Guest post: As pet lovers, we are also people who appreciate all animals in the world. We understand that the creatures that inhabit this planet offer a balance and calmness that enhances and sustains our lives. Bees and butterflies sustain our food supply, insects work on our soil to make it fertile, and birdsong can do much to ease our anxieties and mental stresses. The connection between us and nature is stronger than we think and creating a space for animals in our garden is a wonderful pastime. Here we explore practical ways to encourage wildlife into your garden and successfully nurture this life.
Avoid chemicals
One of the great ways to attract all sorts of creatures to your garden is to avoid artificially created chemicals for controlling pests and weeds. These chemicals can also be harmful to your dogs, so making sure you use natural materials to keep balance within your part of the ecosystem is a good approach. Many of the bugs you want to get rid of our food for the animals you want to attract, especially hedgehogs and some birds.
Provide the essentials
For life to flourish in your garden, it needs food, water, and shelter. By providing these, you will be giving wildlife everything needed so they will be attracted to your space.
A pond is a great addition to a garden because it offers the water source required by small mammals looking for a drink. Equally, you can provide a birdbath or put our dishes of water.
Equally, putting out food, such as nuts, fat balls, seeds, and the like, for the birds is an obvious move to attract more to your garden. If you are looking to feed hedgehogs, you should put dog meat down, not bread and milk that can harm the animal.
The shelter is the final essential for caring for animals. Waiting well past the cold months to mow your lawn and maintain your borders will provide shelter for overwintering insects. Many bees, butterflies and other essential pollinators are often destroyed in gardens when the gardener comes to tidy up in early spring.
Also, leaving an area of your garden slightly wilder can help encourage animals. You can also buy bug hotels, hedgehog houses and other shelters from your local garden centre – or make them from old household items.
Observe from a distance
Probably one of the greatest dangers to wildlife is the human population. We can’t help but interfere in their life routines and necessary habits. While bringing wildlife into your garden can help you connect more with nature, it is best to leave it to live and watch from a distance. You are cohabiting in their space now, and they need room to flourish.
Nothing better than animals
We all love our animals and are keen to see animals in the wild live the happy lives we provide for our pets. With these simple and supportive acts, you can encourage wildlife into your garden and enjoy the mental benefits of cohabiting with your neighbours.