Gardening for Wildlife
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UK's gardens provide more green spaces than all the designated National Nature Reserves combined. If these gardens are managed for the benefit of wildlife, then we will help species to thrive at a time of habitat loss and climate change.
Your garden has the potential to greatly benefit the wildlife in your area by providing food and shelter. It can be very rewarding to watch your garden come to life, here are some ideas to give you inspiration.
- Bird boxes and the Nestbox Challenge!
Why not put up nestboxes for garden birds? You can try out some of the more unusual bird box designs as these provide homes for a greater variety of species. For more information visit The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Helpful Hint - put up your nest box in a sheltered spot, such as under the eave of your house for swifts.
- Dig a wildlife pond!
A pond, whether big or small, can support a wealth of aquatic life. Natural England have many publications on wildlife gardening and ponds.
Helpful Hint - Avoid having fish in your pond as they will eat many of the other aquatic life, or alternatively create shallow areas in your pond.
- Create a wildflower meadow or a flowering lawn
This can be as simple as just buying a packet of seed and sprinkling the contents across your raked lawn. Natural England have an informative leaflet on creating meadows.
Helpful Hint - Why not try to convert part of your lawn by only cutting once a year in Autumn.
- Plant a native hedgerow
Hedgerows are very important for a range of species by providing flowers and fruit for birds and insects. They also act as a ‘wildlife corridor’, allowing animals to move between habitats. See the BTCV handbooks for guidance on planting and maintaining a natural boundary.
Helpful Hint - Choose plants with flowers and berries as these provide a food source throughout the year for wildlife.
- Green up you walls with climbers
Cover your wall or fence with plants to provide shelter and food for insects and birds, who may even nest there!
Helpful Hint - Ivy is particularly valuable as it produces fruit and flowers late in the year.
- Build a bird feeding station!
Bird feeders are very popular and you can attract a wide variety of birds by using different seed mixes, kitchen scraps and mealworms. For more information visit The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Helpful Hint - Situate your bird feeding station near shrubs and trees so that birds can approach in safety, but not so close that animals can take advantage of this.
- Log piles and compost heaps!
At the bottom of the garden a natural recycling habitat can be created by constructing log piles and compost heaps.
Helpful Hint - Log piles could be used by stag beetles and a compost heap is loved by many invertebrates. It will also provide you with fantastic organic compost! For further information visit Peoples Trust for Endangered Species.
5 Golden Rules of Gardening for Wildlife
- Go Organic! Chemicals kill beneficial insects and have the potential to kill your garden birds. Avoid using peat-based compost as this destroys natural habitats elsewhere. Create your own compost heap to provide you with organic compost for free! Visit the Garden Organic website for more information
- Go Native! Instead of cultivated plants, try to use native species as these will attract more wildlife.
- Variety is the Spice of Life! A wide range of plants and habitats in your garden will provide food and conditions for many different species which supports greater biodiversity.
- Leave Untidy Areas! You don’t have to put up with nettles everywhere but leaving a small patch untouched in the corner of your garden will provide a haven for wildlife.
- Make a Record! Make a note of the wildlife that you see in you garden. This information can be passed on to the local environmental records centre for the future conservation of local wildlife. Don’t forget to let us know if you see any of the Bracknell 24 Biodiversity Action Plan species - you can record these online on our website!
There are many wildlife gardening guides available online which are available to download for free! Why not visit some of the websites that we have listed to the right of this page for more information.
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