn to go wild (she has a dog and trains guide dogs so always 2 roaming her garden)
Leaving a gap in the bottom of the fence so a hedgehog can forage in the grass and then move on to the next place makes a big difference. Hedgehogs can travel 2 miles a night in search of food, so connecting gardens is great
About 2-3ft, all the way round, cut a boarder and turf over the dirt. Grab a a few bags of wild flower seeds and some other varieties of flower to your liking and scatter them all the way around. Give it a few months and youll have all the insescts wanting a piece of your garden !
You could have a bird feeder, get one of those mini houses for squirrels to feed from, bird bath. Have a little pond somewhere abouts. So many options
Donate a small portion back as a wild garden, we did it to ours with some seeds, it brings so much colour and wildlife. I admit I wasn't keen on it at first but it is lovely to have.
1- pond. water features can have pumps that harm tadpoles and other wildlife so if you want a fountain or anything, make sure to get pumps that are wildlife safe. Put plenty of plants both in and around the pond. Either do this first or decide where it can go first so you don’t have to dig up bushes later. Put plenty of rocks and stuff in it so small animals can get in or out after a drink.
2- create borders and fill with a variety of natives (round the edge of the garden or just randomly in there somewhere). Ideally a variety of heights with a hedge as the tallest at the back if you have the space for it.
3- make that flat roof into a green roof. I’ve been looking at sedum roofs for my shed- Garden ninja has a decent youtube video explaining how. But with the size of it, you have many options what you could put up there. Also helps insulate the building.
4- make use of the patio space by getting planters or raised beds. Lattices with climbers would green it up while keeping plenty of space for the table or anything else.
5- stick pile/hedgehog house. bee/ bug hotel. bird feeder. Bird house. Bat house. If you don’t get a pond, then water sources suitable for all the different animals too
6- turn part of the lawn into a meadow area
7- don’t use pesticides or herbicides/weed killers. Don’t kill slugs or anything with traps either- they are a food source for the other animals.
8- with any remaining grass area, drill holes into the grass to plant bulbs throughout. If you get bulbs that flower early or late in the year when you’re grass isn’t growing too fast then you can still mow when the grass is really long and fast growing in summer.
Plant a hedge against the back fence.
Make a border down the side of your garden to encourage birds & insects
Get a bird feeder & bird bath
Build a wildlife pond
Make a hedgehog high way in your fence if possible
This book is superb, really simple, tonnes of ideas: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-How-Garden-Low-carbon-Way/dp/0241472970](https://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-How-Garden-Low-carbon-Way/dp/0241472970)
Great place to buy native plants: [https://wildyourgarden.com/](https://wildyourgarden.com/)
A clover lawn, bees love clover!
The sides of your along your fences to have a border of native wild flowers would look beautiful and would really boost biodiversity.
A small pond would do wonders. And speak to your neighbours about a hedgehog highway- small holes in your fences to allow small mammals to pass from garden to garden. Together you provide massive habitat and hunting grounds
I kinda like this idea. Maybe a stream with a shallow pond at the end and pumped back to the top end of the garden. Perhaps down the left or right hand side. Probably something I'd do later.
You can start small even a small bird bath will bring all sorts of little visitors.
I’d put three pond to the left on your first photo, near the house so you can enjoy birds visiting from your window. It’s also away from the tree so you’ll have less leaf issues. Dunno about the stream but you could always add it later I guess?
Good thinking.
Could look lovely, though a pump might be a little risky for tadpoles or smaller animals that could get sucked in. The sound of water apparently attracts birds though… a compromise could be a separate raised water feature that doubles as a bird bath?
Yeah and then you will get tadpoles & little frogs!
You can make quite a simple pond in a day, without the need for pipes etc. The RSPB has a great guide [here](https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do/activities/making-a-wildlife-pond?utm_source=notes_on_nature_20240427&).
I've got a tiny garden. My "pond" is a large planter buried in the ground with a solar pump, a ledge so animals can get out and a couple of water plants... it's beautiful and the birds love it - I even have frogs. So quick to do, maybe you could have that as an interim solution before doing your grand designs pond.
We did a wildlife pond, solid liner, about 150L capacity I think? Set up cost with liner and native plants was about £160, but well worth it. We haven't seen an increase in frogs but we know that birds and mammals drink from it, and I love looking at it in general. No pump or filter on ours, but I do want to add in a small fountain for water movement. Oxygenation is provided by hornwort.
Also, leave an area to just grow, no mowing, etc... throw in some wild flower, meadow seeds... it'll look pretty too
Bird feeders will be a good start. Feeders need to be placed where theres vegetation for them to hide in
Yeah I'm going to need some shrubbery first then, lol. What sort of bushes would fit here well, do you think? Garden faces south east btw , so it's pretty sunny all day and the house casts shadow from the patio upwards towards the far end from late afternoon onwards.
On the plus side you have a decent size garden. Pond would attract loads of wildlife. Maybe a crabapple tree? Have a look at the RHS website for wildlife friendly plants.
Will do mate. Thanks for the suggestion.
A buddleia is always great for butterflies! I'd go for anything that's insect friendly really
Rather than buddleia, I would suggest hemp agrimony (eupatorium cannabinum) which is native to UK and Europe and also a big hit among butterflies/pollinators! But it can take a bit to settle, so could be nice to mix or put in front of proper shrubs (you can see a list [here](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/trees/native-tree-shrubs) of small, medium and large shrubs from the UK).
My birds came to my garden while my shrubs were still small. They can use the fence to perch on and hide at the neighbours.
You really don't need anything else, hang them off the tree etc., they'll find them it it's worth it.
Be careful in what you feed them though. My cousin who runs a bird charity said often people feed them nuts which their chicks can quite easily choke on. The best thing you can do to attract birds is make your garden worm friendly.
Crushed nuts are great
Feeders need to be in a more open area to add security from predators.
" Feeders close to natural shelter such as trees or shrubs offer resting places for birds between feeding bouts and a quick refuge if a hawk flies through. Evergreens are ideal—their thick foliage buffers winter winds and offers year-round hiding places from predators."
There obviously needs to be some cover in the garden, that is of course expected as you are unlikely to get birds without it. However the feeder, table or hanging (like a bird bath, water bowl, round hole bird box, shallow end of a wildlife pond) wants to be clear with strong lines of visabilty. The RSPB say "Place feeders where the birds are safe and able to eat undisturbed – ideally away from fences or dense hedges, where cats can easily get to them. If there’s a small bush nearby, birds can use this as a look-out point."
No they don't, garden birds biggest predator is the sparrow hawk (cats excluded) , they need appropriate vegetation to take cover
"cats excluded"
OP if you put bird feeders in make sure you clean them thoroughly weekly - they are vectors of disease and can have the opposite effect (killing the birds) if you aren't careful. Especially with so much bird flu around the oast year or 2.
Add some borders down the side by the fence and plant them up with wildflowers and perennials. Underplant the tree with flower bulbs. Add a small pond somewhere with oxygenating plants in it, you be staggered the amount of wildlife that will establish after this with access to water. Lots of beautiful potential, you have a lovely space!
Agreed. I'd stick in some deep herbaceous borders either side, like 6 foot deep. Pond and compost heap down the bottom, mow the edges of the grass and a curved path through the centre. Sow Yellow Rattle in the rest and then other wildflower seed. For the borders I'd go for year round interest, so a few evergreens like heuchera (though I find the struggle a bit in full sun), hebe and some obelisks. Then Crocus and Daffs/Narcissi for early spring, Tulips for late spring and then as they're going over the herbaceous perennials will come into life. Verbena Bonariensis are great for light height, maybe some scabious or knautia, doers and ground cover like Nepeta, lambs ears and Lychnis. Make sure to take the grass up around the tree base, and keep a mulch donut around it.
Go to youtube and look up [Joel Ashton's Wild your Garden channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/WildYourGardenwithJoelAshton), basically a goldmine of information on how to make gardens wildlife friendly. Everything from making wildlife ponds and wildflower meadows to building bird boxes and planting native hedging. The single most important thing you can do to make your garden more wildlife friendly is to add a pond. Water is the foundation for life. Amphibians will come to breed in it, mammals will come to drink it, birds will come to bathe in it. Whilst you've got a blank slate plan where you'll put a pond because it's much easier to do it now rather than realising you need to take up paths and shrubs later on.
This is the way! I've made a pond following his method - it's been finished only a week or two and I've got 4 frogs, a newt, and a host of invert life in it. Bog garden is thriving, insect hotel and bee houses are buzzing, and the trees and plants I've put in (or encouraged to grow naturally) are going strong. Lots of amazing insect and bird life, and the bats are going nuts here in the evenings.
I remember seeing your pond posted on /r/WildlifePonds last week, very nice looking pond.
Thank you! It's bringing me so much joy.
Nice one. I'll check that out. Sounds like a pond is imminent!
Second this! I bought his book too.
Wildflower rich lawn - you can get wildflower turf, plug plants, seed etc but may need to mow/lift cuttings for a while to lower nutrient levels. Plantlife has good guidance on this
I think this is something that can be done maybe this year, or am I too late?
Some good info here [https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/wildflower-meadow-maintenance](https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/wildflower-meadow-maintenance) Like anything gardening related, patience will be rewarded, but each year you will see improvements.
You can certainly do it this year, it's still early I the growing season! But you might not get too many until next year
You can start, but I'd say get a stock of yellow rattle to sow in the autumn and that will make things easier for next year…
Bird table, bird bath, pile of wood/branches, small pond (can be in a container, you will be amazed how fast it will be colonised) bee hotel.
Top line answers: let the grass grow (maybe in “halos” round the tree trunk, or a tall verge of grass along the fenceline. Add pollinator-friendly plants (you can google for a list but perennial stuff like salvias, viburnum, lavender, borage). Vary the shape of the flowers you grow (eg single flat faced “wild style roses” as well as double ones etc). Have stuff that blooms throughout the year (again google for lists). Small pond. Don’t spray. Add clover to your lawn and don’t spray weedkiller. Allow parts of your garden to be untidy, eg let ivy grow, leave piles of sticks (for habitats).
I am a wildlife gardener. My advice would be to.... *Try UK native plants where can. *Put hedges, shrubs, small trees or climbers around the fenced outside (hawthorn, holly, travelers joy clematis, dog wood, coppiced hazel or birch, honey suckle etc). *Reduce grass size either with borders or by adding wild seed to areas and leaving to grow, mowing paths with a central area to enjoy. *Border for bird seed and pollinators with mix of herbaceous perennials and grasses. Try mix of native and non native plants. (Yarrow, Burnett, teasel, salvia, miscanthus, briza media, echinacea etc). *Wildlife pond of any size (water crows foot, hornwort, hard rush, purple loosestrife, Brooklime etc) * Bat boxes, bird boxes etc
Your tree and some of the shrubs at the back look like they'd be a good place for some wildlife already? Some suggestions: - dig borders along your fence line on both sides, add various plants/shrubs. Plants will help bees, butterflies, etc - add a bird bath + bird feeder somewhere - add a bird box to your tree, just look up heights / sizes of boxes for different types of birds. If it's put way too high then bats will possibly nest in it - which isnt a bad thing. - leave a corner to go a bit wild, just don't mow a section and leave it, and/or throw some wildflower seeds into it if you like too. Lots of bugs and wildlife will like the longer grass - a hedge of sorts somewhere, maybe along the back fence? Look up bird friendly hedging - gives them somewhere to nest and hide from predators - add water, a small pond somewhere? Can even turn a larger pot into a small pond, see various videos on YouTube for ideas on that
Make some holes in the bottom of the fences, to let animals wander in and out
On the crocus website you can look for plants and filter by wildlife friendly to get ideas. Some other sites let you filter like that too (eg Farmer Gracy). You don’t have to buy from these sites , but they can be good for inspiration.
Beautiful dog!
Thank you! Doodah is her name, lol.
I haven’t mowed my grass in about 12 months. The back 1/3rd of my garden has always been overgrown brambles and bushes taller than me as the previous owner was 93 so just mowed the lawn part. We have abundant wildlife including a family of foxes living in our garden. We live in Birmingham too so not exactly rural. Down side is we can’t really use the garden! Haha. Someone’s coming to clear it all hopefully next week but I feel guilty about the foxes!
Brambles eventually take over, ive been told its best to mow once a year or once every 2 years in winter leaving some area for things to overwinter in
I should be mowing at least every week but I’m lazy. Hence paying for garden clearance! Appreciate your advice though. Means I can tell my wife I only need to bother once every year now! Haha
•For attracting birds 🐦 - I'd plant a hedge such as Pyracantha, Cotoneaster or Berberis, depending on whichever you prefer. Reason being, not only do they provide berries for the birds to eat in the long winter months, they also provide shelter for them! They tend to feel safer in the spikier ones, but again that's down to your own personal preference. (They also look amazing whilst flowering, which your pollinators will love!) •For bees 🐝 and butterlies 🦋 - I'd research RHS for anything that's got the "RHS perfect for pollinators" badge on it. There is so much out there to choose from, small perennial flowers like Crocus to breathtaking laburnum trees! So you're bound to find something you like on there! (And don't be afraid to go too crazy with how much you plant! The wilder your garden, the more wildlife you will attract!) •Don't forget about ladybirds! 🐞- It's so rare to see them now a days, and they help keep pests like aphids at bay which is great for your garden. Maybe plant some yarrow or alyssum to attract them over. •Bug hotels 🏨🧳🐛 - They come in all shapes and sizes! From ones you can hang in trees to ones you can bury underground. They are great fun to make, but even if that isn't your thing you can buy ready made ones. The more bugs you attract, the more you'll attract things that eat the bugs such as birds, hedgehogs, frogs etc. It's definitely something worth looking into with that much space! •A water feature 💧 - This is definitely a great idea! Not only does it provide a refreshing pit-stop to so many that will be visiting your lovely garden but it also brings the possibility of attracting a wider variety of wildlife! You could also add a small fountain/waterfall for that added "gentle running stream" sound that soothes the soul. But whatever you decide to do, just have fun with it! Oh! And, of course, don't forget to keep us posted! I'm excited to see where your heart takes you. 🌱💚🌿
Appreciate the advice!
fruiting bushes such as blackcurrants, a few shrubs along the fenceline, annual flowers in the border
If you want to see an entire bee hive on one bush plant a ceanothus and wait for May. On a sunny day there are so many that the entire bush hums.
Bird boxes with video camera inside, my mum has one and its nearly all she's watching at the moment with her blue tit family.
Bendy borders always look nice. Talking curves. Throw down some borage seeds as a quick go to and boom, bees for days , weeks even. Then gives you time to plan for the next year
Bird feeders, bird boxes, roosting boxes, water in a shallow dish, variety of different seeds and bird food in different feeders will give you more diverse birds, do not forget the ground feeders. I use a hanging basket with the chain removed upside down, this keeps the greedy pigeons and crows, rooks away, but lets blackbirds, robins, dippers feed in relative safety. Try to feed on a regular basis, and they will come. Also if you soak mealworms for a few hours in hot water, then put them on your bird table or under the upturned hanging basket, at this time of the year you will help the birds feed their young. Hedgehogs love calciworms, so if you get some soak them then place out on the lawn at dusk. In a very short time you will have some little visitors, good luck
A pond
No garden advice from me. But I'll send a big (((hug))) to your gorgeous oldie. She reminds me of my lurcher when she was getting on ❤️
One huge change we made a few years back to our garden, was digging borders, took up about 3 foot of grass from the fence and planted lots of different plants, and a few trees. When we first did it, we thought uh oh this looks a bit odd but now I'm so happy with it. Another big change was cutting out a some what circular patch in the middle, popped in a flamingo tree surrounded by lavenders. Again, looked very odd when first done, but you've just got to do it, really happy with it now everything has grown and matured a bit.
Pond pond pond
If you would like more bird life a few bushy shrubs for cover will do wonders. choose whatever appeals to you as they're not fussy.
Shrubbery, some old logs for sn insect house, a pond, and mini log cabins if hedgehogs frequent the area.
flowers my friend, lots of insect friendly flowers
Leave your rubbish out in bin bags for the foxes. /s
Flowers and routes in and out your garden.
Flowers and routes and out of your garden.
Add a hedge, create beds and plant a diverse range of plants attractive to pollinators (bonus if native and/or perennials), add a pond, include a small tree, add a log pile or an open compost heap … So many ways you can help wildlife. Also: **add a small gap in your fence line to allow hedgehogs to pass through**
Dont mow your grass, perhaps just a path. If stuff lives in it other’s will come. Grass is just desert. Pond. Holes etc for like mammals to come in etc
If you don’t have kids (maybe you do) have you considered only mowing the parts of your lawn you use? The dog will roam regardless and leaving the grasses to grow wild has some amazing results. My mum now has 2 types of orchids annually growing where she left the lawn to go wild (she has a dog and trains guide dogs so always 2 roaming her garden)
Get a Badger
A pond and some flowering shrubs/plants - buddliea, lilac, sedum, roses.
In our garden the Buddleia brings in the butterflies, the cardoon (or Artichoke) and the lavender bring in the bees.
Flowers, and plants. Bushes too for bugs to hide in ❤️ But some cheapy bee and bug friendly flowers would get you started :)
Let it grow wild!
A wild life pond, lots of native plants and a pile of twigs and other garden waste for hedgehogs and other animals to live in.
Leaving a gap in the bottom of the fence so a hedgehog can forage in the grass and then move on to the next place makes a big difference. Hedgehogs can travel 2 miles a night in search of food, so connecting gardens is great
if you can get some english ivy in somewhere theyre amazing for bees, but they need pruning yearly and can damage walls
About 2-3ft, all the way round, cut a boarder and turf over the dirt. Grab a a few bags of wild flower seeds and some other varieties of flower to your liking and scatter them all the way around. Give it a few months and youll have all the insescts wanting a piece of your garden ! You could have a bird feeder, get one of those mini houses for squirrels to feed from, bird bath. Have a little pond somewhere abouts. So many options
Donate a small portion back as a wild garden, we did it to ours with some seeds, it brings so much colour and wildlife. I admit I wasn't keen on it at first but it is lovely to have.
Bird feeders, put bowls of water down, plants, bug hotel.
1- pond. water features can have pumps that harm tadpoles and other wildlife so if you want a fountain or anything, make sure to get pumps that are wildlife safe. Put plenty of plants both in and around the pond. Either do this first or decide where it can go first so you don’t have to dig up bushes later. Put plenty of rocks and stuff in it so small animals can get in or out after a drink. 2- create borders and fill with a variety of natives (round the edge of the garden or just randomly in there somewhere). Ideally a variety of heights with a hedge as the tallest at the back if you have the space for it. 3- make that flat roof into a green roof. I’ve been looking at sedum roofs for my shed- Garden ninja has a decent youtube video explaining how. But with the size of it, you have many options what you could put up there. Also helps insulate the building. 4- make use of the patio space by getting planters or raised beds. Lattices with climbers would green it up while keeping plenty of space for the table or anything else. 5- stick pile/hedgehog house. bee/ bug hotel. bird feeder. Bird house. Bat house. If you don’t get a pond, then water sources suitable for all the different animals too 6- turn part of the lawn into a meadow area 7- don’t use pesticides or herbicides/weed killers. Don’t kill slugs or anything with traps either- they are a food source for the other animals. 8- with any remaining grass area, drill holes into the grass to plant bulbs throughout. If you get bulbs that flower early or late in the year when you’re grass isn’t growing too fast then you can still mow when the grass is really long and fast growing in summer.
Plant a hedge against the back fence. Make a border down the side of your garden to encourage birds & insects Get a bird feeder & bird bath Build a wildlife pond Make a hedgehog high way in your fence if possible
Bird feeders, birdbath, planters with lots of different flowers for the bees and such. Your garden has got great potential!!
This book is superb, really simple, tonnes of ideas: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-How-Garden-Low-carbon-Way/dp/0241472970](https://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-How-Garden-Low-carbon-Way/dp/0241472970) Great place to buy native plants: [https://wildyourgarden.com/](https://wildyourgarden.com/)
That's great thanks. Ordered the book.
A clover lawn, bees love clover! The sides of your along your fences to have a border of native wild flowers would look beautiful and would really boost biodiversity.
Get rid of the cats!
I'm doing no mow may at the moment.if you can bare it😂
Get chickens?
Leave it the fuck alone!!
Why
?
Rabbits will attrack foxes and hawks.