Gardening tips for people who love wildlife
If you love wildlife but aren’t seeing any birds or animals in your garden, you might need to make some changes to your outdoor space. Not every garden is wildlife-friendly, but every garden can attract a whole host of different creatures as long as you’re willing to put in a bit of time and effort. These tips should hopefully help you to set up your garden to be the perfect little paradise for local wildlife.
Provide nesting spaces and greenery
Most birds and animals want spaces where they can hide away or create nests rather than be out in the open. If your garden is just a large patch of grass then you might not be providing the right living conditions for the wildlife you want to attract. Consider planting a variety of beautiful magnolia trees where birds can perch and make nests, or invest in large shrubs where hedgehogs and rabbits can stay hidden from danger. Along with this greenery, you could also provide animals with nesting boxes that are purposely created to give them a place to shelter.
Put out a feeding table
By far the best way to make your garden more appealing to wildlife is by setting out some of their favorite snacks. Do some research and figure out what types of birds are common in your area and what they like to eat. Avoid putting all kinds of food and scraps outside as you might make some animals ill and are more likely to attract rats. Think carefully about where your feeding table is and whether birds could be in danger of being caught by neighborhood cats.
Plant lots of flowers
If you want to attract butterflies and bees to your garden, flowers are going to be key. However, some flowers are loved by insects more than others, so it’s important to be strategic. For example, bees love bee balm and snapdragons, while butterflies are often attracted to wild marjoram and common knapweed. If there are certain butterflies you’ve seen in other people’s gardens that you want in your own, reach out to them and ask about the kinds of plants they have.
Avoid landscaping too much
Most wildlife will be attracted to gardens that are allowed to grow wild because this is what their natural habitats look like. An overly manicured lawn might look pleasing to the eye, but it’s unlikely to be a place where animals and insects will thrive. Not only does overgrown grass provide shelter for birds and squirrels, but it’s more likely to have the insects they like to eat. Avoid spraying lots of pesticides and weed killer – let your garden flourish as it was always intended to.
Don’t make too much noise
Animals and birds usually appear in gardens when nobody is around, so if you’re waiting around for them while talking to your friends and playing music, you’ll be waiting a long time. Instead, hide inside and peer through a window, ready to snap a photo of any creatures that come past.
