Building a garden from the ground up (insects to mammals)

nonethepfizer

In the south UK, recently bought a house and want a wildlife friendly garden...

we don't have much in the garden at the moment, but the amount of insect life is amazing...

we have burrowing bee's, I came out to see 7 different species of bee sitting on the shed one day. Numerous butterfly and moth species, slow worms and our neighbour has a pond with frogs and newts...

we want to attract more birds, which means we need more plant life which harbour insects. Like wise with hedgehogs and whatever else is around...

I am not a gardener, so I don't even know where to start... I know certain plants to look at, that do attract bees and insects, but as for names, I haven't a clue, except one, Cotoneaster hedge...

In our rental place we also had a spot of wildflowers (Cornflowers) that we just let grow wild, which was a great interest to insects and birds....

any suggestions on what to introduce?

magicbastarder

how big is the garden?

nonethepfizer

roughly 6 x 13m (20 x 42 ft)

tromtipp

Start by finding out what your soil is and what the local nature reserves are important for so that you can provide food and habitats for species that occur locally. Introduce supportive habitats - a pond, even a tiny one, is probably the most important, but areas of sun, shade, shelter, are all good, so some changes in soil level - a little bank maybe, and a small wall built of a local traditional material. Somewhere in addition to the pond where you can provide birds with water is also good, even more than feeding them. Hedges are always good, and cotoneaster has nectar rich flowers and edible berries - maybe see can you add in a small tree to provide a song perch. In Ireland I'd always recommend a hawthorn, but that might not be the best choice where you are.

You also need to make space for human needs in a garden - grow herbs (usually good for pollinators), maybe vegetables, some flowers, space for adults or children to chill and play. There's lots of stuff out there on biodiversity gardens, some of it prepared by natural history museums, so read around that.

It sounds a brilliant place already, and if you're planning to enhance it it should be amazing.

Try to find out what is valuable for wildlife before doing anything.
I have seen so many garden "improvements" for wildlife that destroy other more valuable habitats.

The single most important factor for promoting biodiversity is time. Soil structure, earthen banks, stone walls, trees and shrubs that have been there for some time will have far more diversity than anything new. Such diversity is fragile, and doesn't just bounce back. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

magicbastarder

is the garden walled? i.e. can hedgehogs etc. get in and out?
i had been intending to suggest a pond - you mention though your neighbour has one, so if space is tight, that need is already catered for beside you.
one thing i've done is stack some dead wood and let the fungus and invertebrates at it, it's a habitat missing from a lot of gardens.

tromtipp

blaris' point is important. really, your starting point should probably be: This garden is really good for wildlife at the moment. If there's something it isn't doing for me that I need to change, how can I minimise the damage the changes cause, and can I compensate?

How about a few bat boxes or bird boxes under the eaves of the house?

nonethepfizer

Deleted User wrote: »

Try to find out what is valuable for wildlife before doing anything.
I have seen so many garden "improvements" for wildlife that destroy other more valuable habitats.

The single most important factor for promoting biodiversity is time. Soil structure, earthen banks, stone walls, trees and shrubs that have been there for some time will have far more diversity than anything new. Such diversity is fragile, and doesn't just bounce back. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

fully agree, I should add that a lot of this is spill off from surrounding gardens.. apart from a bamboo tree, a few roses and bramble in the corner, it's just grass in my garden. Hence why I want to improve what we have by introducing more native plants and flowers.

there is fencing either side with access to a laneway out the back with room (gaps in fences or gates) for wildlife to transit through..

Thanks all for the help so far!

CelticRambler

magicbastarder wrote: »

is the garden walled? i.e. can hedgehogs etc. get in and out?

I have seen a hedgehog climb straight up and over a six-foot wall, so I wouldn't be too worried about access, for them at least!

magicbastarder

we had a three legged hedgehog climb over a six foot wall through the ivy here. but it would help if there was easier access.

hirondelle

Throw a few pics up OP-it can help get people thinking about things that could be added or removed.

tromtipp

You don't have to limit yourself to native plants - garden flowers with an extended season can be good for insects - so snowdrops and early crocuses in the grass as well as primroses. In my own garden at the moment the forget-me-not seeds are attracting a flock of goldfinches, and the chives flowers are full of bumblebees (at least three species), hoverflies and tiny wasps. Your cotoneaster berries will be good in autumn, and ivy has flowers in November and berries all winter, and provides shelter for all sorts of creatures.

A few handful of sunflower seeds (the ones they sell as birdseed) planted now might still have time to grow to full height by late summer - they're a great attraction for bees, and you can leave the seedheads out for the birds later.

Ulmus

There are lots of books on wildlife gardening to give you ideas. Try these:



https://www.amazon.co.uk/RSPB-Gardening-Wildlife-Adrian-Thomas/dp/1472938577/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=adrian+thomas&qid=1623434147&s=books&sr=1-1&asin=B01MRNB641&revisionId=db869e8b&format=1&depth=1


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wildlife-Gardener-Kate-Bradbury/dp/152671289X/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1FIFL6O8GA3BD&dchild=1&keywords=kate+bradbury+wildlife+gardening&qid=1623434261&s=books&sprefix=kate+bradbury%2Cstripbooks%2C185&sr=1-2&asin=B075WS5PVH&revisionId=&format=2&depth=1


Take your time with the garden as others have advised. Your lawn could have wildflowers that will emerge when it's left unmown.

New Home

If you do build a pond, make sure you have a ramp for wildlife so they can climb out if they fall in, be they hedgehogs, lizards, slow worms, snakes or what have you.