Whether you have a backyard teeming with hills or a simple patio, every backyard has an ecosystem. A backyard ecosystem consists of the soil, plants, and animals that live in your backyard. If you have a single plant, you have a backyard ecosystem.
For many reasons, it’s desirable to encourage biodiversity in your backyard. Biodiversity helps your garden thrive, supports the environment as a whole, and creates beauty in your backyard.
Here are 5 tips to encourage biodiversity in your backyard.
Add a pollinator garden.
Pollinators range from honeybees to butterflies to birds and more. By planting plants that attract pollinators, you bring a range of beneficial insects and animals to your garden. These in turn attract other animals and wildlife, which helps your plants flourish.
Butterfly bush, bee balm, lavender, coneflower, milkweed, and more are all examples of beautiful pollinator plants that will attract good animals.
Attract birds with homes.
Attract birds, bats, and pollinators to your backyard by providing homes for them! By attracting birds and other animals, you encourage biodiversity and will attract more life to your backyard.
Buy a home or create it from scratch — it’s a great activity to do with kids or grandkids.
Create water sources.
If you don’t have water sources in your backyard, you’ll be hard pressed to get animals and other insects to come to your space. Add simple water sources like a small pond, a bowl of water, or a fountain. This makes your backyard attractive to wildlife like frogs, dragonflies, and fish. Consider a rain garden if you have the space!
Use more native plants.
When you use native plants in your garden, you’re encouraging the ecosystem that’s natural to your area. Other animals and wildlife in your area are unfamiliar with foreign plants. However, they are familiar with and inclined to interact with native plants.
Find what plants are native to your area via quick google research and plant away!
Limit use of pesticides.
More biodiversity means less problems with pests. Birds and beneficial insects can often act as natural pest control. When you use pesticides, you deter beneficial animals from doing their job. It might even drive them away or hurt them! Only use pesticides when absolutely necessary and always try natural pesticides first.
Whatever you do to encourage biodiversity, enjoy the beauty that is wildlife! Your plants will thrive amongst a more biodiverse backyard and you can enjoy the views.
