How To Attract Wildlife To Your Garden

Gardens are vital for wildlife to thrive. You could help to protect species from decline by providing mammals, birds and bugs with food, water and shelter. No matter if you have natural or artificial grass, you can tempt wildlife outside your home. Here are 5 easy ways to bring wildlife into your garden.

1. Hang Up Bird Feeders

Put up some bird feeders to attract birds to your garden. Choose a traditional bird house, or simply hang some feeders from a tree. If you have installed artificial grass, you can buy free standing bird houses with legs. This solves the issue of putting a post into the ground.

You could also add a bird bath, to give the birds a place to drink and clean their feathers. You’ll spend hours watching them out of your window with a cup of tea.

Your bird feeders will also attract squirrels, and other small animals such as mice will feed on the fallen nuts and seeds. Peanuts are the most popular for bird feeders, but you can also get sunflower seeds and suet balls – a woodpecker’s favourite.

2. Build a Hedgehog House

According to the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Hedgehogs have seen a rapid decline in numbers over the last two decades. It is more important than ever for us to provide shelter for these little spiky creatures.

You can buy a hedgehog shelter online, or make your own using this handy guide from the RSPB. Be sure to place it in a sheltered area, so that they aren’t at risk of attack from predators.

You can leave out some food, such as tinned cat food (not fish-based), to encourage hedgehogs to return. Specialist hedgehog food can be purchased from wildlife food suppliers.

Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, meaning that milk will cause them stomach issues. Instead, you should leave them out some fresh water in a shallow bowl.

3. Create a Garden Pond

Garden ponds are great habitats for frogs, toads, newts and many other creatures. They provide a great source of drinking water, food and shelter. You could even buy some fish to add to your pond for some colour and character – and they’ll also eat mosquito larvae.

You can build your own garden pond from scratch, or buy a pre-formed pond for an easy installation. Build your pond, wait for it to fill with rainwater, and watch as the wildlife flocks to your garden. Read our helpful blog post on how to build a garden pond for more information.

4. Plant Some Colourful Flowers

Planting colourful flowers will attract many different species of wildlife, from butterflies to birds. We have written a helpful guide featuring easy plants to grow outside.

Pansies, Poppies and Geraniums are all brightly coloured flowers which are easy to plant and maintain. Make sure you water them regularly and you’ll see wildlife begin to appear. Having an array of colourful flowers in your garden will also attract bees. To learn more about attracting bees to your garden, read our blog post.

5. Build a Compost Heap

Compost heaps will not only encourage wildlife to your garden, but you can also use it to fertilise your plants. Hedgehogs, birds and frogs will come to feed on the smaller animals and insects.

Start your compost heap by putting down a layer of carbon materials, such as twigs, leaves or straw. The next layer should be nitrogen materials, such as manure, grass clippings or vegetable waste. Add some topsoil to your pile and add some larger twigs to ensure air gets to the middle.

Maintain your compost heap by regularly stirring it and adding water every 6 weeks. If it begins to smell, reduce the number of nitrogen materials. You should see wildlife begin to appear after 4-6 weeks.

There are various different ways that you can aid nature to set up their own habitat within your garden or provide shelter for any passing by. If you’d like further inspiration to how you can set this up with artificial grass, contact a member of our team today!