8 Ways to Attract Wildlife to Your Garden
In addition to delighting the little ones, wildlife contributes to the health of your garden. They feed on pests and make every corner more alive.
While we could do without the zealous summer foragers or the greedy ones that make their home in our garden, don’t be afraid of these winged, legged and mandibular visitors. Get up close and shhh… watch them!
1. Attracting butterflies
Who hasn’t dreamed of seeing their garden invaded by butterflies? With their thousand colours, the lepidopterans ensure the biodiversity and reproduction of the plants in the garden.
Four tips to attract butterflies:
– install fragrant plants;
– choose plants with flowers;
– let some weeds grow;
– accept the presence of caterpillars.
Good to know: to attract butterflies on a balcony, a yard or a windowsill, you must reproduce the nectar of flowers. Mix water, salt, sugar and honey in a bowl and be patient!
2. Feed and drink the birds
Birds are the musicians of the garden! To attract chickadees and robins, relieve their thirst and hunger and shelter them from the cold.
– install a fountain with or without water movement starting at $30
– Place a feeder with leftovers or some seeds;
– build or buy a small shelter for the birds in winter, starting at $10.
3. Plant fruit trees
If you have the courage and passion for bees, try your hand at beekeeping!
Bees love flowers, and birds love fruit. To make people happy, plant fruit trees!
Tip: birds are an excellent way to get rid of fruit that you can’t easily reach the top of the tree.
Birds like to eat from the cherry trees, apple trees, fig trees, and plum trees.
4. Create hiding places for small mammals
Mice, rats and shrews like to move around without being seen when they search for food.
Small mammals appreciate this:
– hedges, shrubs;
– tall grass and wood piles;
– low walls in which they hide to stalk their prey.
5. Install a frog pond
A frog can live in a garden for its entire life (up to 40 years!). To “adopt” a frog, you will need a small pond.
To begin the formation of the aquatic ecosystem in which the frog lives, you can introduce its favourite foods: insects and flies.
In winter, frogs take refuge in the ground or a cellar.
6. Build a hedgehog hut
The hedgehog is still the children’s favourite garden animal. The whole family loves its shy little nose! It also gets rid of snails and slugs in the garden.
– To attract him to your home, you need to build him a hut protected from wind and weather.
– To do this, place a small pile of wood covered with leaves in the corner of the garden.
– You can also add fruits or, occasionally, quail eggs (avoid chicken eggs, too big and too rich for these little creatures).
Warning: do not eat bread or cow’s milk (and all products containing lactose) because they can cause fatal dysentery to the animal.
7. Setting up an insect house
Insects help preserve the garden ecosystem. So, to welcome them properly, all you need is a bit of DIY or the help of our worksheet below to build a tiny home for ants or ladybugs (which will kill aphids).
Tip: place your house near a flower bed where the insects will come to feed.
8. Plant ivy for lizards
Lizards are always difficult to catch. Lively and agile, they hide under rocks and leaves. However, if a lizard takes up residence in your home, it will eliminate the slugs! So let him roam around as he pleases.
To attract lizards, plant ivy, their favourite habitat and hunting ground.
Hopefully, these 8 tips will help you attract wildlife to your garden and don’t forget to share your experience with us!
