As we look ahead to spring, now’s the time to start preparing your garden for returning wildlife. Here are four top tips to help you encourage nesting birds, butterflies, bees and hedgehogs into your garden this year…
1. Offer fresh water
No wildlife garden is complete without water. Whether it’s a pond in which frogs and newts can build their habitat and small mammals can drink, or a bird bath where your feathered friends can seek refreshment and cool down, water is the most important resource you can offer local wildlife. If you want to encourage more wildlife to visit your garden this spring, read our article on how and where to install a bird bath.
2. Provide safe spaces
Spring means breeding season for birds, and if you’d like to provide a safe space in which birds can raise their brood, we recommend hanging up a nesting box or two. Available in a multitude of shapes and sizes to fit every bird’s needs, they’re best placed in a sheltered location facing North or North-East as this prevents them from getting too hot. If you’re planning on fixing your nesting box to a tree, make sure there’s no foliage covering the entrance hole. Our article on how to hang a nest box has more advice.
You can also provide a safe space for hedgehogs to raise their young with a hedgehog house. Built-in predator baffle guards help to keep hedgehogs safe from foxes and badgers, and popping one in a sheltered location away from direct sunlight and winds will also provide a safe space for hibernation over the winter months.
3. Grow wildlife-friendly plants
When it comes to encouraging bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects into your garden, it’s crucial to have the right plants. A wildflower meadow is a great option, and it’s remarkably easy to maintain year on year. Wildflower meadows boost the natural eco-system, provide excellent materials for nesting birds, and give vital shelter to small mammals.
4. Put out high quality food
Raising a brood requires a lot of energy, and it’s vital for parent birds to maintain their own energy levels as they fly around collecting food for their young. A good bird table or feeder provides a reliable place for your feathered friends to stop for a quick nibble, and filling it with foods like suet pellets and mealworms will help keep their energy levels up.
