Be inspired by stories from our gardeners
Why do we garden for wildlife?
Poem by G4W Volunteer and habitat gardener Anne
Why do we garden for wildlife?
I love to see the butterflies I love the birds to sing
How can I to my garden native creatures bring?
Without food and shelter they will not come my way
So I will rethink my garden starting right away
But what to plant these creatures to invite
Maybe Gardens for Wildlife can guide me aright
Every site is different each owners preference is unique
But a friendly garden visit is sure my interest to pique
Some ideas, some suggestions as to how I might proceed
Will help me get started, should turn intention into deed
Tips for a wildlife-friendly garden
- Plants that flower in winter are great for birds because birds are active throughout the year. Insects depend on warm weather for activity. So when the weather is cold, insects aren’t active to take advantage of winter flowers!
- Butterflies only lay their eggs on specific plants that will nourish their caterpillars. But adult butterflies will take nectar from lots of different flowers, native or exotic.
- Spotted pardalotes are small birds that nest in tunnels, dig in embankments and feed on insects taken from the leaves of eucalypt trees. Listen for their simple yet distinctive calls around the city during the breeding season in spring.
- Insectivorous bats naturally roost in the crevices of trees or under bark, but in urban areas they sometimes shelter under dead palm fronds, and in ceilings or walls.
- There are 16 species of insectivorous bats in Victoria but only one can be heard by the human ear – the white-striped freetail bat.
- Australia is home to over 1500 species of native bees. All Melburnian species are solitary, meaning they don’t form hives or produce honey.
- Solitary native bees lay their eggs in tunnels in the ground, brick walls or holes in timber. They lay their eggs in the tunnels with a ball of ‘bee bread’ made from a mixture of nectar and pollen that feeds the larvae in sealed chambers until they emerge as adult bees.
- Native groundcover plants like nodding saltbush and ruby saltbush produce fruit loved by blue-tongue lizards. If you’re lucky enough to have them in your yard, they’ll also snack on garden snails.
- It’s easy to attract large nectar-eating birds like rainbow lorikeets or red wattlebirds by planting banksias and grevilleas. If you want to attract smaller birds like eastern spinebills, try planting some thick shrubs for them to escape from the bigger birds, as well as from cats and dogs.
- Many small birds build their nests using spider webs, fur, fibres and grass collected from various places. Keep an eye out for birds collecting nesting material and secure any plastics in which they can become entangled.
Wildlife-Friendly Feeding
Written by G4W Volunteers Annelise and Ella
One of the most tempting ways of bridging the gap between us and our wild neighbours is offering them food, but can this do more harm than good?
While well-intentioned, offering food to wildlife can contribute to a range of problems and compromise their survival. Providing water is a great way to help wildlife without causing them harm. Just remember to clean your bird baths and containers regularly to stop the spread of disease. And place a combination of rocks, sticks and leaves in any large containers to help smaller wildlife such as bees to drink safely.
The best way to attract wildlife to your garden is by planting a range of wildlife-friendly indigenous plants that they can use for both food and shelter. Apply for a wildlife garden visit, so we can help you select some plants to attract your favourite wildlife and feed them a natural diet!