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5 Ways to Support Biodiversity in Your Garden

What is biodiversity and why is it important?

Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth, including all the different species of plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. In short: all the nature that surrounds us!

Biodiversity is a reflection of the health of an area, and it is essential for life on earth, as these organisms work together to support life and provide clean air, water, and food for us.

In addition, more abundant and variable ecosystems are more stable and resistant to environmental changes and disasters such as flooding, drought, and disease or infestation.

A biodiverse community supports positive mental health. According to a study from King’s College London, time spent in nature can be relaxing for the mind and body, leading to lower stress levels and increased mental well-being.

Who wouldn’t want that in their own back garden? Here our volunteer, Olivia, gives practical steps you can take to encourage biodiversity, no matter if you have a garden or just a windowsill!

Biodiversity in Ireland

In 2019, Ireland declared a biodiversity emergency. Loss of biodiversity in Ireland can be attributed to several factors, but it mostly comes down to the management of land.

Intensive agriculture, hedgerow mismanagement, land development, and deforestation have resulted in loss of wetlands, soil degradation, and one of the lowest forest covers in Europe.

As Ireland becomes more managed for intensive farming and development, there is more pressure on the ecosystem, and biodiversity is lost. Although the government has taken steps on a national level to combat this problem, such as creating the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, which serves as a guide to support pollinators that are crucial to biodiversity, there are many ways that you can help increase biodiversity in your own community.

You can read more about the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan here: https://pollinators.ie/

What you can do to support biodiversity

In most built-up areas, if you look around, you will see a lot of concrete, short, manicured grass, and monoculture gardens. While this is modern standard practice, it is not conducive to a healthy, biodiverse ecological system.

There are, however, many actions we can take in these spaces that benefit wildlife, pollinators, and even the smallest organisms, which makes for healthy soil and supports biodiversity. Your project will differ based on what organism(s) you are aiming to help and what your space looks like, but the possibilities are endless!

Here are some ways that you can foster biodiversity in your own garden, balcony, or even windowsill!

1. Wild Garden

Keeping your garden tightly mowed might look nice, but it removes food and shelter for many creatures that are important in our ecosystems. Allowing parts of your garden to grow provides sustenance for pollinators, which in turn supports food production all over Ireland.

Consider leaving a corner in your garden or a strip along the edges to create a safe space for bees and butterflies, but still be able to use the space for recreation. Simply allowing dandelions to grow can make a big difference, as they are a significant food source for insects and birds.

Another way to contribute to your wild garden is to leave leaf litter. Leaf litter acts as shelter for moth and butterfly larvae as well as feeding grounds for birds. By not removing it, you are maintaining the precious balance that already exists in your garden.

On that note, one main thing to keep in mind is that according to the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) it is better to “enhance existing habitats in a natural manner by changing the management regime (e.g. reduced mowing, hay strewing) rather than starting from scratch” (4).

2. Pollinator friendly planting

If you want to get more involved or create a beautiful gardenscape, make sure to plant with pollinators in mind. Planting for pollinators includes choosing native plants, as this is what the birds and insects would have evolved with over time and are looking for.

It is also important to note that some flowers have more pollen than others, and by choosing pollen-heavy ones, you are actively providing food for pollinators. Bramble, clover, and ivy are all good things to have in your garden, and it’s better to have a variety of plants rather than just choosing one or two. You can even plant trees!

Selecting specific plants will depend on your space, how much sun it gets, from what direction, and other factors. It’s best to do research specific to your space or head into a local garden centre for advice.

If you don’t have a garden, no problem! It is possible to do this in whatever space you have by planting pollinator-friendly flowers in a window box or on a balcony.

Furthermore, it is beneficial to your overall system to know how plants interact with each other and when they’re in season in order to create balance, but this is something that will come with time and some trial and error.

You may even be interested in growing your own food! This is versatile because many herbs can be grown in very small spaces, like a balcony or windowsill, and you may even be able to plant small foods like peppers or tomatoes. We highly recommend Grow It Yourself’s year-round guide to planting and growing your own food.

It can also be done on a larger scale and not only support pollinators and local biodiversity but also allow you to use what you’ve grown in your own meals! This is a beautiful way to coexist with the ecological system you’ve created.

Again, you’ll need to decide what plants work best in your space, but there are so many options, and the All Ireland Pollinator Plan is a great tool to help you.

3. Set up a bird bath or bird feeder

Feeding birds is a great way to connect with nature in your own garden and provide support to pollinators.

Setting up a bird feeder helps birds find food without using so much energy, and because of this, one important thing to do if you want to feed birds is to do it at the same time every day.

It is also essential to keep feeding areas clean so as to keep birds from getting sick.

Setting up a bird feeder is pretty simple and yields lots of enjoyment. First, decide if you want to feed them year-round or only in the winter. While it’s fine to feed them year round, they need the most help in the wintertime.

Next, decide what food you will use. It’s important to get food specific to birds and not offer them anything that has gone off or is mouldy.

Peanuts and sunflower seeds make excellent bird feed as many species eat them, and they are easy to find in shops.

You can also purchase bird seed mix at shops or garden centres, or feed them things from the kitchen such as apples, raisins, oats, or cooked potatoes.

If you have planted with birds in mind, they can also get nutrients from fruits, seeds, and flowers in your garden!

Finally, enjoy watching birds visit your feeder!

Creating a shelter for birds allows them a safe place to nest and rest. Depending on what you have in your garden, you may already have places for birds to nest like in trees or creeping plants but you can also build nest boxes for birds to use.

Different species will have different needs and preferences so be sure to look into what birds you might want to attract and how you can make the best use of your space.

You can also install a bird bath which is a very easy way to provide resources for birds if you have the space. Bird baths are not only a nice visual addition to your garden, they also provide water for birds especially when it may be harder for them to find it and offer another way to invite birds into you garden that are fun to watch.

Make sure to keep your bird bath fresh to avoid freezing in the winter when it’s most needed and clean it regularly to prevent illness in the birds.

4. Create a wildlife pond

If you have more space and flexibility with how to use it, consider building a wildlife pond.

Wildlife ponds are really fun projects and are a great way attract wildlife and foster biodiversity in your garden, as they offer several benefits to many species.

There are several types of ponds depending on your goals but generally you’ll want to map out the shape of your future pond then dig a hole, ideally creating different levels to support different species.

Next, clear the bottom of large rocks or roots to avoid tearing the pond liner and put down a layer of sand. After that, put down a thick pond liner and add more sand to the bottom before filling your pond with hose or rain water.

Now you’re ready to populate your wildlife pond!

Leaving the pond to populate naturally is the best course of action and it’s very exciting to see what shows up.

Do keep an eye out for invasive species however so as to prevent them getting a foothold in your pond.

Feel free to make it as small or large as you want and be creative with it!

5. Install a bee hotel

What about providing shelter for other creatures?

Bee hotels are a fantastic way to support our most vulnerable pollinators. These are also easy to do as they can be made with several types of materials including “untreated wood with holes drilled in, bundles of bamboo canes, old plant stems or rolls of cardboard lined with paper” so you can choose whatever is available to you.

The size of the holes needs to be between 2-12 mm in diameter and about 16 cm deep but this depends on if there is a certain species you are trying to attract as they will have specific needs. Using the right materials and having the holes be the right size will protect the bees and prevent predators from coming in.

Furthermore, bee hotels need to be kept in the right conditions as dampness for example can lead to disease.

Once you’ve got your hotel, make sure to place it at least 1.5 m off the ground and somewhere where it will get plenty of sunlight, ideally south or east facing.

Finally, you’ll want to take down your bee hotel and put it away around October until spring comes back around.

Enjoying biodiversity

Creating a space where biodiversity can thrive has many benefits for us, our communities and the organisms around us.

Being considerate of how your garden impacts overall biodiversity is important as everything in nature is connected and works together to create the beautiful ecosystems we live in.

Taking steps to increase biodiversity in your own space doesn’t have to be hard or limited to having a garden. Start small and see what changes you notice in your garden or windowsill. Take note of the pollinators and birds that visit and even try identifying and recording them.

Finally, think about how these changes make you feel and if you notice a positive difference.

Now, sit back, relax and enjoy the biodiversity you’re supporting!

About Olivia

Olivia Spray a recent graduate in Environmental Resource Management with special interests in conservation biology, water management and environmental remediation. Follow her on LinkedIn!