The First Steps
1. Stop using garden chemicals Insecticides will kill the pests they are
supposed to kill, but can also harm other creatures. For example slug pellets will kill slugs but can also harm hedgehogs and black beetles, both of which eat slugs. Herbicides can harm worms and other creatures that live in the soil.2. Native plants are the ones the insects and other creatures usually feed on so they attract more wildlife. Native wild flowers are attractive and can easily be grown in a flower border. Native trees and shrubs can be used as an attractive hedge. If you want the creatures to live in your garden then you need to provide them with habitats.
3. The ‘woodland edge’. The edge of a wood is a great habitat for many creatures because it has many layers of plants. If you have no room for a tree then a hedge or climbing plants over a trellis can be used to create a high level. Shrubs should be grown below this and at ground level woodland wild flowers. It is also important to have dead and decaying material on the soil surface. This will provide hiding places for creatures. Forest bark or leafmould can be used for this.
4. Lawns and wildflower ’meadows’ If you leave areas of lawn uncut for a few months wildflowers and grasses will have the chance to grow. These will provide a new habitat for insects and small mammals. For a ‘spring meadow’, leave the grass uncut until the end of June. Then cut it down. After cutting leave the grass to give the seeds time to fall before raking. Rake off the hay. For the rest of the year mow as normal. For a ‘late summer meadow’ keep the grass roughly cut in early summer, then leave it until late September when it should be cut and raked. Removing the dead material is needed to reduce soil fertility, which encourages wildflowers.
5. Ponds. A pond will quickly attract a huge range of creatures such as beetles, pondskaters, damselflies, frogs and toads. The pond will also provide a place for birds to bathe and drink. A pond should be in an open sunny space and the larger it is the better. However, even a small pond will attract plenty of wildlife. A wildlife pond must have some shallow edges to allow creatures to climb in and out and in one place a minimum depth of 60cm. It should also have plants around it on at least one side.
6. Old walls and log piles. Many wildflowers grow well in gaps in rocks and old walls. The gaps between the rocks are ideal homes for many insects and small animals. A pile of logs is also a good place for insects and small animals to hide. Flowers will attract butterflies, bees, hoverflies and other nectar and pollen feeding creatures. Removing the dead material is needed to reduce soil fertility, which encourages wildflowers.
Other ideas
Attractant plants
Flowers such as buddleja and poached egg plant will attract butterflies, bees, hoverflies and other nectar and pollen feeding creatures. Once these are in your garden, the birds and small animals that feed on them will follow. See the plant list on this leaflet for ideas.
Bird-table
A regular supply of food for birds in the winter months can be a life saver. A bird table provides a safe place for birds to feed. It should be in an open site so that cats cannot hide, and catch birds unawares.
Shelter
Many birds, bats and hedgehogs will adopt man-made structures as a home if there is no suitable alternative cover. These boxes can be bought or made.
The compost heap
This will provide an ideal hiding place for many creatures. Worms, beetles and other insects that help the decaying process can be found there, as well as larger creatures such as toads.
