The ABI life is all about making your time away extra special. Bring your holiday home to life by inviting enchanting wildlife to your space. Then, watch your deck thrive with front row seats from your patio doors, panoramic glass fronts and large windows. Here are our tips on how to make the most of your surroundings and attract wildlife to your ABI…
Before spring is the ideal time to put up bird boxes so that you don’t disturb the breeding season. This in an easy and rewarding way to encourage birds to nestle right on your ABI doorstep. Add bird tables and hanging feeders to provide them with much needed nutrients, especially during bad weather. See how many different species you can welcome to your ABI and who knows, you might even be lucky enough to spot a chick!
Leave a pile of dead wood in a shady spot to encourage a beetle and grub habitat. This will in turn, draw larger foragers to your ABI including birds, grub-hungry chicks and minibeast-eating mammals like hedgehogs and bats! It also provides cover and hibernation sites for wildlife to shelter.
Butterflies and bees are attracted to simple, nectar-rich flowers such as lavender, buddleia or primrose. To create the perfect butterfly/bee friendly area, put plant pots in a sheltered, sunny spot and listen for the buzz. Not only will this benefit the environment, you also get a magical, cottage style flowerbed in return – bee-utiful!
Hedgehogs are one the UK’s most iconic garden mammals and there are a few things that you can do to attract them to your ABI. Firstly, don’t be too tidy – hedgehogs like to use tall grass, dead twigs and fallen leaves as cover when they hibernate. Secondly, make sure your space is a safe haven so they can thrive with no hazardous gardening chemicals or dangerous ponds that they could fall into.
Whether you’re surrounded by ancient woodland or rugged moors, an ABI is your ticket to experience wonderful wildlife first-hand. Observe and photograph your findings, then share them with us on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
