Friends of the Garden

Following last weeks post all about natural ways to deter garden ‘pests’, it definitely seems fitting to share with you the ‘friends’ you ought to get to know and care for, to help keep your garden thriving and promote a diverse eco system.

In order for a garden to be a healthy habitat, it’s important we use techniques and plant life that supports its thriving. Below shares some of the friends you may want to invite into your garden, and ways you can help to make the habitat more inviting for them.

Pollinators:

It’s no secret that pollinators are absolutely crucial to our life on Earth, with saving the bees being at the forefront of many a gardeners mind. Different species of bees, butterflies and hoverflies are fantastic pollinators, transferring pollen between plants to enable fertilisation and fruit/seed production. Providing a few generously scented flowers dotted in and around your veg patches can help to draw them in, such as fruit trees with blossoms, lavender bushes, verbena or nasturtiums. These plants are also functional, as tea can be made from lavender and verbena by steeping them in boiling water, and nasturtiums are a beautiful edible decoration for salads!

Beneficial Insects:

Many insects, like ladybirds and lacewings, are predators of insects such as aphids that may cause a raucous in your garden. Providing shelter for them in the form of shrubbery or ladybird houses (boxes with a lure like raisins or sugar water) can help to invite them in, or to establish a quick populations you could purchase ladybirds from a centre or supplier to release into your garden in the evening.

Birds -

Birds can control insects and help with seed dispersal, as well as making your garden an incredibly pleasurable environment to be in. There’s nothing like listening to a song bird chorus! Bird boxes, bird tables or bird baths can make a nice treat for any passing feathered friends coming into the garden. Some birds do enjoy have a nibble at various crops, such as fruit plants, so you may need to take precautions if you are planning on having these as part of your harvest!

Hedgehogs -

Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, and enjoy a feast or slugs and snails in the garden whilst we are sound asleep, putting in the night shift to ensure you have a healthy crop! To invite hedgehogs into the garden, you may like to consider a ‘hedgehog highway’, making an opening in the boundary of your garden for them to get in. They like sheltering in naturally overgrown areas, or log and leaf piles, and you may like to consider some hedgehog food as they’ll be working so late!

Earthworms -

These well known friends of the soil aerate the Earth, provide vital nutrients for the soil and improve drainage amongst a myriad of other benefits. Adding organic matter to your soil, such as mulch, that can be used as a food source, is a great way to help promote worms. You could make your own compost using your kitchen scraps.

There are so many ways that we can use nature to solve issues within the garden, and make it an even more beautiful place to be! A great example of this is the film ‘The Biggest Little Farm’, which follows the evolution of a permaculture farm in California. It’s well worth the watch.

DM us to find out how you can get involved with Feed Your Soul in the local community 🍎💚