Encouraging wildlife into your garden is easy, even if you have a small patio garden. You’ll need to provide food, water and shelter – but your garden needn’t become overgrown. It just takes the right plants, a few special habitats and a relaxed approach to garden maintenance.
A good starting point is to plant a native tree like a birch, which can provide refuge for over 300 insects that will, in turn, feed small mammals and birds, such as tits, chaffinches and robins.
A birch’s light canopy allows sunlight to reach the soil, making it ideal for under-planting spring bulbs and early perennials, such as pulmonaria, dusky cranesbills, astrantias and silver-leaved brunneras. Add a bird box and the birds may stay all year round, and even breed.
Watch the birdies…
