How to Attract Birds & Wildlife to your Garden
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| It's very easy to turn your garden into a nature garden. The above highlights what you can add too achieve this.As well as your bird feeding station/s, nest boxes with different size openings (26", 28", 32", open fronted, wooden or woodcrete) can be added to trees, outbuildings, sheds, gazebo's or pergola. Woodcrete nests (mix of concrete/clay and sawdust) under the roof eves or wooden nature boxes like the Hedgehog, Bat, Ladybird, Lacewing and Bee Box will further attract these species to use your garden. One extra step you may wish to carry out if you have a large garden with trees and with a clear approach, is to install an Owl (chimney, open fronted, A-Frame) Box or Kestrel Box (large open fronted box).Planting a hedge adding a trellis to a wall or planting climbers (nesting & cover), additionally leaving an overgrown patch or 'wild area' will benefit birds, mammals and insects'. Building a small wood pile in the corner of your garden and covering with small branches will form a habitat or "nature pile" for ground nesting birds and small rodents like the Shrew or Field Mouse. A pond or water feature will encourage amphibians like the Common Frog, Toad or Newt and beautiful dragonflies. Fruit Trees or Shrubs such as "Rowan" or "Dogwood" will encourage song birds into your garden and visitors from the continent like the "Redwing" in winterEven the smallest garden with no trees can attract birds with a simple regular stocked bird table and water supply or alternatively by using a window feeder. The BTO and RSPB recommend feeding garden birds all year round, as a result of changed farming practices and reductions in natural habitats. Many species of birds are being forced into our gardens in search of food, water and shelter. The winter months can especially be harsh so it is important to regularly place food and water out for your garden visitors at least twice a day (Morning /late afternoon). Your reward could be a large variety of birds some rarely seen outside the countryside. |  |
 | Suggestions for Trees, Shrubs & Plants Fast growing trees- Evergreen Leyland Cypresses, Deciduous Willows and PoplarsSmaller trees- Weeping Kilmarnock Willow, Bird Cherry, Common Pear, or Rowan.Shrubs-Gooseberry, Barberry, Firethorn, Gorse or Japanese Snowball BushHedge- Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Cotoneaster, Holly, Privet or Spindle.Climbers- Ivy, Clematis, Passion Flower, Common honeysuckle or Chocolate Vine.Ponds and water features- Sedge, Meadowsweet, Bullrush, Water lilly, Ragged Robin, Water Avens, Kingcup or Purple loosestrife.Plants- Forget-me-not, Teasel, Mugwort, Wild Cabbage, Evening Primrose and St. Johns Wort. |
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