12 Ways to Create a Wildlife Haven in a Small Garden
Love the idea of attracting wildlife into your garden? These smart ideas are perfect for petite plots
Victoria Harrison
7 April 2017
Editor, Houzz UK and Ireland
Think you haven’t got space for a wildlife garden? Think again! There are a number of quick and cheap ways to invite birds, butterflies and small animals into your garden, whatever its size. Take a look at these ways of creating a wildlife haven in a small garden and just wait for your guests to arrive!
Build an insect hotel
Possibly the simplest way to encourage mini beasts into your garden and increase its biodiversity is to build (or buy) an insect hotel. At its very basic, this can be a cluster of small bamboo canes or hollow branches grouped together inside a frame, and at its most elaborate it can be a multi-roomed structure with space for a wide variety of creepy crawlies.
As well as making your garden instantly more insect friendly, they can be interesting features in their own right, plus they make a great DIY project for children.
Possibly the simplest way to encourage mini beasts into your garden and increase its biodiversity is to build (or buy) an insect hotel. At its very basic, this can be a cluster of small bamboo canes or hollow branches grouped together inside a frame, and at its most elaborate it can be a multi-roomed structure with space for a wide variety of creepy crawlies.
As well as making your garden instantly more insect friendly, they can be interesting features in their own right, plus they make a great DIY project for children.
Make use of vertical space
If ground space is limited, don’t forget about your vertical space. There are plenty of ways to encourage winged and crawling visitors into an urban garden via a vertical wall, and this patchwork insect hotel is a great example of how to utilise a fence with a wall-hung design.
You could also transform a fence into a living ‘green wall’, or fashion a simple vertical garden by fixing wall-mounted planters to a wall and filling them with pollen-rich flowers to entice bees and butterflies.
If ground space is limited, don’t forget about your vertical space. There are plenty of ways to encourage winged and crawling visitors into an urban garden via a vertical wall, and this patchwork insect hotel is a great example of how to utilise a fence with a wall-hung design.
You could also transform a fence into a living ‘green wall’, or fashion a simple vertical garden by fixing wall-mounted planters to a wall and filling them with pollen-rich flowers to entice bees and butterflies.
Provide a pollen source
Once your insect palace is in place you’ll want to encourage insects into your garden, and to do this you’ll need to ensure you provide a steady source of pollen for as long as possible. You don’t need acres of space – you can grow many bee- and insect-friendly plants in patio pots and even in window boxes.
The key to success is to choose a good rotation of plants that will flower throughout the year, thereby providing an ongoing supply of pollen and nectar. The RHS has lots of information on choosing the best plants for insects.
Find out how to create a bee-friendly garden
Once your insect palace is in place you’ll want to encourage insects into your garden, and to do this you’ll need to ensure you provide a steady source of pollen for as long as possible. You don’t need acres of space – you can grow many bee- and insect-friendly plants in patio pots and even in window boxes.
The key to success is to choose a good rotation of plants that will flower throughout the year, thereby providing an ongoing supply of pollen and nectar. The RHS has lots of information on choosing the best plants for insects.
Find out how to create a bee-friendly garden
Supply dinner
To encourage and support birdlife in your garden it’s important to offer supplementary food during the autumn and winter months. This is something that is easy to do in a garden of any size.
Place your bird feeders or bird table somewhere you can watch and enjoy your feathered visitors from indoors, and make sure you are putting out the correct food. The RSPB provides comprehensive advice on what foods to put out and when.
To encourage and support birdlife in your garden it’s important to offer supplementary food during the autumn and winter months. This is something that is easy to do in a garden of any size.
Place your bird feeders or bird table somewhere you can watch and enjoy your feathered visitors from indoors, and make sure you are putting out the correct food. The RSPB provides comprehensive advice on what foods to put out and when.
Don’t be too tidy
Most people won’t need to be told this twice, but one of the best things you can do to encourage wildlife into your garden is to leave a small area of grass or planting overgrown and undisturbed.
Even if you only have a compact corner to allocate for this, just letting the grass grow long rather than regularly cutting it back will create shelter for insects and small animals. Mix in some wildlife-friendly plants too, and you’ve created a mini critters’ paradise, with hardly any effort at all.
Most people won’t need to be told this twice, but one of the best things you can do to encourage wildlife into your garden is to leave a small area of grass or planting overgrown and undisturbed.
Even if you only have a compact corner to allocate for this, just letting the grass grow long rather than regularly cutting it back will create shelter for insects and small animals. Mix in some wildlife-friendly plants too, and you’ve created a mini critters’ paradise, with hardly any effort at all.
Create a mini meadow
Don’t have any ground space? Why not create a mini meadow in a window box? Sow a wildflower seed mix in a large container and position it in a sunny spot.
Place an insect box on a wall nearby and you’ve created a mini insect habitat that you can comfortably view from indoors all spring and summer long. It will also make the exterior of your home look beautifully bright and cheery.
Discover more about wildflower planting
Don’t have any ground space? Why not create a mini meadow in a window box? Sow a wildflower seed mix in a large container and position it in a sunny spot.
Place an insect box on a wall nearby and you’ve created a mini insect habitat that you can comfortably view from indoors all spring and summer long. It will also make the exterior of your home look beautifully bright and cheery.
Discover more about wildflower planting
Provide fresh drinking water
As well as food, it’s important to provide water for birds and bees. If a traditional birdbath doesn’t take your fancy, you could just put out a shallow dish, or fashion a more naturalistic one, like this bath carved out of a piece of granite.
Sloped sides are important to allow easy access to the water. Keep it regularly topped up in hot weather and don’t forget birds will also need a water source in the winter, so keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t freeze over in cold weather.
As well as food, it’s important to provide water for birds and bees. If a traditional birdbath doesn’t take your fancy, you could just put out a shallow dish, or fashion a more naturalistic one, like this bath carved out of a piece of granite.
Sloped sides are important to allow easy access to the water. Keep it regularly topped up in hot weather and don’t forget birds will also need a water source in the winter, so keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t freeze over in cold weather.
Suspend a bird bath
If ground space is really at a premium, a hanging bird bath can be a good alternative to a floorstanding one.
Suspend it from a tree or wall and keep it topped up with a fresh supply of drinking water to tempt birds into your garden in the warm weather.
If ground space is really at a premium, a hanging bird bath can be a good alternative to a floorstanding one.
Suspend it from a tree or wall and keep it topped up with a fresh supply of drinking water to tempt birds into your garden in the warm weather.
Make space for a nest box
Most gardens, even tiny ones, have space for a bird box or two, and this is a great way to encourage nesting birds to make a home in your garden.
There are a variety of nest boxes on the market, designed for different species, so take a look at this advice from the RSPB before selecting the best one for your garden.
Most gardens, even tiny ones, have space for a bird box or two, and this is a great way to encourage nesting birds to make a home in your garden.
There are a variety of nest boxes on the market, designed for different species, so take a look at this advice from the RSPB before selecting the best one for your garden.
Replace fences with hedges
Did you know that hedges can act as wildlife ‘corridors’, enabling animals and insects to safely move around under cover? In contrast, solid fence panels can block access to your garden for small animals such as hedgehogs.
Planting a hedge as a border around a small garden instead of a fence will help to support and extend this ‘super highway’, providing shelter and cover for a range of wildlife. Flowering hedges will also provide berries in autumn and winter – an invaluable food source for birds.
If you need help selecting the best type of hedge for your garden, the RSPB have created wildlife-friendly hedging packs, with a carefully selected mix of hedge plants, that can be bought cheaply as bare root plants from Oct-April.
Did you know that hedges can act as wildlife ‘corridors’, enabling animals and insects to safely move around under cover? In contrast, solid fence panels can block access to your garden for small animals such as hedgehogs.
Planting a hedge as a border around a small garden instead of a fence will help to support and extend this ‘super highway’, providing shelter and cover for a range of wildlife. Flowering hedges will also provide berries in autumn and winter – an invaluable food source for birds.
If you need help selecting the best type of hedge for your garden, the RSPB have created wildlife-friendly hedging packs, with a carefully selected mix of hedge plants, that can be bought cheaply as bare root plants from Oct-April.
Create a pond
Want to encourage frogs and toads into your garden? If you have space to dig a small pond, you’ll be amazed at how quickly aquatic life will appear. This garden is a great example of how a petite pond can bring life and interest to a small space.
If you don’t have much space, you can create a dinky pond by recycling an old sink, or even submerging a large plant pot to create a mini water habitat. Place some large stones on one side to allow access in and out and submerge a couple of aquatic plants and you’ll create a welcome water source for birds, bees and small animals. The Wildlife Trusts offer lots of expert advice on how to get started.
Want to encourage frogs and toads into your garden? If you have space to dig a small pond, you’ll be amazed at how quickly aquatic life will appear. This garden is a great example of how a petite pond can bring life and interest to a small space.
If you don’t have much space, you can create a dinky pond by recycling an old sink, or even submerging a large plant pot to create a mini water habitat. Place some large stones on one side to allow access in and out and submerge a couple of aquatic plants and you’ll create a welcome water source for birds, bees and small animals. The Wildlife Trusts offer lots of expert advice on how to get started.
Green the roof
If outdoor space is really restricted, how about creating a green roof? Green roofs are a great way not only to add colour, but to encourage wildlife, protect your property and bring a little joy to all who can see them. They can be added to many styles of roof, sloping or flat, from an extensive extension to a garden shed.
There are several practical considerations to weigh up before you go ahead with a green roof, such as access, weight and upkeep, but if you are keen they are a wonderful way to bring life and colour to an urban skyline.
Take a look at our beginners guide to creating a green roof
Inspired by any of these ideas? Share your own wildlife garden ideas in the Comments below.
If outdoor space is really restricted, how about creating a green roof? Green roofs are a great way not only to add colour, but to encourage wildlife, protect your property and bring a little joy to all who can see them. They can be added to many styles of roof, sloping or flat, from an extensive extension to a garden shed.
There are several practical considerations to weigh up before you go ahead with a green roof, such as access, weight and upkeep, but if you are keen they are a wonderful way to bring life and colour to an urban skyline.
Take a look at our beginners guide to creating a green roof
Inspired by any of these ideas? Share your own wildlife garden ideas in the Comments below.
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Birds like shallow birdbaths, but so often we see deep ones on houzz. Shallow birdbaths allow birds to watch for predators out the sides as well as step into the middle to bathe.
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Best to have a mixed hedge, if you need one at all, rather than a single variety. First, because if one plant doesn't thrive or becomes diseased, it doesn't kill the entire hedge. Second, because it will provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife throughout the seasons. And third, because you don't create a dense shadow or wind tunnel, especially in winter. So much nicer, too, to have a mix of roses and variegated shrubs than a row of privet or laurel!