Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s almost time to reawaken your outside space!
The Easter period can be the perfect opportunity to revitalise your outdoor space; with fairer weather, the chance to burn calories and a couple of bank holidays thrown in for good measure.
Whilst the jury is still out on whether you can tempt the Easter bunny into your garden, you can certainly make your garden the perfect place for his friends, including birds, squirrels, hedgehogs and other wildlife!
It Is Important
With increasing numbers of UK species becoming endangered, the responsibility to create more creature habitats is falling evermore on homeowners.
Urbanisation provides beautiful new homes for humans, but it’s up to us to make sure that this doesn’t spell the end for other creatures’ homes!
Did you know… Species in the UK that are currently endangered include the turtle doves, hedgehogs, red squirrels and bees?
You Can Help
Luckily, it’s super easy to create a creature retreat that will be as picturesque as it is useful! From window boxes to vast forest gardens, there are measures we can all take to make the most out of our outdoor spaces.
You can purchase bird feeders from lots of places including Earlswood Garden and Landscape Centre. Alternatively, you may wish to have a crafty day and construct your own using fat, mixed seeds and a mould!
Why stop at feeding your winged friends? Perhaps provide a bolt hole, too! Simply install and wait for a family of birds to move in. You can even get mirror-back birdhouses, so that you can see the inhabitants without disturbing them.
Flowers need bees just as much as bees need flowers. The bees pollinate the flowers, whichenables them to reproduce, whilst the flowers provide the bees with energy from nectar. Blooms with high pollen and nectar counts attract bees, plus they look lovely too.
Bee-friendly spring flowers include bluebells, daffodils, flowering cherry and hawthorn.
Evergreens are the champions of the plant world. They stay green all-year around (hence the name) and they usually need very little maintenance. They also make a great home and food for lots of wildlife.
Bug hotels – or bug mansions as they are sometimes called – provide a great space for bugs to thrive. They may not be as cute as rabbits, but they are crucial to our ecosystem… and they will make your soil far better quality for beautiful blossoms! There are pre-made options dotted about online, along with plenty of tutorials if you wish to build your own.
Hedgehogs and other wildlife will love a ‘wild’ corner all of their own. Hollow logs provide the ultimate hibernation spot, especially when sheltered with leaves and twigs. Better still, your rustic corner requires literally no maintenance. Simply leave and enjoy.
If creating fabulous habitats for nature isn’t enough of a reason to coax you outdoors, here’s some more benefits of having a spring garden clean
