Designing a garden to attract wildlife adds a whole new level of interest, particularly to a town garden. There are many ways to encourage wildlife, but the best approach is to make an effort and aim to do more than just leave a corner of your garden to run wild. A delicate blend of care and neglect is required to create the right balance. Placing the right plant combinations is crucial too, and it is helpful to leave any flowering plants to produce seed heads in the autumn, so don’t be too quick to clear up.
Similarly, leaving small piles of pruned twigs and such like tucked away at the back of borders will provide a habitat for a host of insects, which in turn help to attract other animals. A water feature with different depths is great for wildlife. Water is an essential element in all our lives and a pond is a magnet for a range of creatures, especially in the dry summer months. From the smallest insects, to dragonflies, frogs and newts, and, if you are lucky, slow worms, up to larger mammals such as hedgehogs, foxes and badgers will all be attracted to water.
We created this large pond for a client in Redland. He is a wildlife photographer and so wanted a garden to attract lots of different creatures. We were surprised when he asked for a pond which would take up such a large area of his garden, but we welcomed the rare opportunity to create a pond on such a scale. Small ponds are fine, but can suffer from overheating during summer, which encourages excess weed growth. With a pond of this scale, with a decent depth, and the inclusion of floating pond plants and water lilies, the water establishes a natural balance.
Introducing oxygenating pond weed and water snails will also help to keep the water healthy. Around the perimeter of the pond we introduced plenty of shallow cobbled “beach” areas . This gives the pond a more natural feel and, more importantly, these shallow areas are used for bathing and drinking by birds, provide a place for amphibians to lay their eggs, and will help emerging dragonflies. The deeper areas help aquatic insects survive cold spells and are good places to watch newts swimming.
Although the pond is the main feature in this garden, we were able to include a small patio next to the back doors and, across in the far corner, a smaller bark-covered area under a fan pergola, which gives an alternative view of the pond. To screen a rather ugly garage we attached trellis to it, fixed to the wall with spacers, so the gap between the wall and the trellis gives room for birds to nest.
A good dense habitat for the birds is provided by pyracanthus, which we planted along this wall. To extend the use of the pond beyond daylight hours is relatively simple and it is well worth adding some subtle underwater lighting. Taking the time to get a natural wildlife pond right will reap rewards and, with a half-decent camera, you could take some snaps to rival the professionals – all from the comfort of your living room.
http://www.allgardendesigns.co.uk/
17, Churchways Crescent, Horfield, BRISTOL BS7 8SW | TEL. 0117 9511923
Similarly, leaving small piles of pruned twigs and such like tucked away at the back of borders will provide a habitat for a host of insects, which in turn help to attract other animals. A water feature with different depths is great for wildlife. Water is an essential element in all our lives and a pond is a magnet for a range of creatures, especially in the dry summer months. From the smallest insects, to dragonflies, frogs and newts, and, if you are lucky, slow worms, up to larger mammals such as hedgehogs, foxes and badgers will all be attracted to water.
We created this large pond for a client in Redland. He is a wildlife photographer and so wanted a garden to attract lots of different creatures. We were surprised when he asked for a pond which would take up such a large area of his garden, but we welcomed the rare opportunity to create a pond on such a scale. Small ponds are fine, but can suffer from overheating during summer, which encourages excess weed growth. With a pond of this scale, with a decent depth, and the inclusion of floating pond plants and water lilies, the water establishes a natural balance.
Introducing oxygenating pond weed and water snails will also help to keep the water healthy. Around the perimeter of the pond we introduced plenty of shallow cobbled “beach” areas . This gives the pond a more natural feel and, more importantly, these shallow areas are used for bathing and drinking by birds, provide a place for amphibians to lay their eggs, and will help emerging dragonflies. The deeper areas help aquatic insects survive cold spells and are good places to watch newts swimming.
Although the pond is the main feature in this garden, we were able to include a small patio next to the back doors and, across in the far corner, a smaller bark-covered area under a fan pergola, which gives an alternative view of the pond. To screen a rather ugly garage we attached trellis to it, fixed to the wall with spacers, so the gap between the wall and the trellis gives room for birds to nest.
A good dense habitat for the birds is provided by pyracanthus, which we planted along this wall. To extend the use of the pond beyond daylight hours is relatively simple and it is well worth adding some subtle underwater lighting. Taking the time to get a natural wildlife pond right will reap rewards and, with a half-decent camera, you could take some snaps to rival the professionals – all from the comfort of your living room.
http://www.allgardendesigns.co.uk/
17, Churchways Crescent, Horfield, BRISTOL BS7 8SW | TEL. 0117 9511923