© Garden Cottage Nursery, 2011 There are a few quite simple things that can be done even in a smaller plot to increase wildlife. You don’t of course necessarily want more of all wildlife, slugs are wildlife too, and feeding a fox can only bring destruction & the wrath of  your neighbourhood. We should all try to encourage biodiversity in our own personal small corner of the planet so here are a few suggestions: • Don’t be too tidy, leave some plant material to rot, clearing up the instant a plant dies back is removing valuable habitat for all  manner of beasties. Having as pile of logs rotting in  a shady corner is a haven for all manner of creatures as well as often some  quite ornamental or unusual fungi, and no unless nearby shrubs and tree are very unhealthy or dead already the fungi won’t spread  to them. A descent sized pile of brash is a great way to encourage Wrens, these cute characterful wee birds with their piercing cry  will often be seen darting in and out of such piles and may nest in your one, but they often have two or three piles they frequent. • Consider not spending the whole of Sunday pushing a mower round and round. Even a fairly small area of long grass provides  invaluable habitat, new flower species will move in without help but you can plant some native or non-native species to brighten it up  & encourage pollinators.  Don’t rush to cut it again as soon as the flowers fade as the birds will descend to eat the grass seeds. • Consider having a pond. A small bit of water will give habitat to all sorts of different wildlife. Hopefully some frogs or toads will find  your garden loch as once they grow up they prove useful with their taste for slugs!  Do not collect frog spawn from the wild for you  pond as this is illegal. Don’t take frog spawn from friends either as this can spread amphibian diseases from one area to another, let  nature take it’s course, frogs, toads & newts cover a surprising amount of ground & if your pond is a suitable habitat they will find it  soon enough. • Fill your garden with nectar rich plants & ones with berries or seed heads that will provide food.  Our native flora is particularly poor in species for early emerging pollinators, so lots of spring flowering plants like bulbs are particularly valuable. In late summer it is easy  to turn the taps on for the butterflies with lots to choose from, not just the ubiquitous Buddleja, try Eupatorium, Verbena bonariensis & Sedum as well.  Red berries are more noticeable to birds so choose plants with red rather than yellow fruits. • Follow this link for some more info on what types of flowers attract what pollinators & how.  Remember that butterflies do start off as caterpillars! • A few bird or bat boxes hidden about the garden can help make up for lost habitat in the wider environment. However feeding birds is not really such a good idea as it creates a reliance on an artificial food source and is rarely varied with what would be natural  seasonal fluctuations. Too much feeding & you get a lot of half tame birds too fat to fly away from cats. Some small supplementary  feeding would be appreciated in autumn, during harsh weather in winter and maybe something to help the parent fledge their chicks  in late May early June.  • Have lots of evergreen trees and shrubs in your garden, these will give year-round homes & shelter to all kinds of wildlife. Conifer  hedges like “Leylandii” are not very good, they are too thick & dark. They also acidify & dry-out the nearby soil so impeding wildlife. • Eradicate any American grey furry tailed tree rats, they hinder native wildlife & damage your garden. There are still none this far north yet thankfully. • Pine martins look very cute & are lovely to see in the garden, but bear in mind that they are compact furry killing machines and their  presence may not be appreciated by other wildlife in your garden. • Badgers’ aren’t as cute & are angry most of the time (just ask a dairy cow) and are particularly fond of digging up bulbs, best to leave them alone. • If you have a mink in your garden, please, please, please kill & it don’t feed it. • Sheep, deer, goats, cows, pigs, rabbits & hares are all very undesirable as garden wildlife & are best kept on the other side of a stout fence. Made with Xara