A so-called “wild” garden is very beneficial to a wide variety of insects, vertebrates and birds. As the world becomes more and more deforested due to civilisation, the help of your garden is not insignificant, because every little change counts. So how can you make a difference?
Grow plants for butterflies and bees
Adult butterflies and moths feed on the nectar of any flower, which is the same as other pollinators. However, their caterpillars are picky and may prefer only one or two types of plants to live on. Therefore, plant a variety of shrubs in your garden that will flower at different times of the year. You can take inspiration from these:
- Fruit trees and Honeysuckle – for butterflies
- Catkins – for bees
- Daisies, Bluebells, Wild Carrots
Feed the birds
Make or get a bird feeder and feed the birds (it doesn’t have to be just in winter, it’s a lovely treat in summer too when they are happily singing at your windows. The type of seeds and food you put in the feeder will influence the species that visit your garden. For example, mealworms are a delicacy for insect eaters such as sparrows and titmice. However, in winter they will also be grateful for sunflowers or a bit of tallow. If you’d like to see some rarer visitors such as thistles in your garden, the best way to treat them is with thistle seeds.
Create compost in your garden
Choose a corner of your garden and create a compost heap using dead organic material and vegetation from your garden. It will be a safe haven for insects like worms and earthworms and you’ll be glad you did. Because although they are not very handsome, they are very beneficial to the soil. They improve its drainage and transfer important nutrients to its surface, which your plants will appreciate. Toss the compost in the autumn but don’t interfere with it during the winter, as it is a warm place where some animals such as hedgehogs can hibernate.