February 16th, 2023 by Sarah Miles

Seeing more birds and butterflies in your garden is a lovely thing, and often something that children can get a lot from as well, but there are much greater advantages to creating wildlife-friendly gardens. Many species of animals and insects have been in decline for years due to agricultural methods, pollution, climate change, and reduced access to habitats and food sources.

The ecosystem is finely balanced and depends on diversity to thrive. Reduced numbers of just a few species can upset the whole food chain and create a ripple effect. Ultimately, this can have an impact on aspects as important as crop success and air quality.

Encouraging wildlife to thrive in our gardens delivers personal benefits too. It improves soil and plant quality, it brings beautiful and fascinating creatures into our gardens such as birds, bees, butterflies, hedgehogs, and even bats, plus it can be extremely rewarding to do our bit.

How you can attract wildlife into your garden

Biodiversity means exactly that; a diverse range of creatures each contributing to the ecosystem. Here are 5 creatures that you can create the perfect conditions for that will each make a difference:

Birds

Visiting birds can bring great joy to your garden and this is something that children often love too. Food can be scarce for birds in the winter so you can attract them to your garden by putting out seeds or fat balls. If you don’t want to attract squirrels and rats, it’s a good idea to use a bird feeder, which you can buy or make yourself (another activity you can do with children). Different species of birds have different food preferences so if you want to encourage specific types of birds, do some research to see which foods they like (for example, goldfinches like Niger seeds and long-tailed tits love suet blocks). It can make for a lovely project for the family.

Also, provide water for the purpose of drinking and bathing and if the weather gets very cold, regularly break the surface ice to make sure the birds can access it.

Bats

Bats can get bad press, but they are really interesting creatures and also protected species. You can help bats out by planting flowers that come out at night and, therefore, attract insects while bats are active. Removing artificial light will also aid bats’ vision and allow them to hunt more effectively.

Insects

Whatever your feelings on insects and invertebrates such as worms, spiders, and woodlice, they have a vital place in the ecosystem; helping to pollinate plants, provide a food source for birds and small mammals, and improve soil quality. They also include pretty ones like butterflies and bees.

Try growing plants that attract butterflies, moths, and bees. These include sunflowers, lavender, roses, and cornflowers, which will all add colour and scent to your garden so it’s a double benefit.

Compost heaps, wood piles, and ponds will also attract different creatures, as well allowing some areas of the garden to grow wild, though some areas of shorter grass allow birds to catch the worms in the soil (who are doing a great job of aerating it!).

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs help to balance the ecosystem and they are delightful creatures that children love. They feed on insects so all the measures outlined in item 2 will help support them. You can also make sure there are suitable habitats for them around your garden such as leaf piles or even hedgehog houses, which you can make, and creating small gaps in fences and hedges will allow them to roam freely between gardens. Like birds, they will also appreciate access to water for drinking.

Amphibians

Amphibians such as frogs, toads, and newts are great pest controllers in a garden, and children love observing their lifecycle from spawn to maturity. You can encourage them by creating a pond, which doesn’t have to be large (obviously, take safety precautions if you have small children). A pond can attract different kinds of insects such as dragonflies, which are beautiful to watch, as well as those that will provide food for birds, hedgehogs, and bats.

Ensure that you create sloping sides so that any creatures that fall in can get out and consider including plants such as hornwort, which will help oxygenate the water and keep it healthy.