How to attract nature into your garden
BEES
Bees play a vital role in the garden and they are an essential part in the pollination of a plant during its life cycle. Below are a few tips on how to attract them:
- Grow plants with Nectar and Pollen
- Create bee house
- Place shallow dishes of water in the garden and around flowers, or keep a fountain going so they can hydrate as needed.
- Bees love blue, purple and yellow flowers.
- Stagger planting to give them fresh blooms all season
- Leave bees alone and do not aggravate them
PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BUTTERFLIES
- Buddleja – best know nectar plant for butterflies
- Verbena
- Red Valerian
- Verbena
- Daisy
- Sedum
- Stokesia
- Yarrow
- Sunflower
- Snapdragons
Butterflies love bright colours like reds, oranges, pinks and yellows so plant up coloured flowers. Calendula, daylily, buddleja and butterfly bush are some of the most enticing plants for butterflies.
HEDGEHOG HOMES
The best way to provide nesting options for hedgehogs is by creating a natural feature, such as a compost heap or log pile. This has the added benefit of encouraging insect prey aswell.
Here are some factors to consider for hedgehogs:
- For the location of the box choose a shady, quiet area of the garden.
- Try to include an interior tunnel or dividing wall to prevent predators such as badgers or foxes from getting to the hedgehog with their paws.
- Use untreated wood for hedgehog homes. Pre-treated wood can contain chromated copper arsenate (CCA) compounds that are hazardous to many species.
- Consider using a trail camera to keep an eye on who’s about.
- Make sure the entrance to the house does not face North or North East, to avoid the cold winter winds.
- They love dog and cat food, dried fruit and cooked veg.
BIRD FEEDERS
Attract birds to the garden with a bird table and add food like peanuts, seeds and suet. Add a bird bath and they will linger for longer while they have a dip. Bird boxes help encourage wild birds to breed in your garden. It is best to put them up before spring to avoid disrupting the breeding season and make sure they are sheltered from the elements. Bird feeders provide food during cold, barren months and help parent birds feed their chicks.
SQUIRREL FEEDERS
Place feeders in the garden. During winter, squirrels like to steal food from bird-feeders, especially if they contain peanuts which is a weakness and makes them loose their timidity. A feeder full of hazelnuts will also attract the squirrels. They like to eat sunflowers seeds.
