Building A Wildlife Pond In A UK Garden

A garden pond, even a small one, is one of the most valuable additions for wildlife. Frogs and newts use it to breed, dragonflies and damselflies lay eggs in it, and birds bird feeders and bird tables hedgehogs will drink and bathe at the edges given the chance.

Feeding is straightforward but worth getting right. Meaty cat or dog food, or a specialist hedgehog food, is a better choice than bread and milk, which can cause digestive upset. A shallow dish of fresh water left out overnight is just as useful as food, particularly during dry spells in summer.

A pond set up with the right planting and shelter from the outset tends to attract amphibians naturally over time. Many gardeners begin with a considered selection of pond wildlife equipment chosen to suit the size of pond they are working with.

For gardeners wanting an alternative to chemical sprays, a soil-applied option is worth considering as a first step, and a good starting point is a range of slug nematodes for gardens suited to the pest in question.

Sited well and left in peace, an insect house can become a genuinely busy part of the garden. Many gardeners start by comparing a few insect houses before choosing one to match the space available.

Bees and other pollinating insects rely on gardens for a large share of their food, especially in built-up areas where wildflower meadows are scarce. A garden that offers flowers from early spring right through to autumn does far more for pollinators than one with a single showy burst of colour in June.