Wildlife Planting Style
Planting for wildlife has quickly become a priority for garden owners with the climate crisis becoming an increasingly pressing issue. Even within just two generations, losses in native species of both flora and fauna have been apparent. With crises such as Dutch Elm disease and the dramatic decline of red squirrel populations, gardeners may feel a drive to contribute to the network of green corridors that help support and accommodate our native biodiversity.
Planting in a wildlife-oriented style will transform your garden, regardless of its size, into a haven for nature through the addition of planting tailored to attract and provide for our local birds, mammals, insects and amphibians. Nothing animates and brings a garden to life better than wildlife. To look across a garden buzzing with bees and butterflies is a hugely satisfying sight that brings an undeniable sense of hope, reassurance and contentment.
Although improving the biodiversity in your garden alone may seem like a kite in a rapidly changing climate storm, you may find solace knowing that private gardens in the UK make up approximately 270,000 hectares of land. Your garden could be an integral stepping stone to allow wildlife to traverse our ever-growing increasingly urban modern world, making up a component of the green corridor network that allows our native pollinators to move freely and safely across the country.
The secret to achieving the full biodiversity potential of your outdoor space lies in the detail. Providing the fullest possible range of micro habitats will ensure no creature great or small will be left unaccounted for. For example, within a pond setting, it is crucial to provide a variety of depths to allow for both marginal and fully aquatic plants to grow, providing habitats for fish, amphibians and also insects that rely on shallow still waters to complete their life cycle.
In terms of planting, the same principles can be applied by planting a range of species with varying flower types. For instance umbellifer-type flowers are favoured by moths and butterflies whereas some lipped flowers, like that of the pea family provide pollen for bees exclusively. A range of plant classifications including a correct balance of shrubs, trees and herbaceous perennials paired with solutions such as bee boxes and bird houses can help ensure all bases, from ladybirds to lapwings, are covered.
Plants we might use in an wildlife garden.
Planting Design
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