12 Ways to Create a Wildlife Haven in a Small Garden
Love the idea of attracting wildlife into your garden? These smart ideas are perfect for petite plots
Think you haven’t got space for a wildlife garden? Think again. There are a number of quick and cheap ways to invite birds, butterflies and small animals into your plot, whatever its size. Take a look at these ways of creating a wildlife haven in a small garden and just wait for your guests to arrive.
Make use of vertical space
If the ground area is limited, don’t forget about your vertical space. There are plenty of ways to encourage winged and crawling visitors into an urban garden via a vertical wall, and this patchwork insect hotel is a great example of how to utilise a fence with a wall-hung design.
You could also transform a fence into a living ‘green wall’, or fashion a simple vertical garden by fixing planters to a wall and filling them with pollen-rich flowers to entice bees and butterflies.
If the ground area is limited, don’t forget about your vertical space. There are plenty of ways to encourage winged and crawling visitors into an urban garden via a vertical wall, and this patchwork insect hotel is a great example of how to utilise a fence with a wall-hung design.
You could also transform a fence into a living ‘green wall’, or fashion a simple vertical garden by fixing planters to a wall and filling them with pollen-rich flowers to entice bees and butterflies.
Provide a pollen source
Once your insect palace is in place, you’ll want to encourage insects into your garden, and to do this you’ll need to ensure you provide a steady source of pollen for as long as possible. You don’t need acres of space – you can grow many bee- and insect-friendly plants in patio pots and even window boxes.
The key to success is to choose a good rotation of plants that will flower throughout the year, thereby providing an ongoing supply of pollen and nectar. The RHS has lots of information on choosing the best plants for insects.
More: How to Create a Bee-friendly Garden
Once your insect palace is in place, you’ll want to encourage insects into your garden, and to do this you’ll need to ensure you provide a steady source of pollen for as long as possible. You don’t need acres of space – you can grow many bee- and insect-friendly plants in patio pots and even window boxes.
The key to success is to choose a good rotation of plants that will flower throughout the year, thereby providing an ongoing supply of pollen and nectar. The RHS has lots of information on choosing the best plants for insects.
More: How to Create a Bee-friendly Garden
Don’t be too tidy
Most people won’t need to be told this twice, but one of the best things you can do to encourage wildlife into your garden is to leave a small area of grass or planting overgrown and undisturbed.
Even if you only have a compact corner to allocate for this, just letting the grass grow long rather than regularly cutting it back will create shelter for insects and small animals. Mix in some wildlife-friendly plants, too, and you’ve created a mini critters’ paradise with hardly any effort at all.
Most people won’t need to be told this twice, but one of the best things you can do to encourage wildlife into your garden is to leave a small area of grass or planting overgrown and undisturbed.
Even if you only have a compact corner to allocate for this, just letting the grass grow long rather than regularly cutting it back will create shelter for insects and small animals. Mix in some wildlife-friendly plants, too, and you’ve created a mini critters’ paradise with hardly any effort at all.
Create a mini meadow
Don’t have any ground space? Why not create a tiny meadow in a window box? Sow a wildflower seed mix in a large container and position it in a sunny spot.
Place an insect box on a wall nearby and you’ve created a mini insect habitat that you can comfortably view from indoors all spring and summer long. It will also make the exterior of your home look beautifully bright and cheery.
Find a garden designer on Houzz today.
Don’t have any ground space? Why not create a tiny meadow in a window box? Sow a wildflower seed mix in a large container and position it in a sunny spot.
Place an insect box on a wall nearby and you’ve created a mini insect habitat that you can comfortably view from indoors all spring and summer long. It will also make the exterior of your home look beautifully bright and cheery.
Find a garden designer on Houzz today.
Supply fresh drinking water
As well as food, it’s important to provide water for birds and bees. If a traditional birdbath doesn’t take your fancy, you could just put out a shallow dish, or fashion a more naturalistic one, like this bath carved out of a piece of granite.
Sloping sides are important to allow easy access to the water. Keep it topped up in hot weather, and don’t forget birds will also need a water source in the winter, so keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t freeze over when the temperature drops.
As well as food, it’s important to provide water for birds and bees. If a traditional birdbath doesn’t take your fancy, you could just put out a shallow dish, or fashion a more naturalistic one, like this bath carved out of a piece of granite.
Sloping sides are important to allow easy access to the water. Keep it topped up in hot weather, and don’t forget birds will also need a water source in the winter, so keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t freeze over when the temperature drops.
Suspend a bird bath
If ground space is really at a premium, a hanging bird bath can be a good alternative to a floor-standing one.
Suspend it from a tree or wall and keep it topped up with a fresh supply of drinking water to tempt birds into your garden in the warm weather.
If ground space is really at a premium, a hanging bird bath can be a good alternative to a floor-standing one.
Suspend it from a tree or wall and keep it topped up with a fresh supply of drinking water to tempt birds into your garden in the warm weather.
Include a nest box
Most gardens, even tiny ones, have space for a bird box or two and this is a great way to encourage nesting birds to make a home in your garden.
There’s a variety of nest boxes on the market, designed for different species, so take a look at this advice from the RSPB before selecting the best one for your garden.
Most gardens, even tiny ones, have space for a bird box or two and this is a great way to encourage nesting birds to make a home in your garden.
There’s a variety of nest boxes on the market, designed for different species, so take a look at this advice from the RSPB before selecting the best one for your garden.
Replace fences with hedges
Did you know that hedges can act as wildlife ‘corridors’, enabling animals and insects to safely move around under cover? In contrast, solid fence panels can block access to your garden for small animals such as hedgehogs.
Planting a hedge as a border around a small garden instead of a fence will help to support and extend this ‘super highway’, providing shelter and cover for a range of wildlife. Flowering hedges will also produce berries in autumn and winter – an invaluable food source for birds.
More: How to Swap Your Fence for a Wildlife-friendly Hedge
Did you know that hedges can act as wildlife ‘corridors’, enabling animals and insects to safely move around under cover? In contrast, solid fence panels can block access to your garden for small animals such as hedgehogs.
Planting a hedge as a border around a small garden instead of a fence will help to support and extend this ‘super highway’, providing shelter and cover for a range of wildlife. Flowering hedges will also produce berries in autumn and winter – an invaluable food source for birds.
More: How to Swap Your Fence for a Wildlife-friendly Hedge
Incorporate a pond
Want to encourage frogs and toads into your garden? If you have space to dig a small pond, you’ll be amazed at how quickly aquatic life will appear. This garden is a great example of how a petite pond can bring life and interest to a small plot.
If you don’t have much space, you can create a dinky pond by recycling an old sink, or even submerging a large plant pot to create a mini water habitat. Place some large stones on one side to allow access in and out and submerge a couple of aquatic plants and you’ll create a welcome water source for birds, bees and small animals. The Wildlife Trusts offer lots of expert advice on how to get started.
Want to encourage frogs and toads into your garden? If you have space to dig a small pond, you’ll be amazed at how quickly aquatic life will appear. This garden is a great example of how a petite pond can bring life and interest to a small plot.
If you don’t have much space, you can create a dinky pond by recycling an old sink, or even submerging a large plant pot to create a mini water habitat. Place some large stones on one side to allow access in and out and submerge a couple of aquatic plants and you’ll create a welcome water source for birds, bees and small animals. The Wildlife Trusts offer lots of expert advice on how to get started.
Offer dinner
To encourage and support birdlife in your garden, it’s important to offer supplementary food during the autumn and winter months. This is something that’s easy to do in a garden of any size.
Place your bird feeders or bird table somewhere you can watch and enjoy your feathered visitors from indoors, and make sure you’re putting out the correct food. The RSPB provides comprehensive advice on what foods to put out and when.
To encourage and support birdlife in your garden, it’s important to offer supplementary food during the autumn and winter months. This is something that’s easy to do in a garden of any size.
Place your bird feeders or bird table somewhere you can watch and enjoy your feathered visitors from indoors, and make sure you’re putting out the correct food. The RSPB provides comprehensive advice on what foods to put out and when.
Green the roof
If outdoor space is really restricted, how about creating a green roof? These are a great way not only to add colour, but to encourage wildlife, protect your property and bring a little joy to all who can see them. They can be added to many styles of roof, sloping or flat, from an extensive extension to a garden shed.
There are several practical considerations to weigh up before you go ahead with a green roof, such as access, weight and upkeep, but if you’re keen, they’re a wonderful way to bring life and colour to an urban skyline.
More: A Beginner’s Guide to Green Roofs
Tell us…
Inspired by any of these ideas? Share your own wildlife garden suggestions in the Comments.
If outdoor space is really restricted, how about creating a green roof? These are a great way not only to add colour, but to encourage wildlife, protect your property and bring a little joy to all who can see them. They can be added to many styles of roof, sloping or flat, from an extensive extension to a garden shed.
There are several practical considerations to weigh up before you go ahead with a green roof, such as access, weight and upkeep, but if you’re keen, they’re a wonderful way to bring life and colour to an urban skyline.
More: A Beginner’s Guide to Green Roofs
Tell us…
Inspired by any of these ideas? Share your own wildlife garden suggestions in the Comments.
Possibly the simplest way to encourage mini beasts into your garden and increase its biodiversity is to build (or buy) an insect hotel. At its very basic, this can be a cluster of small bamboo canes or hollow branches grouped together inside a frame, and at its most elaborate it can be a multi-roomed structure with space for a wide variety of creepy-crawlies.
As well as making your garden instantly more insect friendly, they can be interesting features in their own right, plus they make a great DIY project for children.