Stopping the loss of biodiversity is one of the most valuable eco-friendly functions that gardens can fulfill. If they are designed and maintained properly, they become authentic havens for native flora and fauna.
But not only that, because if we do need both public parks and private gardens will become bastions of life wildlife that serve as a stopping place for birds and insects on their migratory journey.
But how to get it? What do we have to do to make our garden a paradise of biodiversity? In this post, we give you some practical tips to achieve it easily by adding simple actions that are within our reach.
Welcome, birds and pollinators
Attracting birds and pollinating insects should be one of the main objectives for a garden that seeks biodiversity. Not surprisingly, bees, bumblebees and butterflies, hummingbirds, among other pollinators, are key elements for the balance of ecosystems .
When choosing one or the other plants, we must bear in mind that it is the color that mainly attracts them. Let’s choose local species and put them together.
Grouping them by species and colors will make their work easier. For example, butterflies are attracted to purple flowers, while bees prefer white, yellow, and bluish tones.
Lavender, thyme, daisies, roses, wallflowers, tulips, dandelions, laurel, sage, clovers … and let’s give them care free of pesticides and chemicals in general. As can be seen, the list includes plants of spontaneous growth , what we so often call weeds.
Ecological gardening, indeed, is an essential requirement for our garden to be attractive to them. Or, what is the same, to provide them with the nectar and pollen they need for their survival.
For its part, attracting birds requires a series of attentions. From placing a small fountain in which they can bathe and drink to the typical birdseed feeders and little houses that act as a nest.
An ecosystem in balance
At the same time, we have to make it easy for other insects and small mammals, always within a balance of the ecosystem. Precisely, this balance is the great advantage of attracting biodiversity.
On the one hand, we achieve a healthy ecosystem , in which pests do not usually proliferate. While it is true that insect pests can be a problem at first, when the ecosystem develops they are minimized.
If it occurs, the ecosystem should regulate it, and if it does not, we could apply biological controls so as not to affect pollinators and other beneficial insects. Avoiding chemical solutions is possible, either by using neem oil, homemade solutions ranging from crushed eggshell, coffee grounds, citrus peels, vinegar or soapy water, let’s say.
Using natural compost, mulching the soil or leaving areas where wild herbs (known as weeds) grow as they please help promote biodiversity .
What plants to put?
Thinking about pollinators , amphibians , mammals, and birds is important when choosing plants and trees. If we want to attract squirrels, pines will be an excellent choice, although their thing is to try to combine the choice of local species, if possible threatened or endangered, and at the same time seek to attract biodiversity.
The plant premises are an optimal choice if our intention is that biodiversity is similar to that of the area. Only in this way will we ensure that the fauna will feel more attracted.
Combining vegetation of different heights and choosing different types of soil will help us create different habitats.
Create shelters under the stones
In this sense, the stones give a lot of play . Placed on the ground, forming paths, using them as spacers or stacking them, they are an interesting way to encourage small animals, such as salamanders, beetles and others, to develop their beneficial activity on a regular basis.
Whether flat or rock-like stones, they are a perfect material to decorate and promote biodiversity. We can also use them to border ponds or to create a special space in a wild style.
Succulent plants, which require little watering and are very easy to care for, will help prevent soil erosion. Together with the stones they will create a suitable living space for these animals to swarm at their free will.
Finally, the tiles also do this same function. As can be seen in the image above, a minimum of soil or substrate will suffice for plants of very different kinds to grow. Together with the dry leaves and the recesses of the tiles themselves, they will give us a perfect place for the bugs.
Why put a pond?
Building a pond is a really effective decorative way to achieve biodiversity in our garden. A plant and animal variety that can range from amphibians to local aquatic plants.
Above all, let’s avoid turning the pond into a kind of fish tank or ornamental fountain, in which aesthetics or whimsy prevail. The right approach has little to do with this type of approach.
Yes, it is true, the waterlilies are very nice, and the fish of colors , but not about that. Let’s find out about the aquatic fauna and flora of the area. We will soon discover that having a small pond in the garden can be an important help to save species that are about to disappear.
