How to Have a Wildlife-friendly Garden That’s Also Stylish
Browse these ideas for making your garden more attractive to wildlife, whatever its size, location or look
Claudia De Yong
22 February 2020
Houzz UK contributor and award-winning landscape and garden designer. Claudia de Yong Designs offers a consultancy and design service for the private and corporate client. We are also able to source anything for the garden from plants to pots, paving and architectural features . Please visit my new online shop for garden products.
Houzz UK contributor and award-winning landscape and garden designer. Claudia de... More
A natural style of garden that helps to support wildlife is becoming more popular – and especially in new garden designs. If you’re thinking your garden might be too small, too neat or too urban to take on the idea, think again.
A garden designed to attract wildlife can be any size – and it doesn’t need to look unkempt. There are many features that can be used to entice creatures within a small, contemporary space, along with many rustic and traditional styles – and they’re people-friendly, too. Below are a few ideas to help with making your garden more attractive to all kinds of visitors.
A garden designed to attract wildlife can be any size – and it doesn’t need to look unkempt. There are many features that can be used to entice creatures within a small, contemporary space, along with many rustic and traditional styles – and they’re people-friendly, too. Below are a few ideas to help with making your garden more attractive to all kinds of visitors.
Restrict your palette
A wildlife-friendly garden doesn’t have to mean a riot of colour. If your preference is for a limited palette, you can create a garden that’s neat and stylish while still attracting insects and other visiting fauna.
Try introducing plants that add structure, but are also insect-friendly, such as alliums, as seen in white and mauve in this garden. Bees in particular are attracted to blue and violet colours, due to the fact they see in ultraviolet, so it’s good to include purple alliums.
Hedging is generally a better alternative for wildlife than solid fencing and, by using straight lines and dividing spaces, you can create a stylish, modern feel to a space.
If you want a shed, try building a living roof on top with sedums, or plant a trough and fill it with alpines, creating a haven for insects.
Take a look at this beginner’s guide to green roofs.
A wildlife-friendly garden doesn’t have to mean a riot of colour. If your preference is for a limited palette, you can create a garden that’s neat and stylish while still attracting insects and other visiting fauna.
Try introducing plants that add structure, but are also insect-friendly, such as alliums, as seen in white and mauve in this garden. Bees in particular are attracted to blue and violet colours, due to the fact they see in ultraviolet, so it’s good to include purple alliums.
Hedging is generally a better alternative for wildlife than solid fencing and, by using straight lines and dividing spaces, you can create a stylish, modern feel to a space.
If you want a shed, try building a living roof on top with sedums, or plant a trough and fill it with alpines, creating a haven for insects.
Take a look at this beginner’s guide to green roofs.
Squeeze in some lawn
In many smaller gardens, there’s sometimes no appropriate space for a lawn. However, there’s no doubt a patch of grass is ideal for wildlife. Plants such as clover, buttercups and daisies are so valuable to insects, and the soil is essential for worms, birds and other small creatures.
If you can’t have any form of lawn, try creating small areas along hard paving using ground-cover plants. Small strips of grass alongside and between paving stones also create a great look, along with an essential habitat for wildlife.
Find a landscape architect or garden designer perfect for your project in the Houzz Profesionals Directory.
In many smaller gardens, there’s sometimes no appropriate space for a lawn. However, there’s no doubt a patch of grass is ideal for wildlife. Plants such as clover, buttercups and daisies are so valuable to insects, and the soil is essential for worms, birds and other small creatures.
If you can’t have any form of lawn, try creating small areas along hard paving using ground-cover plants. Small strips of grass alongside and between paving stones also create a great look, along with an essential habitat for wildlife.
Find a landscape architect or garden designer perfect for your project in the Houzz Profesionals Directory.
Add a wildflower patch
Wildflower meadows are simply beautiful and, regardless of the size of the area you have available, you can still sow seeds. Doing some research on what type of wildflowers will suit your garden soil will help you to work out which are most likely to thrive.
A truly native wildflower meadow will do best in a sunny spot where grass grows thinly. Ideally, this would be where there’s impoverished turf. This means a lawn that’s been mown for years with the clippings removed and no fertiliser added would be perfect, although check your lawn doesn’t contain ryegrass, which is not ideal, because it’s very vigorous and will compete with wildflowers.
A wildflower meadow should not be mown until the seeds of the flowers have ripened, around early August, followed by a second cut before winter. All the cuttings must be removed, preventing the addition of nitrogen which would make the soil too rich.
If you want to go all out for flowers, a pictorial meadow does not contain grass seeds. This type of meadow comprises an annual mix, which must be sown on bare and well-prepared, weed-free soil in the spring. The fertile, rich soil will produce flowers that bloom between June and October. It will leave bare soil in winter, so you need to be prepared for this.
Wildflower meadows are simply beautiful and, regardless of the size of the area you have available, you can still sow seeds. Doing some research on what type of wildflowers will suit your garden soil will help you to work out which are most likely to thrive.
A truly native wildflower meadow will do best in a sunny spot where grass grows thinly. Ideally, this would be where there’s impoverished turf. This means a lawn that’s been mown for years with the clippings removed and no fertiliser added would be perfect, although check your lawn doesn’t contain ryegrass, which is not ideal, because it’s very vigorous and will compete with wildflowers.
A wildflower meadow should not be mown until the seeds of the flowers have ripened, around early August, followed by a second cut before winter. All the cuttings must be removed, preventing the addition of nitrogen which would make the soil too rich.
If you want to go all out for flowers, a pictorial meadow does not contain grass seeds. This type of meadow comprises an annual mix, which must be sown on bare and well-prepared, weed-free soil in the spring. The fertile, rich soil will produce flowers that bloom between June and October. It will leave bare soil in winter, so you need to be prepared for this.
Spruce up your shed
Planning the location of your shed or storage in a wildlife garden can be tricky, particularly if you’re trying to keep things neat and tidy. If a shed is old and ugly, we tend to hide it away, but updating and giving it a new lease of life with some paint is easy, or why not add a frame to its sides for climbing plants?
Creating a path to the door, with clay pavers, for example, will be more inviting and help to make the shed an integral part of the garden.
Planting bee-friendly flowers full of nectar surrounding and along the path to your shed will not only encourage insects and other wildlife, but should help to make the approach more attractive.
Add small trees, where bird boxes could be located, and place insect hotels nearby to add to the feeling of the shed not being a forgotten element.
Planning the location of your shed or storage in a wildlife garden can be tricky, particularly if you’re trying to keep things neat and tidy. If a shed is old and ugly, we tend to hide it away, but updating and giving it a new lease of life with some paint is easy, or why not add a frame to its sides for climbing plants?
Creating a path to the door, with clay pavers, for example, will be more inviting and help to make the shed an integral part of the garden.
Planting bee-friendly flowers full of nectar surrounding and along the path to your shed will not only encourage insects and other wildlife, but should help to make the approach more attractive.
Add small trees, where bird boxes could be located, and place insect hotels nearby to add to the feeling of the shed not being a forgotten element.
Swerve impulse buys
We are so often mesmerised by the choice of plants available at garden centres. Labels such as bee- or insect-friendly may help in deciding on specific plants that are nectar-rich, but it doesn’t always mean they’ll combine well with other plants. It can feel overwhelming trying to make the right choices for year-round interest.
It’s well worth doing some research on plant combinations rather than buying on impulse. It will also save you a lot of money in the long term. Make sure you have enough plants for winter interest and structure. For example, you could underplant lavender ‘Little Lady’ with Thymus serpyllum (creeping thyme), for a cool combination.
A nice pink/purple blend of flowers is Echinacea purpurea ‘Rubinstern’; Nepeta x ‘faassenii’ (garden catmint); Verbena rigida or bonariensis, and Phlox paniculata ‘Franz Schubert’.
Bulbs that flower in late winter but will attract pollinators and make a good combination include Crocus tommasinianus; Iris (Reticulata) and Scilla mischtschenkoana.
It’s worth being aware, too, that different bees like different-shaped flowers. For example, long-tongued bees love foxgloves, whereas short-tongued bees like plants such as forget-me-nots.
Herbs are particularly loved by bees and planting thyme, chives, marjoram and borage (make sure you plant the latter in a pot unless you want it all over your garden) will encourage these much-needed pollinators to your garden.
We are so often mesmerised by the choice of plants available at garden centres. Labels such as bee- or insect-friendly may help in deciding on specific plants that are nectar-rich, but it doesn’t always mean they’ll combine well with other plants. It can feel overwhelming trying to make the right choices for year-round interest.
It’s well worth doing some research on plant combinations rather than buying on impulse. It will also save you a lot of money in the long term. Make sure you have enough plants for winter interest and structure. For example, you could underplant lavender ‘Little Lady’ with Thymus serpyllum (creeping thyme), for a cool combination.
A nice pink/purple blend of flowers is Echinacea purpurea ‘Rubinstern’; Nepeta x ‘faassenii’ (garden catmint); Verbena rigida or bonariensis, and Phlox paniculata ‘Franz Schubert’.
Bulbs that flower in late winter but will attract pollinators and make a good combination include Crocus tommasinianus; Iris (Reticulata) and Scilla mischtschenkoana.
It’s worth being aware, too, that different bees like different-shaped flowers. For example, long-tongued bees love foxgloves, whereas short-tongued bees like plants such as forget-me-nots.
Herbs are particularly loved by bees and planting thyme, chives, marjoram and borage (make sure you plant the latter in a pot unless you want it all over your garden) will encourage these much-needed pollinators to your garden.
Smarten up your composting
Some compost bins can look very unattractive and they’re often made from plastic. As an alternative, make your own wooden version with straight sides, or even try a circular one crafted from hazel.
There are numerous ready-made ones on the market. For the smaller garden, look out for designs that replicate beehives.
Compost bins work best sited in an area where there’s light shade, and preferably a fairly constant temperature. Make sure you place them on bare earth to allow for drainage and access to natural soil organisms.
Some compost bins can look very unattractive and they’re often made from plastic. As an alternative, make your own wooden version with straight sides, or even try a circular one crafted from hazel.
There are numerous ready-made ones on the market. For the smaller garden, look out for designs that replicate beehives.
Compost bins work best sited in an area where there’s light shade, and preferably a fairly constant temperature. Make sure you place them on bare earth to allow for drainage and access to natural soil organisms.
Turn a bug hotel into art
If space is limited for a freestanding ‘insect hotel’ in your garden, you can make use of fences and walls to hang ‘living artworks’ that make good homes for insects.
Get creative by using different sizes of sliced logs with holes drilled in them. Also slot in sections of bamboo cane or reed in varying widths, so insects can shelter and make their homes in them.
Drilled holes in the hotel materials will also encourage insects to leave larvae to gestate safely.
If space is limited for a freestanding ‘insect hotel’ in your garden, you can make use of fences and walls to hang ‘living artworks’ that make good homes for insects.
Get creative by using different sizes of sliced logs with holes drilled in them. Also slot in sections of bamboo cane or reed in varying widths, so insects can shelter and make their homes in them.
Drilled holes in the hotel materials will also encourage insects to leave larvae to gestate safely.
Introduce a pond – naturally
A garden pond naturally encourages wildlife and, within a few hours, you’ll have an array of insects, birds and invertebrates turning up to check it out!
The siting of any pond is critical: you don’t want to position it in dark shade or under any trees with a thick canopy that will inevitably shed their leaves into the water, rendering it murky and full of sludge.
Make the pond look as if it’s always been there by softening the edges with planting. Consider the stone you’ll use around the pond and try to visit your local quarry, so the material blends in with the landscape.
If you want to section off your pond, look at having a lovely fence made from local coppiced chestnut or hazel, and check out any artisan makers in your area.
Many stone bird baths and small water bowls can be attractive in their own right, but placing them among plants and borders will produce a stunning feature or focal point in any garden, no matter what size.
Tempted by any of these ideas? Check out how much it would it cost to redesign your garden.
A garden pond naturally encourages wildlife and, within a few hours, you’ll have an array of insects, birds and invertebrates turning up to check it out!
The siting of any pond is critical: you don’t want to position it in dark shade or under any trees with a thick canopy that will inevitably shed their leaves into the water, rendering it murky and full of sludge.
Make the pond look as if it’s always been there by softening the edges with planting. Consider the stone you’ll use around the pond and try to visit your local quarry, so the material blends in with the landscape.
If you want to section off your pond, look at having a lovely fence made from local coppiced chestnut or hazel, and check out any artisan makers in your area.
Many stone bird baths and small water bowls can be attractive in their own right, but placing them among plants and borders will produce a stunning feature or focal point in any garden, no matter what size.
Tempted by any of these ideas? Check out how much it would it cost to redesign your garden.
Beautify your bird box
There are so many nesting boxes, insect hotels and hedgehog houses on the market and some are more attractive than others. Do shop around or look at a good tutorial for making your own, which is great fun and will mean more when it gets used.
There are so many nesting boxes, insect hotels and hedgehog houses on the market and some are more attractive than others. Do shop around or look at a good tutorial for making your own, which is great fun and will mean more when it gets used.
Consider a hedge
If you have the opportunity, a hedge boundary instead of a fence can look beautiful as well as offering a natural shelter to wildlife. Here, hedging has been used to screen and separate a car parking area.
The best type of hedge for wildlife is one that’s been planted with mixed species that come into leaf, flower and fruit at different times. As hedges become fairly permanent structures, decide in advance on the type of plant you want, so you can tailor your choice to the eventual height of hedge you’d like.
You can also create neat low hedges for a more formal look with rosemary, lavender or dwarf berberis, for example. Always check before trimming your hedges for any nesting birds.
Tell us…
What wildlife-friendly features would you add – or have you already added – to your garden? Let us know in the Comments section.
If you have the opportunity, a hedge boundary instead of a fence can look beautiful as well as offering a natural shelter to wildlife. Here, hedging has been used to screen and separate a car parking area.
The best type of hedge for wildlife is one that’s been planted with mixed species that come into leaf, flower and fruit at different times. As hedges become fairly permanent structures, decide in advance on the type of plant you want, so you can tailor your choice to the eventual height of hedge you’d like.
You can also create neat low hedges for a more formal look with rosemary, lavender or dwarf berberis, for example. Always check before trimming your hedges for any nesting birds.
Tell us…
What wildlife-friendly features would you add – or have you already added – to your garden? Let us know in the Comments section.
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I was surprised that the article didn't mention growing plants that also supply us with food. I, only last winter, discovered the idea of food forests and permaculture, and it was a huge "ah ha" moment, where everything that I had been striving for fell into place. It seems that we all have grown up with the idea that gardens have to be one or the other: beauty that only comes with flowers, and, food is grown in a monoculture. Never shall they meet.
The idea of permaculture thoroughly encourages wildlife through its practice and it is much less work than traditional gardening. The premise is to have seven different layers of plants from overstory trees down to groundcovers and bulbs. You have plants that attract insects and birds and others that repel insects that you don't want. Other plants are nitrogen fixers; every plant has a purpose and many play many roles...
My new food forest is very young: less than one year, but I have planted with these concepts in mind. Between my fruit trees and berry bushes, I have flowers planted for the bursts of color and to draw in more wildlife. In the very front, by the sidewalk and highway, I have planted a hedge of Regent serviceberries which will only grow to 4-5'. These are bird magnets, and I imagine when they are in flower, they will be buzzing with insects which will help pollinate. Behind that, I have planted asparagus. The ferny nature of the plant (after the stalks are done) can give the same effect as tall grasses and provide cover for wildlife.
My point is that it doesn't have to be an either/or situation. Incorporating fruit/food is a bonus when you go out to visit your garden. It can also provide a reason to visit. Last year, I made many trips out because I needed one herb or another; creeping thyme, sage, oregano, and mint. strawberries and arctic raspberries are used as groundcovers, draw in many beneficial insects, and they are a beautiful treat for the senses. I have the cooling shade of persimmon, paw paw, cherry and apple. The fall color of the persimmon and paw paw can't be beat. I have the shrub layer of all sorts of berries. The subtle variation of greens of the leaves along with the fruit color at all levels and the flowers interplanted will be a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach! I truly have four season interest; In spring, it is an explosion of blossoms, and there are bulbs planted throughout: daffodils help repel moles and undesirable insects, yet feed hungry beneficial ones. In summer, I'll have so much food that will keep producing until December, once the quince and medlar trees begin producing. Fall is a riot of color; the fire engine red of chokeberries and blueberries, the maroon of Cornus Kousa, the yellow of paw paw and oranges of persimmon and serviceberries just make my heart sing. In the winter, I have the structure of the trees and shrubs that still provide cover and food for the birds.
I would ask that everyone consider putting in some plants that also provide food for themselves and the wildlife we want to invite in. We can make our own Garden of Eden!
Lyn, I totally simpathise! I have been trying for years to create a barrier of trees between my neighbour’s house and mine and I’m finally succeeding. But like you I got to the point of feeling sick every time I heard a chain saw. And we also had a gardener who seemed our neighbour’s accomplice. Once he cut down a beautiful mature laurel tree to save the pear tree next to it - a tree that remained sickly and eventually gave up the ghost, which meant our neighbours could see right into the bedroom window! Don’t despair, carry on planting trees. You, unlike your neighbors are helping the planet!
For a few more ideas - take a look at the Hedgehog Street gardens at RHS Harlow Carr. I designed these in 2015 (and a show garden at the RHS Hampton Court show in 2014) to show all sorts of wildlife friendly features whatever the style of garden. One included fruit and veg, one was very sleek and modern, another traditional and one rather wild looking - it even included a giant earth sculpture of a hedgehog