Spring is back, and now is a brilliant time to welcome nature into your garden and increase biodiversity all at the same time. Birds, insects, amphibians and mammals are all busy preparing for new life, so a helping hand in the garden would not go amiss.
Nature is not neat, and areas in the garden left untidy can be great for biodiversity! Gardens can act as habitat stepping stones, so small-scale rewilding can be really beneficial. Messy gardens are also reminiscent of cottage gardens – colourful and lively. Here are a few ways to embrace ‘messiness’ for wildlife.
More growing, less mowing
Not only will this save you time, but letting your lawn grow into a meadow will increase the animal life in your garden! Whether you let all of your grass grow, or only sections, the flowering grasses will provide food for pollinators such as bees and butterflies, as well as for small mammals. You might see clover and daisies pop up too!
One step further would be to opt for Wildflower Turf, or intentionally sow wildflower seeds.
If the fully-wild look isn’t for you, other options include cutting paths or creating borders in and around your mini meadow. It is still okay to mow your meadow, but keep it to a minimum. Mowing once in May or June, then again in Autumn will help boost biodiversity, especially for butterflies!
Budget Bug Hotels
Bug hotels are a fantastic way to give insects a home in your garden. Upcycling or recycling garden waste, such as pine cones, sticks and even pallets into bug hotels is also a great project for the whole family. Insect-friendly hard-landscaping features, such as incorporating pieces of tile into brick walls to create hidey-holes are another option.
Simple log and stick piles are a great way to create environments for different kinds of insects. Nooks and crannies provide shelter for woodlice, worms and centipedes while moist habitats created by log piles may even attract amphibians such as newts! To make these enticing to birds, you might also want to tuck pet hair into the crevices for nesting.
Leaving Leaves
As well as log piles, leaf piles have a lot of biodiversity value in the garden. They provide habitats for insects and reptiles/amphibians, which in turn provide a food source for birds!
Hedgehogs use leaf piles for nesting, bedding and food, and even enter torpor (like hibernation) in them. It is best to always check through leaf piles before disposing of or burning them for this reason!
As they break down, leaf piles can be used as mulch and in compost, cycling important nutrients into the ground.
Embracing Weeds
Another way to support pollinators is by letting native plants often considered to be weeds – such as nettle, dandelions, and thistle – grow in some areas of your garden. Even in small areas, allowing these volunteer flowers to grow in your garden will provide more choice to bees, beetles, flies and butterflies.
These native plants also play an important role in boosting wildflower diversity. Because they flower at different times and offer a variety of pollen and nectar, they attract a wider range of pollinators and support a more balanced ecosystem. In addition, many native insects have evolved alongside these plants, relying on them for food and shelter.
Whether you dedicate your whole garden to rewilding or just a small section, your local wildlife will appreciate the helping hand. These simple steps will bring colour and life into your gardens and possibly give a forgotten corner more meaning!
