When we start looking at our landscape design options, our first priority is to make a space that best suits our needs. We might include an outdoor entertainment area to enjoy with friends and lighting to make sure we can enjoy it at night.
But what about wildlife? As it turns out, there are ways to welcome them into your yard with landscape design, as well. Here are some helpful ideas below.
Put Thought Into Plants
Even though you might have a vision for how you want your property to look, that vision might have to change ever so slightly if you’re also trying to welcome wildlife into your yard. What you plant can actually matter quite a lot.
The best chance you have of welcoming native wildlife into your yard is to choose plants that are native to Australia and your area. By taking this approach, you may increase your chances of attracting the animals already found in your area to your property.
There are plenty of options to choose from, so find a nursery that specialises in indigenous plants to find out what will suit your location the best. Be sure to put some thought into soil and rainfall requirements, as well, as this may give your plants the best chance to thrive.
Consider Water Elements
Even if you hadn’t originally thought of adding something with water, it might be how you welcome more wildlife into your property. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to attract animals.
You can fill up a small container that you top up and often refresh or go all-out with a pond installation. If you decide to create a pond, add native fish to increase the appeal of your property while also taking care of the local mosquito population.
The addition of sedges and rushes may also see your property encouraging frogs, which is bound to bring some joy to your family.
Add Shelter Elements
We’re pretty lucky here in Australia to have many different lizard species that love to hang out in our gardens. If you’re wondering why you never seem to see them, that might be because your current landscape design doesn’t have everything they want or need.
Many lizard species want somewhere to hide and stay safe. Provide shelter in the form of branches, bark, and even some rocks, so that they have somewhere to keep warm or cool and protected from predators like ravens.
Don’t Use Chemicals
It can sometimes seem like the only way to get rid of weeds is to use a herbicide or pesticide product. These products are effective, but they can be fatal to frogs, fish, and other creatures. Where possible, use safer alternatives like pyrethrum.
Pyrethrum is a natural daisy extract that may be less harmful than synthetic chemicals that you can buy in your local garden store. If you put some thought into your landscape design, you might also be able to create gardens that require very little maintenance, like weeding, anyway.
Even though you’re designing your landscape to suit your own needs, don’t be afraid to come up with a landscape design that also takes care of our native wildlife. You may be surprised at how easy it can be.