Creating your garden

How to create your wildlife friendly garden

• Include plants in your garden that attract pollinators. Single flowers which are funnel shaped or flat are excellent at providing nectar and pollen.
• Bees tend to prefer certain colours such as white, yellow and blue flowers.  Iberis, Veronica, Phlox, Astrantia, Circium, Achillea, Nepeta, Geums, Pulmonaria and Delphiniums are all excellent suggestions.
• Plants such as flowering herbs such as Lavender are also great additions.
• Include a diverse variety of plants and select species that flower over different times to ensure there is a prolonged food source for the beneficial insects.
• Try to refrain from cutting wildflower areas right back so to provide winter habitation and seeds as a food source for birds.
• Try Companion Planting as a way to help prevent pest and disease
• Native shrubs and trees such as Betula are great as they provide shelter and food for a wide array of insects.
• Berried hedging and trees are a good source of food for birds such as Sorbus and Crab Apple, Beech, Hazel and Hawthorn are good native choices for hedging.
• Build a bug hotel to provide shelter, nesting areas and protection, even a pile leaves will suffice.
• Perhaps incorporate a bird table, bird feeder or water feature to provide food and drink for wildlife.
• Use Peat Free compost and soil-enrichers which are an organic and nature friendly way to keep your plants healthy.

We have listed some ideas below to help you to create your own wildlife friendly garden.  You could tick off what you have already and then have a look for something else you could add to your outdoor space or to environmentally improve your area. 

Look out for our wildlife friendly displays in all Blue Diamond Garden Centres