Ten Top Tips To Help You Go Wild In The Garden!

Nurture a range of garden habitats (grass, pond, hedge, trees, etc), however small individually. A diverse garden is healthier, as is the right plant in the right place, reducing the need for pesticides and fertilisers.

Provide homes for wildlife. Bird and bat boxes are familiar, but how about a sculptural log-pile for the mini-beasts (the predators that will eat your pests!). And remember to put a bell on the cat. You don't want your birds eaten too!

Turn part of your lawn into a mini-meadow to encourage wild flowers and animals. You may well get some lovely surprises, like a rare orchid or butterfly. Remember that birds love moss for nesting (think natural Pampers).

Grow plants known for nectar, pollen, fruit and seed throughout the year. They'll attract more wildlife than birdfeeders alone. And how about your own food needs? Homegrown food is more nutritious, as well as good green fun.

Create a water feature, however small. Whether pond or bird-bath, all sorts of wildlife will be drawn to the oasis. Save the air miles and go 'little game hunting' down at your very own watering hole. Don't forget your camera!

Save the burden on our sewers, as well as your wallet, and harvest the rain. Whether from pond, tank or water butt, your plants will prefer natural water. They'll also like it if you mulch around them, to hold in that precious water.

Home compost kitchen scraps and garden waste to conserve vital nutrients. It's better than the council having to do it, and it's free. Compost heaps are also whole food chains in themselves.

Think about emissions (your carbon footprint, not your compost). Choose garden products for energy efficiency - in both manufacture and use. Impress with funky recycled or reclaimed creations. They're the new black!

Look for eco-certification to ensure nothing you buy is putting a habitat under threat elsewhere in the world... It's silly to exploit resources like peat or tropical hardwoods when there are more sustainable alternatives.

Reconnect with your environment. Develop a safe haven in which to relax, open your eyes and heart and breathe deeply. Enjoy the wild beauty that's always there for you. Take the ‘fence' away. Become whole.

Peter Yeo

For more info on gardening with wildlife, visit any of these websites:

www.wildaboutgardens.org
www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/wildlifegarden/
www.english-nature.org.uk/Nature_In_The_Garden
www.gardenorganic.org.uk

photos (c) Jilly Graham 2009

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