Do you want to create a wildflower meadow in your garden or simply design a natural, wild corner where birds, insects and other garden animals feel at home? Then you've come to the right place! In today's world, where many natural habitats are under threat, even a small, wild corner in the garden can make a real difference. A wildflower meadow or a natural corner can not only be visually appealing, but can also offer numerous animals a versatile habitat and safe retreat.
In this article, I would like to show you how you can create a little piece of wilderness in your garden with simple means and experience the diversity of nature right on your doorstep. Let's go!
You can find a brief overview here in advance:
Definition: What is a wildflower meadow and a wild corner?
A wildflower meadow or wildflower corner is an area in the garden where native wildflowers, grasses and herbs grow and where the Nature pretty freely unfold can. In a "wild corner", the near-natural mini biotope with wild plants is supplemented with bird and insect-friendly Shelter and the right food supply.
The concept of such areas left to nature in the garden is therefore the Counterpart to the conventionally tended gardens with often exotic plant species, lots of gravel and perfectly mown lawns. Wild corners are maintained less intensively or almost not at all. This also makes them beautiful, just differently beautiful. It takes some getting used to for many people, but it is beautiful. Messy and uniquely beautiful - and beautifully alive!
Advantages: Why create a wildflower corner?
What are the advantages of such a wild corner - why should you even attempt this garden project? For the necessary motivation to create a wildflower corner in your own garden, I would now like to briefly present the most important advantages:
- Promotion of biodiversity: The wild area in the garden creates habitats and food sources for a variety of birds, wild bees, butterflies and many other insects and small animals that often no longer find suitable living conditions in slick (gravel) gardens or other (sealed) land areas. Whoever wants to protect the global Stop species extinction wants, so be sure to create a wildflower corner.
- Less maintenance required: Near-natural, wild corners rely on the natural balance in ecosystems. For example, wild plants are adapted to the local climatic conditions and do not require intensive watering. Once established, as a wild garden owner you can sit back and enjoy the hustle and bustle, as your greenery requires less regular maintenance than "modern" gardens.
- Natural protection: The deep roots of many wildflowers improve the soil structure and counteract erosion and dehydration. The diversity of plants and animals in your wildflower meadow can also help, Fighting pests naturally and sustainably.
- Better pollination performance: More and more bees, butterflies and other pollinators benefit from the living conditions that your wildflower corner offers them. For example, they contribute to Pollination of crops in the surrounding area and thus promote the yield of fruit and vegetables from our own garden, among other things.
- Absolute recovery: With a natural garden area, you can create a lively place of relaxation in your home. Enjoy the ever-changing color palette of wildflowers and the lively activity of birds, butterflies, bees and dragonflies from the comfort of your hammock.
Can you think of any other benefits of having a wildflower corner in your own backyard? Then look forward to your ideas and experiences in the comments.
10 tips: What should you bear in mind if you want to create a wildflower corner?
Now you know why wildflower meadows and wild corners in the garden are so incredibly valuable and exciting. But even if you can basically let nature run its course, there are still Planning and implementation Of course, there are a few things you should definitely bear in mind.
The following tips should help you get the most out of your wildflower corner and turn it into a Paradise of biodiversity to transform.
1. sow native wildflowers
Let's start with the most obvious: if you want to create a species-rich wildflower meadow in your garden, you need to sow wildflowers that are native to your area. They are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions on site and an essential food source for many insects.
However, please avoid the "ready mixes" from the traditional supermarket and instead prefer packs that only contain seeds from local plants. Because according to the German Federal Foundation for the Environment there are in Deutschland 22 Ursprungsgebiete für regionales gebietseigenes Saatgut.
You can recognize the respective packs by the VWW Certificationwhich certifies organic seed according to strict standards in accordance with Section 40 (4) of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatschG). The "Regiozert" seal is also a reliable distinguishing feature.
Alternatively, you can also use wild plants in your surroundings Scan with a special smartphone app (e.g. GoogleLens) and make targeted repurchases.
But you can get your wildflowers even cheaper - and definitely locally - if you buy them at different times of the year. gather ripe flower seeds from wild field meadows and sow them in your (future) wild corner of the garden. The attracted birds will then eventually add many more regional seeds without you having to do or spend anything.
2. supplement wild corner with animal-friendly plants
Expand your Wildflower corner in the garden through animal-friendly trees, shrubs, perennials, bushes and flowers. They not only promote animal pollination, but also provide shelter and food for countless insects and birds. Through a well-considered combination with wildflowers, you can thus Targeted promotion of biodiversity.
Here I have listed some plants that are ideal for a wild garden corner.
Insect and bird-friendly trees and shrubs
- Mehlbeere (Echte oder Schwedische)
- Eberesche (Vogelbeere)
- Rock pear
- Elderberry
- Speierling
- Cornelian cherry
- Zweigriffeliger Weißdorn
- Gewöhnlicher Wacholder
- Hazel
- Willows
- Dog Rose
- Blackberries
- Summer Lilac
- …
Insect and bird friendly perennials and flowers
- Sweet Clover
- Wild cardoon
- Common thistle
- Forest angelica
- Sunflower
- Wood anemone
- Daisies
- Aster
- …
Tip: It is best to arrange the plants in such a way that there is always a supply of food available for your garden animals from spring to fall.
3. offer sandy places
An unvegetated sand bed is a truly Ideal habitat for many wild bee species and other insectsthat build their nesting holes on the ground. A self-made willow fence or old, narrow tree trunks, for example, can be used to close off the sandy area very well.
Many birds (especially sparrows) are of course also happy about a soothing Sand bath. They use the sand to rid their feathers of mites and other parasites. If you want to make it easier for them to groom themselves, you should therefore - in addition to the sandarium - also have a shallow bowl with sand for the birds.
4. deadwood logs and Brushwood pile lay down
A deadwood log or a deadwood or brushwood pile Offers a habitat for numerous animal species - both in summer and winter. For example, toads, slow worms, lizards, birds and countless insects seek out Protection under the wood. They also find plenty of Food and can even use the wood as a building material for their own dwellings.
So, for example, use the old trunk of a fallen tree to give it a new task in the garden. To create a pile of brushwood, for example, you can use its Branches or also general Fruit tree pruning pile up. Both can also be easily converted into a piled hedge which also serves as a structured border or boundary in the home's greenery.
Tip: If you have the opportunity, prefer the old trunk of a deciduous tree, such as an ash, oak or beech. This is because you can still drill holes in them where insects can lay their larvae. Unfortunately, holes in softwoods are usually too sharp-edged so that bees and other animals could injure their wings.
5. set up bird baths and bird baths
Bees, dragonflies and butterflies - but also especially birds - are among the constant visitors to a drinking bowl in the garden paradise. The latter always need clean, fresh water - not just for drinking, but also for bathing.
It is best to place one flat clay bowl as a bird bath and bird bath, as well as an insect drinker. But be sure to help bees, bumblebees and co. with small shrubs and stones in the bowl so that they can land well, hide a little and, in an emergency, free themselves from the water.
Birds just want a bowl of water - and some free space around itso that they cannot be surprised by predators.
6. create piles of leaves and stones
Instead of disposing of leaves in the organic waste garbage can, you should focus on their ecological value in your wild corner of the garden. Piles of leaves covered with a few branches, for example, provide Insects, hedgehogs and other garden animals ideal conditions for surviving the cold winter safely and always warm. The leaves also become new soil.
Tip: Just do without expensive and hearty Less environmentally friendly leaf blowers and vacuum cleaners. Not only are they noisy and smelly, but they also deprive the animals of what they thought were safe winter quarters.
It is also advisable to help hedgehogs - as well as lizards, slow worms and many other animals - with a pile of stones. This definitely can not blow away and, when overgrown with mosses and grasses, is a real magnet for spiders, butterflies, snails and many other garden inhabitants.
7. build insect hotel yourself
An insect hotel in a sunny place sheltered from the wind and rain in your wildflower corner offers ideal nesting conditions for numerous insects. In particular, bumblebees, wild bees, wasps, ichneumon wasps and digger wasps, a variety of beetles, as well as lacewings and earwigs will be delighted.
Who the Stop insect mortality and want to transform the wildflower meadow into a real land of milk and honey for bees, bumblebees & co. prefer homemade variant.
Here some tipswho often do not heed the offers from mass production:
- Always drill holes in hardwood into the longitudinal wood and not into the front side with the tree rings, as the animals could injure their wings on the sharp edges.
- Always clean holes in wood and bamboo poles so that there are no chips or sharp wood residues in them.
- Provide the nesting aids with wire netting to prevent predators (especially birds) from preying on the insect larvae.
- …
Tip: You can find even more inspiration and advice for effective nesting aids and no-go's when building a DIY insect hotel in the embedded video or also in this article from NABU.
8. hang up nesting boxes for birds and bats
Nesting boxes help native bird and bat species to breed and provide them with a safe haven. safe place to breed and raise their offspring.
However, be sure to install the nesting boxes in a species-appropriate manner so that they do not remain permanently empty. For example, a Fixed installation at a height of at least 2-3 meters important not to expose the animals to danger from lurking domestic cats or martens.
It is also very important that you know the Öffnung nach Osten oder Südosten ausrichtest, um die Behausung gegen Wind, Wasser und Sonne zu schützen.
Bats on the other hand, like the sun, so you can hang their boxes in the sunlight, i.e. facing south or south-west, without feeling guilty. However, make sure that the animals have a clear approach route and that nothing stands in their way.
Tip: If you like, you can get a recommendable, FSC-certified Nesting box for birds* and an animal friendly Bat box* under the respective links.
9. build mini pond with water lilies
A mini-pond in partial shade not only attracts amphibians, but also provides a habitat for countless insects (e.g. dragonflies). You can for example, with half an old whiskey or wine barrel build yourself. Bricks, water plants, water lilies and some aquarium gravel embellish the small biotope in the wildflower corner and help to maintain the natural balance.
Remember, however, to use a build small stairs to the edgeso that animals that have fallen or climbed into the bin can get out on their own. This also applies to the rain barrel, which you should always cover with a lid to be on the safe side.
10. provide clay pots and nesting stones
An insect hotel is great! You can give the little creatures a home in your sunny garden area with upturned clay pots and nesting stones made of fresh clay. do us an additional favor!
Earwigs - by the way, they are the ideal natural pest controllers (especially when used against aphids) - feel at home in a filled with straw or wood wool, upside down clay pot, for example, pudelwohl.
And the nesting stones with the small drill holes are particularly popular with the (larvae of) wild bees, as they always warmed and in the hard stone also protected from predators are.
Location: Where is the ideal place for a wildflower corner in the garden?
Your wildflower meadow or wilderness corner should be not just put on anywhere. The location also needs to be chosen carefully.
It is generally advisable to use a sunny place as wildflowers love the sun. Ideally, it will even be a spot in your garden that you can not so often enter or use.
The Soil should be loose, lean, low in nutrients and rather dry. Fortunately, wildflowers are quite undemanding. To create ideal conditions, you can remove the turf and then spread sand or mix sand and fine gravel into the garden soil.
Division: how best to structure the wild corner in the garden?
Now you've learned the definition, the benefits and lots of tips for creating a wildflower corner in your garden. But what does the wild corner in practice out? What is the best way to divide them?
First of all, it is important to know that a Wildflower meadow cannot be too big or too small. Because garden animals will come either way - the size and the supply only decide which animals come. Your project is therefore worthwhile regardless of the size of your garden. You can give free rein to your creativity and continue to optimize the corner.
I've just drawn you a little sketch above, where you can see an example layout of a possible wildflower corner. Of course, you don't have to do it exactly like this. Just use it for inspiration and orientation.
Here is the corresponding legend:
- Sand area with insect hotel, nesting stones, clay pots and water bowl
- Lying deadwood log and deadwood pile
- Sand bath and water bath for birds
- Bench with insect- and bird-friendly bushes and shrubs
- Piles of leaves and other shrubs and perennials
- Wine barrel converted into mini pond
- Pile of collected field stones and old bricks
- Large trees with nesting boxes
Create wildflower corner in the garden? No problem!
A wildflower meadow or wild corner in the garden is extremely easy to create and is really so much more than just a visual highlight. It's a statement! A clear sign that you as a garden owner:in Responsibility for our environment and make an active contribution to the protection of biodiversity and native wildlife.
By creating this natural space with countless wildflowers and a wide variety of structures, you counteract the lifeless, dreary gravel gardens and offer numerous animals a home right on your doorstep.
"The earth laughs in flowers."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (more at Garden Quotes)
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to further blog posts where you can find even more inspiration and ideas:
- Bee pasture garden - Here's how!
- Design a bird friendly garden
- Sustainable gardening - the best tips
- Protect birds from hitting the window pane
I hope that this article has inspired you to create a wildflower corner in your garden. Do you have any questions, suggestions or other ideas to help us all create a garden that is as close to nature and animal-friendly as possible? Then I look forward to your comments!
Stay environmentally friendly,
PS: Even without a garden, you can still do something for Biodiversity and biodiversity! You can find out how this works next in the article about a sustainable and environmentally friendly balcony.
