How to Attract Wildlife to your Garden this Spring

The spring is a wonderful time of the year. The mornings begin to get lighter, the birds start chirping outside of our windows and there is a warmth in the year that fills us with hope for the months ahead.

It is also a season that heralds the arrival of new life, as animals emerge from their winter slumber and begin to breed new generations. There is nothing more satisfying than looking into our gardens and watching as wildlife make themselves at home, feeding, relaxing and nurturing their young. So what can we do to help entice these small animals and birds into our lives and gardens? Here are some easy to follow ideas that can help to make your outside space a haven for wildlife this spring.

• Sow some wildflower seeds. This will help to attract bees, butterflies and other insects to your garden. They will revel in the natural pollen that the flowers give off and in turn the insects will attract birds and other animals to your garden by becoming a food source. Pop a Wildlife World Butterfly Biome nearby and your garden will soon be full of beautifully coloured insects.
• Leave an area of your garden with long grass. When you mow your grass, leave a corner uncut, as insects and small animals will like to forage here and potentially make a nest.
• Keep some weeds. It may be our natural instinct to remove weeds as we potter around in the garden, but many animals are attracted to their scent and taste.
• Create borders of flowering plants. Do this around the edge of your garden, where small animals can hide in among the foliage and forage for any insects that the flowers will attract.
• Have a rocky area in the garden. This will provide animals with a place to hide and an area to keep cool if the spring sunshine proves to be too hot.
• Make holes in the bottom of your garden fence. This will allow small animals such as hedgehogs to enter and exit your garden as they choose, whilst ensuring that they do not create unsightly holes of their own!
• Plant trees, hedges and bushes. This will provide ample places for wildlife and birds to hide and nest during the spring and summer. They will also continue to be of use in the winter months when the same animals choose a place to hibernate.
• Add a pond or water feature. This will help to attract frogs and toads to the garden and provide other animals with a place to drink in the warmer months. Some pond plants will be appreciated by the frogs too!
• Put up some bird boxes. As birds return to the mainland following their winter break, they will be keen to find places to nest in order to lay eggs. Providing bird boxes in your garden will give them a safe option and allow you to watch as baby birds begin to emerge. Just remember not to interfere with the boxes once they are occupied. The CJ Wildlife Bowland Nest Box is easy to hang and will make a great home for many species of birds.
• Put out some food at night. Hedgehogs love meat based meals such as cat and dog food, so putting a little bit out for them every night will attract them into your garden with the purpose of making a home. Spike’s Tasty Hedgehog Food is a sure way to please their taste buds. Remove this food every morning so that you don’t attract the neighbours cat too!
• Create a woodpile or compost patch. As the autumn and winter always roll around far too quickly, you can prepare this during the warmer months in readiness for animals wanting to hibernate. It will also provide a good place to forage for insects during the spring and summer. A Wildlife World Hedgehog Thatch Igloo will give them a great place to sleep during all months of the year.

Sources

https://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/explore-wildlife/season/spring

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-for-wildlife/creating-a-wildlife-friendly-garden/