Creating a wildlife-friendly garden is a rewarding way to invite nature into your outdoor space while supporting local biodiversity. For homeowners in Epsom and the surrounding areas of Surrey, enhancing your garden to attract and support wildlife isn’t just beneficial for local ecosystems—it’s also a great way to enjoy a vibrant, thriving garden all year round.
Here are some essential tips from All Seasons Garden Maintenance to help you design and maintain a garden that attracts and supports local wildlife.
Plant Native Flowers and Shrubs
When designing a wildlife-friendly garden, starting with native plants is one of the most impactful choices you can make. Native plants are well adapted to local climates, requiring less water and care, which makes them both sustainable and low-maintenance.
They also provide essential food and shelter for local wildlife, particularly pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.
Examples of Native Plants for Epsom Gardens:
Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris): Beautiful and hardy, this plant attracts bees and is perfect for sunny areas.
English Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta): Known for its vibrant blue flowers, bluebells thrive in shaded areas, adding a stunning burst of color in spring.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna): This shrub offers nectar-rich blossoms for insects in spring, followed by berries that feed birds in winter.
By integrating a mix of native plants and flowering shrubs, you create a diverse habitat that provides essential food and shelter for wildlife throughout the seasons.
Create a Water Source
Adding a water source to your garden is crucial for supporting a range of wildlife. Birds, insects, amphibians, and small mammals rely on fresh water for drinking, bathing, and reproduction. A simple birdbath, pond, or shallow dish can provide a much-needed water source, especially during drier months.
Tips for Adding Water Features:
Birdbaths: Place a birdbath in an open area to prevent predator ambushes and clean it regularly to prevent algae growth.
Small Pond: Even a small pond can attract a diverse range of wildlife, from frogs to dragonflies. Include a variety of plants like water lilies or pondweed to provide habitat and oxygenation.
Shallow Dishes: For a simpler option, use shallow dishes around your garden filled with fresh water; just remember to replace it frequently.
Adding a water feature not only supports local wildlife but can enhance your garden’s aesthetic appeal, giving it a serene, natural ambiance.
Build Bug Hotels and Nesting Boxes
Creating places for wildlife to live and reproduce is essential to supporting their life cycles. Bug hotels and nesting boxes for birds and bats offer shelter for a variety of species, encouraging them to stay longer in your garden.
Ideas for Bug Hotels:
Collect materials like logs, twigs, bark, and pinecones, and stack them in a sheltered area to create a habitat for insects.
Incorporate hollow tubes or drilled wood for solitary bees, who will use them as nesting spaces.
Bird and Bat Boxes:
Bird boxes should be placed at least six feet high in a quiet area. Boxes for small birds like blue tits are easy to make or buy and can help increase bird visits.
Bat boxes should be placed higher, ideally facing east or southeast to capture sunlight. Bats are great for natural pest control and contribute to biodiversity.
Bug hotels, bird boxes, and bat boxes are fun to set up and help foster a well-rounded, healthy garden ecosystem.
Avoid Using Pesticides and Chemicals
Chemical pesticides and herbicides can harm wildlife, particularly insects that pollinate and fertilise your garden. Instead, consider organic pest control methods to maintain a healthier environment for both plants and animals.
Natural Pest Control Tips:
Use companion planting to ward off pests naturally. For example, marigolds help deter aphids and attract pollinators.
Introduce beneficial insects like ladybirds and lacewings, which feed on common pests.
Handpick pests or use natural treatments like neem oil for troublesome infestations.
Eliminating or reducing chemicals creates a safer environment for wildlife, benefiting everything from earthworms in the soil to birds visiting your garden.
Provide Food Sources
Encourage a variety of wildlife by offering natural food sources year-round. Birds, insects, and small mammals are especially reliant on garden food sources during colder months when resources are scarce.
Food Sources for Epsom Gardens:
Bird Feeders: Regularly fill feeders with a mix of seeds, nuts, and suet to attract different bird species. Place them where they’re visible but safe from predators.
Fruit-Bearing Plants: Adding shrubs like holly and rowan provides berries that birds and small mammals can eat in winter.
Pollinator-Friendly Flowers: Plant a mix of seasonal flowers that bloom at different times to provide a consistent nectar source. For example, primroses in spring, lavender in summer, and ivy in autumn all support pollinators.
With a variety of food sources available, you’ll help your garden stay active and lively, especially during the quieter winter months.
Create Shelter with Log Piles and Leaf Litter
Incorporating natural shelters like log piles, leaf litter, and dense shrubbery can make your garden a haven for wildlife. Leaf piles and decomposing wood provide shelter for insects, small mammals, and even hedgehogs, offering a warm, safe place for winter hibernation.
How to Create Natural Shelters:
Log Piles: Arrange logs or larger branches in shaded areas to create homes for beetles, hedgehogs, and other creatures.
Leaf Piles: Let leaves accumulate in certain parts of your garden. Not only does this offer shelter, but it also enriches the soil as leaves decompose.
Evergreen Shrubs: Plant shrubs like yew or holly that stay dense year-round, giving birds a place to roost and hide from predators.
Natural shelters are a low-maintenance way to add habitat diversity, providing vital resources for wildlife without much effort.
Plan for Year-Round Interest and Sustainability
When designing a wildlife-friendly garden, planning for year-round interest ensures a consistent habitat that supports wildlife through every season. With the help of All Seasons Garden Maintenance, you can develop a seasonal garden plan that provides reliable resources and appeal in each season.
By using the tips above, you can create a beautiful, wildlife-friendly garden that adds value to your home while supporting local species in Epsom and the surrounding areas. Our team at All Seasons Garden Maintenance is here to help you develop and maintain a garden that’s attractive, sustainable, and perfect for inviting nature into your space. Whether you need assistance with regular maintenance or creating new habitats, call us on 01372 610566 or 07368 356520 to get started.
Together, let’s make Epsom greener and more wildlife-friendly!
