5 Steps To Turn Your Backyard Into The Wild

People, as a cardinal rule, keep their gardens well-groomed. Mowed lawns, well-ploughed flowers rows, stone topiary plants and spiralling creepers lend a symmetrical look. What if you want to add a touch of wilderness to your lawn? Would you choose a front yard or a backyard?

Deciding on the part of the house should not be a wild goose chase as the rear end of a house is the place where your imagination can grow wild as it has less human intervention. Such gardens have little to say and much to wonder.

Creating a wildlife theme is like a walk in the park. Let's see how to let flora and fauna cohabit harmoniously in your green abode.

• How about waking up to birds' crooning at the crack of dawn? If you enjoy bird-watching, then you must make some arrangements in your garden for nesting as many birds as possible. Many avian species build nest for themselves, however, some seek shelter too. So, by placing bird boxes, you can expect sparrows, pigeons and mynas twirling there. A point to note, keep bird boxes at a height away from children's reach. You can place these boxes on awnings, unfrequented terraces, hang them on a tree's branch, or place them on bamboo grass, or on unused sheds and walls.

• If your garden has an old wall, shed or a timber cabin and you are planning to bring them down, leave them the way they are. Bees can form beehives there. An ecosystem with bees is considered healthy and sustainable. In addition to this, place dilapidated bicycles, tricycles and old furniture around these structures to get a natural and rustic look.

• A water source is necessary for a wildlife effect. Thus, you need to create a small pond in your garden to keep amphibians involved in your garden's ecosystem. Keep the garden's liners shallow to allow amphibians reach out to the land. Don't keep fish in the pond as they will eat water plants. Keep rotten wooden logs around the pond as a liner for supporting the nectar-feeding insects. Amphibians eat mosquitoes and plant-attacking insects. With the addition of pond always comes the problem of algae so you need to clear it regularly. For removing algae, don't use any chemicals as they may harm the ecosystem.

• To keep a vibrant wildlife-like feeling alive through the day, you need flocks of birds. So, bird feeders should dot your garden. In the winter, birds find it tough to forage for food and unfrosted water. Thus, by offering them food in multiple forms such as seeds, grains, pieces of fruits, you invite them into your garden. Shallow liners around the pond make birds sit and sip water easily. It's a heartwarming scene to see the winged visitors utilising your garden as a haven.

• Long and abundant grass is the peculiar characteristic of the wildlife. Don't expect Savannah grassland in your garden, but you may plant bamboo grass, flowering plants, reed and papyrus around the pond and the timber cabin. Bluebell is a famous wildlife grass, for bees suck nectar from it, and birds seek grains off them. At night don't light up your garden with electric items such as lamps or bulbs. Let it flourish the natural way. Sit back and enjoy the nocturnal evenings.

So get wild about wildlife in your backyard.