Wildlife and greenery aren’t things that are isolated to the
countryside anymore. On the contrary, many city centre dwellers and suburban
residents are now keen to use whatever outside space they have available to
create a wildlife haven.
Outside space can be limited in a modern city centre
residence, with many people being restricted to little more than a balcony. If
you do have limited space, you may find
the following tips useful that will help you make the most of the space you
have available in order to attract as much wildlife as possible to your little
garden.
In order to create a wildlife haven with whatever space you
have, all you’ll need is a little imagination, creativity and to follow a few
simple rules that will see wildlife flocking to your garden. In return you will
be compensated with being able to enjoy the inimitable rewards of nature.
The way to attract an abundance of different species to your
balcony is with food. Obviously bird feeders are one of the simplest ways to do
this but the likelihood is that you’ll want to attract much more than birds to
your garden. Remember creatures such as butterflies and bees won’t be interested
in bird seed and with the recent news of the dramatic decline in the number of
bees in the UK, it’s essential to have flowers, plants and herbs that will grab
their interest. Not only to make the most of your garden but also to help boost
their numbers. If you’re looking to attract insects such as bees and
butterflies then choosing plants that they’ll be drawn to is a good place to
start. Both butterflies and bees seek out pollen. Butterflies prefer flowers
with large heads so that they can land on the petals, whereas bees have no
preference because they can get inside smaller headed flowers such as fox
gloves. Both species however love yellow and purple plants as well as herbs. So
asides benefitting wildlife you could also improve your cooking.
While food for bees and butterflies is essential, if you
want to see a variety of wildlife on your balcony bird feeders will prove
invaluable. Bird feeders come in many shapes and sizes and as there is no
variety that’s considered best, you can choose whatever bird feeder looks best
in your outdoor space.
Water
Wildlife needs water throughout the year in order to
survive. During certain times of the year water can be hard to come by, which
is why many birds rely on birdbaths put out by discerning nature lovers. You
don’t have to go out of your way to buy a fancy birdbath as you can make them
out of practically anything. From small
plastic lunch boxes to the base of a plant pot, let your creativity shine
through in your quest to make a birdbath.
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| Colmanara Wildcat |
If you can it’s a good idea to buy a birdbath heater. These
aren’t expensive, they don’t use a lot of electricity and you only need to use
them through the winter months. Doing something as simple as this ensures that
birds and other animals, which might otherwise struggle to find unfrozen water,
have a fresh water source through the winter. You should avoid adding any other
substances to the birdbath other than clean, fresh water. Certain products,
such as glycerine, which are intended to prevent water from freezing, actually
harm the birds as they remove essential oils from their skin and feathers which
causes them to freeze.
Following these few simple tips will see your uninspiring
city centre balcony turned into something to shout about.
www.enviromat.co.uk
has provided an insight for people who live in urban environments into ways
that they can add a bit of nature to their urban lifestyles.
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