29 February 2024
How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden
At AG, our commitment to sustainability goes beyond our manufacturing practices and extends to our surroundings. We’re dedicated to conserving and enhancing local biodiversity across all our locations throughout Northern Ireland, with a dedicated in-house team monitoring and managing wildlife habitats across our sites.
Today on World Wildlife Day (WWD) we explore how you can make your garden more wildlife-friendly. Whether you’re embarking on a total transformation or just making a few updates to your outside space, you can get closer to native wildlife with our top tips.
Don’t Mow, Let it Grow
As part of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, we designate areas across our sites managed for wildlife, fostering habitats for bees and other pollinators to create their habitats and thrive. In your own garden you can create space for various plants and insect species to thrive by allowing some or all of your lawn to grow. Longer grass provides better shelter for insects like worms as well as homes for newts, frogs and dormice. If long grass aren’t your thing, reducing how often you mow your lawn to every four weeks will encourage the growth of ‘short-grass’ plants, boosting nectar production whilst also helping to reduce your carbon footprint.
Feather your Nest
Support your garden’s ecosystem by planting trees like rowan and wild cherry, creating bird boxes, and providing bird food. Remember to place boxes and feeders well out of reach of cats and keep feeders clean. With nearly 30% of birds in the UK being threatened with extinction, providing extra food especially during Winter could really help local bird populations flourish.
Go Wild
Due to their ecological impact, wild, less manicured gardens are growing in popularity. Not only do they benefit the environment around you, they also reduce the need for constant maintenance, saving you time and effort. A mix of native and nectar rich plants like knapweed or Bellflower seeds, as well as perennial wildflower meadows are the perfect addition to any wildlife-friendly garden.
Plant climbers like ivy and honeysuckle are excellent for covering unsightly walls and fences whilst also providing valuable food sources and nesting places for insects and birds. Trees, hedges and even woodpiles of cut branches can offer roosting and nesting sites, becoming natural highways that offer invaluable places for wildlife to live, feed and hibernate.
Together, we can make a positive difference in supporting our planet’s precious ecosystems. By implementing these tips in your garden you can create a safe haven for nature to flourish and help to celebrate World Wildlife Day, every day.
Links
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