With Spring just around the corner, British wildlife is starting to emerge once again! Here are some things you can do to make your garden more wildlife friendly this season:
Make a bucket pond – making a pond out of a bucket or washing up tub is a lot easier to create than a full sized pond, but can still attract wildlife such as frogs and dragonflies! Simply dig a hole that’s big enough for your bucket (making sure there are no holes!), fill the bucket with rainwater, place some sand and pond plants in, and the pond will be filled with wildlife in no time! But please make sure any animals that could accidentally fall in have a way to get out. This might simply be a large stick, a ‘beach’ of stones, or keeping the water level right to the top.
Plant some wildlife friendly flowers – native flowers are incredibly important in providing a source of nectar for pollinators such as butterflies and bees. Plants such as lavender, jasmine and honeysuckle are all great, as well as any native wildflowers.
Build a bird or bat box – this is a great family activity, and many guides can be found online at sites such as the RSPB and the Bat Conservation Trust. There is something very satisfying about having creatures use a home you’ve taken the time to build for them!
Have an unkempt bit of garden – even if it’s just a small corner of your garden, letting grass grow tall and not applying pesticides and herbicides can boost insect numbers, which in turn are eaten by birds and their nestlings!