How to Rewild Your Garden

The rewilding movement has picked up pace and momentum in recent years. In short, the idea behind rewilding is that we humans take a step back and allow nature to reclaim large or small areas of land.

The subtext of this, of course, is the vast amount of destruction that humanity has caused to the natural world or the ecosystem. Countless animal or insect species find themselves threatened, with this list growing all the time. As natural habitat is relentlessly stripped away, birds and small mammals find themselves without nesting sites, and are forced to traverse environments unsuited to their survival (such as busy roads or motorways).

When we talk about ‘Rewilding our Garden’, we need to be realistic: it’s not going to be possible to achieve the kind of large-scale changes that someone could bring about if they had access to acres of land.

Rewilding ‘purists’, for example, argue that there should be no human intervention or management; that nature should be left to its own devices. Most of us aren’t going to be able to take that approach to our outdoor space, as it could very quickly lead to disputes with neighbours as well as conflicting with our garden goals.

You can, however, apply the principles of rewilding on a smaller scale. To quote Isabella Tree (The Book of Wilding), "rewilding is about thinking holistically, seeing oneself as an integral part of the bigger picture". An individual garden, allotment or community garden can become a balanced micro-habitat, one where out gardening goals are but one piece of an interconnected picture.

Mowing Less Often
Over the decades it’s kind of become the norm that we humans mow our lawns regularly to keep them looking neat and ‘manicured’. Even if you’re not this way inclined, we don’t really want to upset the applecart by being the house with longer grass than everyone else in the estate.

However, there is no doubt that regular or excessive mowing has a number of downsides for the ecosystem. Wildflowers that would otherwise grow naturally are cut down before they have a chance to establish, which has a knock-on effect on the presence of pollinators. Longer grass could also have served as habitat or shelter for small animals.

Connected to this is our attitude to weeds. As gardeners who want our crops to do well, we can all be guilty of this - that very much includes us, we have a ‘weed control’ section on our website, after all! However it’s useful to remind ourselves that weeds are plants themselves, and have all kinds of positive effects - and not just for wildlife or pollinating insects.

Dandelions, for example, improve soil health and have had medicinal and herbal uses throughout history. All parts of the plant are edible, and it is an excellent source of vitamins as well as beta carotenes. Clover meanwhile can fix nitrogen in your soil and thus reduce reliance on artificial fertilisers.

More and more people are joining in with the pushback against mowing. You may have seen the ‘No Mow’ signs in communal garden areas or as part of Council initiatives. May in particular has been designated as a ‘No Mow’ month, as this is when a host of native plants will be blooming and pollinators will be very active. This approach is, of course, even better if extended over the summer months.

If you’d prefer not to go down the no mowing route, there is a compromise method known as the ‘Mohican’: this allows you to cut some of the grass while allowing some sections to grow longer. Flowers such as knapweed or ox-eye daisy can thrive in longer grass.

One other thing to keep in mind when you reach for a lawnmower or a trimmer is that they can maim or injure unsuspecting wildlife; be especially careful around the edges of a lawn or close to shrubbery. ‘Robotic lawnmowers’ account for a high proportion of injuries reported by hedgehog rehabilitation centres and vets.

Set Up a Wildlife Pond
A wildlife pond can be one of the best ways of improving garden biodiversity. While this involves a little bit of work and ‘human influence’ at first, once a pond has been set up in the right way it can be largely left alone with minimal interference. Wildlife will find their own way to the water source, and the pond environment or ecosystem will soon balance itself out.

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A pond is valuable to wildlife in a number of ways: amphibians can use it for breeding or for resting spots, birds can use it for bathing, insects lay their eggs on pond plants, while the marginal areas can provide cover from predators. Frogs, newts, dragonflies, damselflies and pond skaters are all drawn to garden ponds, while hedgehogs can also come to have a swim.

It’s important to provide some kind of natural ramp (such as a plank or a sloping area on one side) so that wildlife can find their way out of the pond and don’t get trapped. Large stones and rocks can provide stepping stones or areas to perch, while you can design your pond so that it has different depths to suit different plantlife.

If you only have a small outdoor area to work with, you can still get involved: digging or excavating isn’t always necessary, and even a washing-up bowl can be used to create a pond.

Rainwater from a water butt is the best option for filling your pond. Tap water is best avoided, as an excess of nutrients can lead to algae growth. For more info on setting up a pond, see this blog post.

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Provide Corridors for Wildlife
Urbanisation, agricultural practices and other factors have led to increasingly fragmented or shrinking wildlife habitats. We can all play a role in mitigating this habitat loss.

Hedgehogs and other small mammals find it easier to move around in search of food, potential mates etc if they can easily pass between gardens and backyards. If not, they are forced to cross busy roads and other environments that they are ill equipped to survive.

Similarly, bats rely on hedgerows or waterways to navigate their way across the landscape, allowing them to find food or roosting sites.

On a wider scale, you may have seen some of the ingenious ‘wildlife crossings’ that have been created in places as far-flung as Florida and Estonia: these can take the form of tunnels, overpasses or bridges, and are designed to allow animals to move from place to place without having to risk life and limb dodging fast-moving traffic.

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You can apply similar principles on a smaller garden scale. Using native hedging as a natural garden boundary has a number of advantages that are touched on elsewhere in this article. It also allows safe passage into your garden for wildlife - as well as cover from predators - while retaining privacy.

Alternatively, a small hole can be cut in your garden fencing to give hedgehogs an access point. This is often referred to as a ‘hedgehog highway’ and can measure approximately 13cm x 13cm. Specially designed versions can be adapted to existing fences, complete with decoration (explaining to neighbours or observers why there’s a hole there!)

Be Aware of the Effects of Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting may be appealing from a security or convenience standpoint. However, it can also have a detrimental effect on all kinds of wildlife.

Bright nocturnal lighting has a negative effect on many bats species’ roosting or feeding patterns, and forces them to take alternate routes. Indeed, bats can desert a roost entirely if there is too much light.

Lights can also be disastrous for moths. You’ve probably noticed moths being drawn to a light source and thought ‘hmmm, seems like they’re having fun’, but in fact it’s completely disorientating to them and is distracting them from important tasks like finding food or laying eggs. Moth caterpillar numbers found in hedging beneath LED lights were found to be drastically reduced compared to unlit areas.

Artificial lighting can also confuse some birds to the point where they start singing much earlier - or later - than usual. Widespread urban lighting can completely throw off their migratory patterns.

Look for lighting that is recommended for wildlife - whether that’s a softer type of light, or just targeting it so that less of it is pointing towards the sky. See the ‘Dark Sky Movement’ for more info.

Native Plants
Native plants are those which have naturally adapted to our environment and climate. They often require less water and maintenance once established, and are said to be more resistant to plant disease, ‘pests’ or challenging weather conditions. This in turn makes it much less likely that you will feel the need to reach for pest control products.

Native trees such as oak, silver birch, and hazel provide home and habitat for birds, insects, bats and small mammals. Ivy, hawthorn or blackthorn garden hedging can serve as a valuable source of food (berries, fruits or nuts) for wild birds or foragers. These can be planted individually from 'bare root' or as part of hedging mix packs. Unless you’re a rewilding purist, garden hedging will require some maintenance - how much depends on the variety.

A small section of your garden can be converted into a ‘mini’ wildflower meadow. This will provide a rich source of nectar for bees and butterflies, as well as a dazzling display of colour.

Leave Some Mess to Create Habitat
Dead branches, brambles or other organic material in a corner of your garden may seem unsightly at first glance, but think of them instead as rich habitat for all kinds of life, from beetles to hedgehogs to woodlice.

Unused logs can provide a place for amphibians to hide, especially if you have a nearby pond. Piles of twigs or muddy areas can be used by birds to build their nests with. A small bed of nettles can attract up to 40 different species of invertebrates, which in turn will serve as a food source for a variety of wildlife. Overall this leads to a balanced garden ecosystem that should require less intervention from you.

Piles of fallen leaves can provide a natural habitat for hedgehogs, moths and butterfly caterpillars. With a little intervention you can also set up a cage where the leaves can break down into ‘leaf mould’, which can then be used as a soil improving mulch.

No Dig Gardening
Vegetable gardening traditionally involves a certain amount of digging or tilling the soil. However this can disrupt the delicate, interconnected web of activity beneath the soil surface, including soil microbes, earthworms and fungal networks.

‘No Dig’ gardening, recently popularised by Charles Dowding, seems to naturally tie in with the concept of leaving nature alone and reducing our interventions. The key principles behind no dig gardening include leaving garden soil undisturbed (as much as is practical) and applying organic matter to the soil surface instead of ‘working it in’.

The latter technique replicates the kind of natural process observed in forest environments, where dead organic material falls to the ground and gradually breaks down, with worms transporting nutrients through the soil. This in turn enriches soil structure and fertility.

A rather pleasant benefit of no dig gardening is that - unsurprisingly - it reduces the amount of work you have to do in the garden!

Another popular ‘no dig’ technique is to apply a layer of cardboard to vegetable beds (in advance of the growing season) in order to prevent the growth of weeds. The cardboard will eventually break down into the underlying soil. For more on no dig, see this blog post.

In conclusion, ‘rewilding your garden’ doesn’t necessarily require the kind of drastic changes you might think at first.

By adopting simple, sustainable practices - such as mowing less or tidying less - you are already going some way to giving nature space and time to recover its natural equilibrium. In the process you can enhance your garden environment with a richer array of wildlife and plants.