Lockdown in the UK has restricted a lot of our travel to not much further than our own gardens and some of us may be looking for ways to make our own green neck of the neighbourhood that much more enjoyable.
Finding ways to encourage local wildlife to your lawn and make it a nature-friendly haven can not only provide some much-needed alternative entertainment (ever seen a squirrel eating from their own personal picnic table?) as well as something to do, but you can also show your support for nature by adding wildflowers for example, and turning your outdoor space into a safe sanctuary and buzzing hive of activity! With that in mind, here is four simple ways you can invite more wildlife into your garden and create a nature-friendly lawn in lockdown:
1. Let your lawn go Au-Natural!
We love a fine, well-manicured lawn but we also love the vibrancy and life that wildflowers and wild grasses bring when left to their own devices. #NoMowMay is in full swing, meaning you can retire the mower in certain parts of your lawn and see what wildflowers it produces. Clover, daisies and buttercups are the most common to cultivate naturally in UK lawns – but you may be surprised at what starts to grow when you let it! Allowing parts of your lawn to grow wild creates biodiversity, inviting insects’ bees and pollinators to explore and thrive in previously uncharted ground!
2. Go organic!
So, you may have retired the mower for now, but that does not mean you want to forget about your lawn care entirely! Fertilising your lawn is a great way to keep it healthy throughout the summer and staying green for longer, but you may be wondering if there is a completely natural way to do this. Our newest fertiliser, REVIVE: Organic 365 is made up of organic matter pellets, that once watered encourage microbes to break the natural material down and begin fertilising your lawn. As this is a slow release fertiliser, you only have to apply it once for four months of uninterrupted green grass!
3. Bring nature to the table
2 weeks of isolation and we're out here making picnic tables for squirrels because we're insane pic.twitter.com/8WfHwyJQA4
So, your lawn is green and thriving with bees and butterflies, but is there something else you could be doing? The above tweet went ‘viral’ and we’re not surprised – who knew you could make a mini picnic table for a squirrel never mind the fact that it would then make good use of it? We LOVE this idea, and it’s really simple to make! Find some scrap wood or off-cuts, using wood glue and nails to join them together. Pick a spot on your fence close to trees and shrubbery and use nails to secure. Leave some tasty fruit and nuts out and wait for the magic to happen! You can also bring birds and more other local fauna to your garden by providing food and shelter. Bird houses and feeders, hibernaculum’s and leaving out the correct foods for badgers and foxes are also low-cost ways to encourage some new visitors – even at a distance!
4. Reveal your wild side
If you’re not big on the idea of letting your grass grow wild and would rather know what you’re growing, you can still introduce wildflowers to your lawn. We have a guide on how to wildscape your lawn as well as multiple guides on how to sow wildflowers. By sowing our Bees & Pollinators / Flowering Meadow mix, you provide bees, butterflies and many more with food and you get to enjoy their beautiful blooms too! As these mixes both contain grass, when they are not in bloom they provide an overwintering habitat and home for hedgehogs and a whole host of wildlife! Tip: If you're struggling for ideas to keep the kids entertained, you can use our seeds to make seedbombs!
