How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Spring
Make life a little easier for bugs, birds and bees with these simple garden design ideas
Looking for ideas on attracting wildlife to your garden? Here, three experts share their knowledge about how to create a colourful and vibrant spring garden that will allow wildlife to flourish.
Professional advice from: Jamie Wyver, spokesperson for the RSPB | Darryl Cox, Senior Science & Policy Officer at Bumblebee Conservation Trust | Jazz Austin, Project Manager, Giving Nature a Home in Cardiff, a scheme run by RSPB Cymru
More in this series: How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Summer | How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Autumn | How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Winter
Professional advice from: Jamie Wyver, spokesperson for the RSPB | Darryl Cox, Senior Science & Policy Officer at Bumblebee Conservation Trust | Jazz Austin, Project Manager, Giving Nature a Home in Cardiff, a scheme run by RSPB Cymru
More in this series: How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Summer | How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Autumn | How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Winter
Put the lawnmower away
“After a long winter’s sleep, queen bumblebees emerge for a good drink of nectar to replenish their energy reserves before looking for somewhere to call home,” Darryl Cox says.
“As well as providing plenty of early flowering plants, such as crocuses, winter-flowering heathers and young willows, try leaving a bit of the garden to grow wild to encourage nesting,” he says. “There’s no harm in letting a few dandelions flower, either.”
“Remember to keep the pesticides and weed killers at bay, as these have been shown to be harmful to pollinators and other wildlife,” Jazz adds.
“After a long winter’s sleep, queen bumblebees emerge for a good drink of nectar to replenish their energy reserves before looking for somewhere to call home,” Darryl Cox says.
“As well as providing plenty of early flowering plants, such as crocuses, winter-flowering heathers and young willows, try leaving a bit of the garden to grow wild to encourage nesting,” he says. “There’s no harm in letting a few dandelions flower, either.”
“Remember to keep the pesticides and weed killers at bay, as these have been shown to be harmful to pollinators and other wildlife,” Jazz adds.
Plan ahead for summer
“This is a great time to sow wildflower seeds if you have a bare patch of ground in need of some colour,” Darryl says. “These will provide plenty of pollen and nectar later in the year.”
“Flowers such as catmint, lavender, poached egg plant, lupin, snapdragon and cosmos will [also] give plenty of choice to your local pollinators,” Jazz adds.
“This is a great time to sow wildflower seeds if you have a bare patch of ground in need of some colour,” Darryl says. “These will provide plenty of pollen and nectar later in the year.”
“Flowers such as catmint, lavender, poached egg plant, lupin, snapdragon and cosmos will [also] give plenty of choice to your local pollinators,” Jazz adds.
Create a home for bugs
“Spring is the perfect time to put up a bee hotel, which you can build yourself or buy ready-made,” Jazz says. “Many of the more than 200 solitary bee species in the UK will be starting to emerge from their winter nest sites and looking for other sites to lay their eggs.
“By putting up a bee hotel on a sunny, south-facing fence or wall, you’ll hopefully see the holes start to fill up, as the eggs of the next generation of solitary bees are laid throughout spring and summer,” she says.
“Spring is the perfect time to put up a bee hotel, which you can build yourself or buy ready-made,” Jazz says. “Many of the more than 200 solitary bee species in the UK will be starting to emerge from their winter nest sites and looking for other sites to lay their eggs.
“By putting up a bee hotel on a sunny, south-facing fence or wall, you’ll hopefully see the holes start to fill up, as the eggs of the next generation of solitary bees are laid throughout spring and summer,” she says.
Start planning a pond
“One of the best things you can do for nature in your garden is to make a pond,” Jamie says.
“This doesn’t have to be large: an old washing-up bowl sunk into the ground will do,” he adds. “Add a few stones and logs, and a selection of native pond plants, and you’ll soon see wildlife moving in and making the most of this feature.”
If you need help planning a garden makeover, look on Houzz to find a garden designer in your area and tell them you want to create a wildlife haven.
“One of the best things you can do for nature in your garden is to make a pond,” Jamie says.
“This doesn’t have to be large: an old washing-up bowl sunk into the ground will do,” he adds. “Add a few stones and logs, and a selection of native pond plants, and you’ll soon see wildlife moving in and making the most of this feature.”
If you need help planning a garden makeover, look on Houzz to find a garden designer in your area and tell them you want to create a wildlife haven.
Lend a hand to your garden’s minibeasts
“Worms, snails, spiders and other invertebrates are often overlooked, but they’re an essential part of the food chain for many of the nation’s favourite garden visitors, such as chattering blue tits and loveable hedgehogs,” Jazz says.
“You can help these minibeasts by leaving an undisturbed log pile, half burying some logs into the soil, or starting a composting area,” she says. “These small steps will ensure there’s enough food available for your usual garden visitors, while also encouraging more wildlife to visit.”
“Worms, snails, spiders and other invertebrates are often overlooked, but they’re an essential part of the food chain for many of the nation’s favourite garden visitors, such as chattering blue tits and loveable hedgehogs,” Jazz says.
“You can help these minibeasts by leaving an undisturbed log pile, half burying some logs into the soil, or starting a composting area,” she says. “These small steps will ensure there’s enough food available for your usual garden visitors, while also encouraging more wildlife to visit.”
Get composting
“If you don’t already have one, start a compost heap for your food waste and garden cuttings,” Jamie says. “The shelter and heat it generates is hugely beneficial for insects, slow worms and even grass snakes.
“If you want to stock up on soil while you wait for it to mature, make sure you choose peat-free compost at the garden centre,” he says. “Peat belongs in bogs, where it does an amazing job of storing carbon and reducing the effects of floods.”
Tell us…
What have you done to encourage wildlife in your garden? Share your experiences in the Comments section.
“If you don’t already have one, start a compost heap for your food waste and garden cuttings,” Jamie says. “The shelter and heat it generates is hugely beneficial for insects, slow worms and even grass snakes.
“If you want to stock up on soil while you wait for it to mature, make sure you choose peat-free compost at the garden centre,” he says. “Peat belongs in bogs, where it does an amazing job of storing carbon and reducing the effects of floods.”
Tell us…
What have you done to encourage wildlife in your garden? Share your experiences in the Comments section.
“We’ve lost over half of UK swifts in just 20 years,” Jamie Wyver says. “The cause of this decline isn’t understood. However, many swift nest sites have been lost due to building renovation or demolition, while new buildings typically don’t provide many nesting opportunities for swifts.
”[As such], the RSPB is calling on the general public to help create hundreds of new homes for swifts by putting up specially designed boxes. We’re hoping at least 1,000 new homes will be made by the time they return at the end of April,” he says.
“If you have a north- or east-facing wall on your house that’s relatively sheltered from the wind and rain, then installing a swift nest box is a great idea to help our declining population,” Jazz Austin agrees. “Swift boxes are ideally placed under the roof eaves with an uninterrupted flight path, and should be raised five metres from the ground to give the swifts the best chance of finding your nest box.”
“If you find nesting swifts or see them flying around and calling (screaming!) at roof height, please let us know about them,” Jamie adds. You can register your swift sightings here.