Wildlife GardensWith evermore open spaces being lost to developments of one sort or another, along with the documented decline of butterflies and wildlife species in general, we the gardener, should step in to help. Even if you only have a limited space, there are lots of ways in which you can encourage wildlife to your garden. Obviously we find all flowers attractive; however, from a butterfly's point of view some are more beneficial than others.
The one plant we all know of course, is Buddleia davidii (Butterfly Bush), a tall flowering deciduous shrub with honey scented cone shaped spikes. More well known favourites for butterflies are Syringa vulgaris (Lilac), again a sweetly scented, large flowering shrub. Hebe is a genus of plants with lots of different varieties to choose from, also Lavander, both English and French types can be seen laden with bees and butterflies when in flower. Lonicera (Honeysuckle) is a very sweetly scented climber with nectar rich flowers that rank high on the list of butterfly attractants.
A lot of flowers that would come under the bracket "cottage garden" plants are perfect for attracting nectar loving insects; other favourites of the butterfly are Violets, Antirrhinums, Asters and Sedum varieties. When these are planted in warm, sunny sites the scents will be heightened. An ideal way of attracting things into your garden is by giving them the habitat that they require. For some wildlife that means exactly what it says, your garden should be wild. Piles of old logs and branches make perfect hide outs for all sorts of creatures, although some of them won't be beneficial to all your plants, they will be a good meal for somebody else, for example birds will eat slugs and snails. You may have to change your attitude to catepillars and how to get rid of them, as several of these may turn into butterflies, so try not to spray everything with chemicals.
As well as providing food for wildlife you could try and encourage them to stay by providing both shelter and roosting sites. Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Twisted Hazel) is a perfect plant for small birds. The tangle of branches allows small birds to dart inside for cover from larger predatory birds, or cats, whilst providing a food source when covered in catkins. Another shelter providing shrub is Pyracantha (Firethorn) with thorny branches, sweet scented flowers and winter berries.
 We all know many retail outlets that sell feeders and nesting boxes for birds, but were you aware that you can now get all sorts of habitats for insects as well. Butterfly habitat feeders provide a small shelter along with a bightly coloured sponge that you can charge with either sugar water or specially formulated butterfly attractant. The interactive butterfly/moth habitat has a window to allow you to view inside. The beneficial insect box is made of bamboo canes clumped together, providing lots of small holes to hide in; this is something you could try making yourself. A good tip is to place any of these feeders or boxes next to nectar rich flowers that will catch the morning sun.
Having wildlife in your garden that feeds on the plant eating insects and molluscs can only be a good thing. Hedgehogs love slugs and to encourage them in the first instance you could provide a hedgehog house and sprinkle hedgehog niblets around it.
Having a pond in your garden also attracts wildife, whether its a grand pool full of fish or little more than a constant puddle to keep frogs happy it all plays a part. Frog and toad houses are available to give them extra protection. Frogs are another creature that will eat slugs and snails and are, therefore, well worth encouraging. Having a selection of pond plants will encourage many more aquatic species. Some oxygenators that stay in the water, some marginals that can live in shallow water at the pond edge and some deep water plants that can grow from the bottom.
As you can see there are lots of ways that you can help out nature and also make your garden that little bit more exciting. Share or Bookmark this page...  | 
