5 Ways To Attract Wildlife In Your Outdoor Space

With many species of wildlife looking to our gardens for food and shelter, it’s important to provide a space for the bees, birds and butterflies to feed, breed and live!

We love to see pictures of our customer’s garden projects, and so we thought we’d share a few tips on how to attract the adorable (and essential!) British wildlife into your garden.

1) Choose the right plants for your garden

Raised flower beds look great in your garden, and they’re a small, simple way of making a colourful environment that wildlife will thank you for.

Many popular bedding plants such as pansies or petunias are actually of little value to pollinators due to their low or inaccessible nectar content.

Here are some examples of flowers that are great for bees and butterflies:

> Forget me not

> Red campion

> Lavender

> Foxglove

> Chamomile

2) Hold off on the lawn maintenance!

Consider mowing your lawn less frequently, as it provides shelter for many insects.

The daisies, buttercups and clover that grow are an excellent food source for many critters as well!

In addition, the insects that are attracted will make a great food source for birds, bats and hedgehogs.

3) Plant trees and shrubs

Trees and shrubs provide a lovely shelter for wildlife whilst also helping to reduce noise pollution and combating climate change.

Here are some examples of trees that are great for birds, insects and mammals:

> Silver birch (provides food and habitat for over 300 species of insects as well as making a great home food birds, who also feed off of its seeds)

> Wild cherry (its flowers, fruit and leaves feed a variety of bees, caterpillars, birds and mammals)

> Dogwood (feeds insects, birds and mammals)

4) Create an inviting home!

You can easily make a hedgehog home from plywood, newspaper and straw!

From bee hotels to hedgehog homes, there are loads of options when it comes to housing your favourite wildlife creatures.

5) Have a good, old-fashioned watering hole

If space is tight in your outside area, then a simple bowl will do, and there are some decorative birdbath options that would look stunning in a small garden.

However, if you do have space, you could opt for a pond, as these are great for attracting insects and amphibians.

Like above, there are many options to buy, but you can also make your own.

Dig a hole and place an old washing up bowl or plant pot inside, fill with water and then surround it with rocks and plants for a natural look!

Make sure to keep your little pond clean and full, with extra attention taken in the warm summer months when the wildlife will need it most.