Caring for garden wildlife

In Nature … all things are in mutual interaction; the one is always working on the other …

We must also observe with intelligence … the many-coloured world of insects, hovering around the plant-world during a certain season of the year. Moreover, we must learn to look with understanding at the birds.

- Rudolf Steiner, Agriculture Course, Lecture Seven, Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 2008

Organic gardens are havens for frogs, lizards, birds and insects that are struggling to survive as their natural habitat is whittled away by urban and suburban development and the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides. So while you plan and think about sustainable gardening for your household, remember to incorporate some elements that provide food, shelter and safety for local wildlife. In return, these creatures keep pests such as snails, slugs and aphids under control and maintain a natural ecological order to your garden and local area. And they are fascinating to watch as they go about their business too.

Here are some suggestions to help your garden wildlife:

• Install a pond (any size you can manage) with some water plants. This will attract frogs, lizards and dragonflies and provide a drink for birds
• Leave hollow logs or terracotta pipes in sheltered spots
• Provide a bird bath with clean water in a location where birds can fly down and back to the safety of branches (make sure there are no good pouncing positions for cats)
• If you have a cat, keep her inside especially at night and put two bells on her collar (some cats can learn to hold a bell under their chin to keep it quiet)
• Mulch provides shelter and safety for skinks
• Plant natives such as grevillea and bottle brush for bird food
• If you see a few caterpillars chomping on some leaves, find out what they are before you go squishing them – they may turn out to be beautiful butterflies in a few weeks
• Never ever feed human food to wildlife. Things like bread, sugar and biscuits are very bad for wildlife – it’s much better to provide food in the form of native plants
• And I probably don’t need to say this – don’t use chemical herbicides and pesticides in the garden. Obviously.

As our natural environment staggers under the weight of human greed, inaction and ignorance, we can strive to turn the tide by our actions, big and small. The abundance of wildlife shows that your garden is a healthy and balanced environment for all who dwell there. And that’s a good start.