A natural garden is becoming increasingly important for our environment. Everywhere you see and hear: bees and birds are dying out. But that often isn’t surprising when you see perfectly mowed lawns or even lots of paving stones in most gardens. We need to actively counteract this. Leave the garden more to nature and the animals again. Here you will find some tips and instructions for creating a beautiful home for our insects and birds.
Creating a natural garden – designing the garden naturally
A natural garden relies on a great diversity of plants and natural materials. The garden can be structured with flower beds, vegetable beds, compost heaps, deadwood corners and dry stone walls. Bird baths, insect hotels or even a small garden pond enrich this natural paradise.
Use as many native and insect-friendly flowers, shrubs and trees as possible. In most garden centers and DIY stores, such plants are already very clearly labeled.
Flowers and herbs in the natural garden
Flowers and herbs are a must in every garden. They are beautiful eye-catchers, food for insects and
- Perennial beds, e.g. with red valerian, mullein, meadow cranesbill, bellflower, lupins, monkshood, yarrow, columbine and goat’s beard
- Meadow flowers such as oxeye daisies, chicory, knapweed, meadow sage, corn poppies and red campion
- Wild herbäs such as dandelion, nettle, white clover, meadow sage, ground elder, and ribwort plantain
Wild hedges in the natural garden
Hedges are wonderful for birds and insects. At the same time, they serve as privacy screens and sometimes also as food for the animals (e.g. the serviceberry).
- a wild shrub hedge as fencing: privet, hawthorn, rosehip, hornbeam, elderberry, red honeysuckle, serviceberry
Trees in the natural garden
Trees offer birds and insects plenty of space. Anyone who chooses fruit trees also has the additional advantage of being able to harvest fresh fruit directly from the garden.
- rustic fruit treeäs, e.g. apple trees, pear trees or cherry trees
- Deciduous treeäss such as black poplar, alders, basket willows, alder buckthorn, linden, oak, chestnut, service tree, bird cherry
Creating a natural garden
Let grasses grow wild
It is really wonderful to let part of the garden grow “wild.” Don’t intervene here at all—no mowing the lawn or planting anything. Ideally, it should be located at the edge of the garden so that animals and plants have an undisturbed area to themselves.
Over time, grasses and plants will develop here all on their own, and more and more insects will be found in this area.
Creating a compost heap
A Compost can be bought in DIY stores or online, or of course you can build one yourself. Here you need to consider how much waste will accumulate in your garden and whether you can also use the resulting humus.
The spot for a compost heap should be in partial shade, and the ground underneath must be open. It should not be too close to the terrace or a place where you want to spend time, as the sight of vegetable scraps may not be all that appealing. Tip: if there is no other option, plant a privacy screen; beautiful hedges or small trees also provide wind protection for the compost. The path should not be too far, because you may not want to carry your kitchen waste all the way across the garden.
A home for hedgehogs in the garden
Deadwood piles are also an asset for the garden. This is a pile of dry branches and stones and serves as shelter for hedgehogs, as well as lizards, beetles or spiders. Hedgehogs like to build their nests under hedges. Ground-covering shrubs, wildly growing blackberries, and piles of branches or leaves are also popular nesting spots. If you want to do something good for hedgehogs, don’t clear away shrub and tree cuttings or leaves right away—or even pile them up straight away.
If you are handy and want to offer hedgehogs a really beautiful home, you can make a lovely little house out of wood. My good friend Martin built such a lovely little house for hedgehogs:
Photos by Martin
Insect hotels in the garden
Insect hotels can simply be provided from old tree stumps or rotten wood. These can serve wonderfully as shelter for wild bees or other insects.
Tip: Drill small holes into the tree stumps as well; this helps the insects.
If you like, you can also buy beautiful insect hotels in DIY stores or buy beautiful insect hotels online and hang them in the garden. We hung up our 2 insect hotels this year and are already enjoying many residents.
Tip: Position the insect hotels facing east so that they are protected from the weather.
Dry stone walls can be used to structure the garden. This wall requires no mortar at all and is a great shelter for various creatures that like it dry and warm.
Tip: Herbs like to settle in the cracks of the wall; plant them there deliberately: e.g. thyme or oregano.
Insects also need some water. Drinking stations can also be set up for bees and other insects. For insects, it is important that they can land safely and don’t drown in the water right away.
One idea is to fill a plate or shallow flowerpot with stones that also protrude from the water, so insects can land easily on the stones and take in water.
Earwigs need a home too; Martin also made a beautiful “hotel” for them himself:
Photo by Martin
Provide a home for birds
Birds are also very important in the garden. In a garden for birds, (native) trees and shrubs are essential. You can help birds by offering nesting places. nest boxes can be hung up; they are available in DIY stores or online.
Caution: The entrance hole must face east or southeast.
Feeding stations for birds should also have a place in the garden. Bird feeders can be hung in trees and shrubs or set up in the garden with a tall pole. Always make sure that it is hung or set up in such a way that cats or similar animals cannot catch the birds.
For the birds, also set up or hang a bird bath; it should be high enough that cats cannot reach it. Replace the water regularly.
Contribution to our environment
With these ideas, wonderful shelters can be found for animals and insects. Our environment is very important; animals such as bees contribute a great deal to our environment. It is high time that we finally start paying (more!) attention again to these important living creatures.
Read also: Tips for making the garden winter-proof
Remaining photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
