Spring Wildlife In The Garden
With Spring already in full swing, you will have noticed a number of critters that are appearing in your gardens. So what should you expect to see, and how can you help to make your garden a safe and friendly environment for them to thrive in?
What Might You See
This spring there are a number of little critters that you can keep your eyes open for. The most common that you will start to notice is an abundance of butterflies. These will add flutterings of moving colour and shows healthy flower growth. Hedgehogs will also start to make an appearance at this time of year, as they are now endangered in the UK, we should encourage their presence, a spot of hedgehog food (or even cat food) can ensure they have enough to eat.
Foxes might already have made an appearance, but how close to home are they? If you see them, avoid approaching them where possible as they can be unpredictable, but never discourage them, but rather enjoy watching them frolic in the long grass.
As with all year round, you will also find a range of birds coming and going in your garden. Remember to keep them well fed to encourage them to return, you can also consider birdbaths and boxes to let them feel welcome.
How To Make Your Garden Wildlife Friendly
There are a number of ways in which you can make small areas of your garden into the perfect little haven for spring wildlife. Here are just a few simple ones that can be really effective:
Build a little rock garden
There are a number of ways in which you can do this. From simply adding a few rocks together amongst the flower beds, to building little slate dens. You can even go out and buy a fish tank slate house and pop that in the garden, built to withstand sitting in water, these work really well in your garden and are available in a range of styles and sizes. This allows bugs and smaller critters to make themselves a den.
Add some water
While we love a good garden pond, this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, However, there are a number of types of wildlife that would appreciate a spot of water in your garden. Consider a teeny tiny pond perhaps? A great way to do this is to look at flexi garden tubs. Made from a crossover of plastic and rubber, these make a great alternative to an actual pond. You can even dig this down into the ground a little if you wish. You never know, you might eventually find a frog or two.
Leave an overgrowth
Wildlife thrives in the undergrowth in forests and fields, when it comes to perfectly pruning your garden, why not leave a bit of its overgrowth. This overgrowth will help to encourage creatures into your garden as they will have a place to hide where they might not be so scared of gardening tools breaking into their home.
If you are considering making bigger changes to your garden to encourage more wildlife, contact us today and we will be able to help you to make these changes. Everyone loves to welcome a spot of wildlife into their garden, and we can help you to find the happy medium between wildlife-friendly and functional. For more ideas on how we can help you in your garden, check back to our blogs regularly. Regular garden maintenance can still go ahead even when you are encouraging wildlife, get in touch with us today to see how we can help you keep on top of a wild garden.