Step into a world where every corner of your garden becomes a haven for an intricate web of life. Beyond the rustling leaves and melodious songs of birds lies a vibrant tapestry of creatures that make up the diverse inhabitants of your environment. Arthropods, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals join the avian symphony, weaving their stories into the very fabric of your nature-friendly garden. Nurturing wildlife diversity in your nature-friendly garden is essential to help these animals thrive in our gardens and in nature.
In this sanctuary, the imperative is not just to witness but to protect. These creatures, often overlooked, play vital roles in the ecosystem’s delicate balance. Their presence extends far beyond their existence; they support the intricate dance of life, from pollinating blossoms to regulating pest populations. As we cultivate an environment that embraces all walks of life, we unearth a treasure trove of wonder hidden within the natural world.
Every living being, no matter its size or form, possesses a unique charm that beckons us to pause, observe, and appreciate. As we bend down and take the time to peer into the lives of these fellow inhabitants, we’re met with a kaleidoscope of excitement and awe.
How to attract wildlife into our garden?
Yet the allure of a nature-friendly garden goes beyond the enchanting encounters it offers. It is a canvas upon which we wield tools and methods ingeniously designed to welcome these creatures into our realm. Picture a wasp garage, an abode for gentle pollinators that enhance crop and fruit production, or a frog haven, where these amphibians frolic in lush green hideaways. Lizard castles rise, providing a refuge for agile reptiles, while hedgehog shelters stand ready to cradle these spiky yet endearing creatures.
These solutions, meticulously crafted, become part of a grander vision—a harmonious coexistence between humans and the diverse life forms that inhabit our shared landscapes. In this narrative, a woodshed transforms into more than a storage space; it becomes a haven for life. Within its walls, the intricate weavings of existence unfurl, and small acts of kindness reverberate through the intricate tapestry of life.
Who are our neighbors?
Fortunately, birds are not the only inhabitants of our environment; arthropods, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals are also guests of the nature-friendly garden. We need to protect these animals, keep them in our environment, or lure them there, not only because they serve as food for many species of birds or even benefit them (just think of the insects, beetles, and butterflies that pollinate fruit trees). Every living being is unique in its own way, and if we pay attention to them, bend down, and take some time to observe them, we realize how much excitement they hide.
The greatest attraction of a nature-friendly garden lies precisely in the fact that there are many tools and methods, such as the wasp garage and bug farm, butterfly pasture, lizard castle, frog shelter, hedgehog farm, small mammal house, nature conservation woodshed, and bat nest, with which we can help the lives of our fellow animals even in our garden.
What we can do?
Join us on this journey to explore the art of nurturing biodiversity in your haven. Together, we unravel the secrets of a nature-friendly garden, where every stroke of intentionality becomes a brushstroke on the canvas of life. Let the adventure begin, and let the garden’s enchantment sweep you into a world where every being finds its place and purpose.
Wasp Garage
Before we scare away the idea that we want to lure dangerous, poisonous wasp species into our gardens, I would like to tell you, that in addition to the known aggressive colony bees and wasps that live in families, there are also solitary species. These gentle, non-aggressive bees and wasps, ranging in size from a few millimeters to the size of a bumble bee, are an important part of their environment, as they are indispensable as pollinators in crop and fruit production. Predatory wasps are a biological defense against pests. Unfortunately, our modern brick and concrete buildings do not offer them a place to breed, unlike the adobe walls and thatched roofs of old. Fortunately, conservationists realized that we could also help these animals by making and placing a wasp garage.
How to prepare a wasp garage
The wasp garage can be any tubular object with a diameter of 3–15 mm and at least a few cm long, or any material in which such holes can be dug.
Use firewood cones with a diameter of 10–20 cm to create a bee garage comprising dozens of nesting cavities by piercing them with a 3–10 mm diameter drill, making holes 3–10 cm deep. Drill parallel to the longitudinal axis of the logs, preferably into the cross-cut surface. If logs are split and polished, you can also opt to drill into the side of the trunk. Construct legs for the wasp garage to prevent the bottom of the tree from getting wet and rotting. Wasp garages made from firewood balls can be easily moved, making them ideal for installation next to the flower box on the windowsill or the rock garden.
Logging: The easiest thing to do is make wasp garages in our nature conservation log. In this case, we can even drill hundreds of holes in the firewood logs, creating a large colony of wasp garages.
From reed fabric: cut a 30–40 cm long piece from tightly twisted, 10–20 cm thick reed fabric with a saw with finer teeth (a hacksaw is also good), then wire the two ends together tightly, and finally expand the length with a suitable thickness of wire, twig, or nail the cavities of the reed fibers on both sides of the reed fabric. The wasp garage made of reed fabric can be placed in the flower bed either by hanging it with a string or by placing it on the foot of a spike-thick forked branch.
Frog Shelter
Fortunately, some species of frogs of various sizes and shapes, with interesting lifestyles, enchant nature in our garden. Especially if we help them settle and stay with natural and artificial means. Toads, spade frogs, and tree frogs require the humid, shady habitat offered by dense bushes and rich undergrowth. Since many worms, mollusks, and insects live in this environment, the existence of such areas is also important for the supply of food for the animals that feed on them. Therefore, when mowing the grass, at least leave uncut parts between the bushes, which acts as an insect hiding lane and helps the area’s insect life to survive.
Our terrestrial frogs have solid hiding places, so we can also help with a frog garage. A few large stones placed in a cave-like manner—the cone tiles used on the ridge of the roofs are suitable for this—but an upside-down flower pot with a small semi-circular entrance opening will also do.
Place the frog shelter in a part of the garden where you water regularly, especially in the evening, and observe the emergence of frogs hunting for reviving earthworms, tiny snails, insects, and black and singing thrushes as a result of the moisture.
Lizard Castles
Protected agile and wall lizards can also be found in our gardens. The most important condition for the settlement and survival of these harmless but at the same time very interesting animals is that, in addition to insect food, they also find plenty of hiding places. Ruined sections of brick walls that have lost their plaster, piles of stones and bricks at the end of the garden, and piles of slag can be lizard castles offering many hiding places, the common feature of which is that their microclimates are diverse, and in addition to sunny surfaces, there are many shady places for lizards seeking shelter from excessive heating.
Rock gardens with many crevices are even better lizard castles, as the flowering plants attract a lot of food-producing insects to the small reptiles’ habitat. If we plant the rock garden with well-chosen herbs and shrubs, we will always have blooming plants from spring to autumn, which not only attract insect food for the lizards but also delight us.
A woodshed can be much more than a winter fuel store. If we apply a few simple tricks, plant flowers near it, drill wasp garages in the firewood cones, install logs suitable for beetle colonies, and create hedgehog shelters and frog hiding places in it, we will have a lizard castle where several groups of animals feel good. Therefore, the most perfect lizard castle is a nature conservation log.
Hedgehog Hiding Places
Since hedgehogs are not very picky animals and eat worms, snails, insects, rodents, and fruit alike, one of the biggest conditions for their settlement is the availability of suitable hiding places. Especially during the long winter sleep period, they need the right hiding place, which we can help with in several ways.
Bushes, hedges, large-scale ground-covering sedges, pines, and shrubs are prime daytime hiding places for them. Not to mention that these shady areas also help the lives of many of their food animals, thus ensuring their food supply. In addition to lizards and frogs, the composter also provides a good summer and winter shelter for hedgehogs, especially if you create a labyrinth of hiding places from thicker branches placed in several layers at the bottom of the composting box.
In smaller gardens, we can use the low, doghouse-like shed. Remove the roof of these wooden hedgehog shelters to easily fill the living space with dry leaves and grass, and check whether hedgehogs have settled in. Place the hedgehog house in a bushy, shady corner of the garden or front yard, preferably under cover. You can even pile rocks on it for camouflage and protection against dogs.
Mouse Castle and Owl Feeder
Mouse castles are structures that are suitable in themselves or that we make suitable for small rodents to move in, where the small mammals can build their nests made of dry plant fibers and near which they can find their food.
Larger mouse castles are suitable as owl feeders, in which several mice can constantly find their living conditions, thus offering prey to the raiding owls for a longer period.
Owls can primarily use mouse castles in really bad weather, extreme cold, and when there is a persistent snow load. However, if an owl species nests in or near the mouse castle garden, then we can expect regular visits from hunters of the night even during the chick-rearing period.
To Conclude
Nurturing wildlife diversity in your nature-friendly garden is essential for protecting the lives of various animals, including birds, arthropods, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. There are various tools and methods available to help these animals thrive in the garden.
Wasp garages are a popular method for attracting bees and wasps, which are essential pollinators in crop and fruit production. Use firewood cones to create wasp garages, and logging can establish large colonies of wasp garages. Create frog garages using reed fabric, offering a humid, shady habitat for various frog species.
Lizard castles are another important feature for the survival of agile and wall lizards in gardens. Ruined brick walls, piles of stones, and slag can serve as lizard castles, offering diverse microclimates and shady places for lizards to seek shelter. Rock gardens with many crevices attract food-producing insects, while a woodshed can serve as a winter fuel store.
Hedgehog hiding places are essential for their survival, as they eat worms, snails, insects, rodents, and fruit. They can find suitable daytime hiding places in bushes, hedges, ground-covering sedges, pines, and shrubs. Composters can also provide summer and winter shelter for hedgehogs, especially if they create a labyrinth of hiding places from thicker branches.
Use structures like mouse castles and owl feeders to offer a haven for small rodents, allowing them to move in. By incorporating these tools and methods into our gardens, we can help protect and thrive on the diverse ecosystems that inhabit our gardens.
If you are interested in implementing more ideas, please read my previous posts: