Everything for the garden animals such as the outdoor bird, hedgehog and squirrel
Garden animals are the animals of all of us
The animals that live in and around our house are also a bit our animals, of course. Think of the outdoor bird or family hedgehog that occasionally visit. If you live close to the forest, the squirrel will also show itself regularly! We have tasty food and snacks for all these animals with which we can spoil them and sometimes even support them.
How do you make the Dutch garden garden animal-friendly?
Many Dutch gardens are tiled and have fences. Often poison is also sprayed. These are all circumstances in which garden animals do not feel at home and will stay far away. That is a shame because all the gardens in the Netherlands together form an area that is five times the size of the Oostvaardersplassen. Fortunately, more and more people are making their garden pet-friendly! What is often a challenge here is the "how". How do you make your garden pet-friendly? We are happy to help with that!
Attract birds and other animals with food
We all know the fat balls that are hung outside for the birds in winter, but did you know that birds can also be fed naturally by means of:
Flowers: Birds may not eat flowers, but they do eat the insects that come to the flowers and later the birds eat the seeds that fall from the flowers.
Shrubs and trees that give fruit, berries or nuts.
A lawn where the birds can find larvae and worms
Do not clean up fallen leaves . There is a lot of life under the leaves such as insects, worms, beetles, all of which are eaten by the birds
Making the garden safe for birds
Hiding places are very important for birds. The animals must be able to hide from predators such as cats or sparrowhawks. A shelter can be very natural, for example a dense plant, shrub or ivy are perfect!
Help little birds during the breeding season
Birds make nests. Each bird has its own way and place for this, but we can help the birds very well by offering them a nesting box, for example. This way the birds can make their nest in a place that is very safe and they can come back to the same place every year. Not all birds will take up residence in a nesting box, it is the so-called "cave brooders" who do.
Every bird has its own wishes when it comes to the nesting box and the entrance opening
Our houses are now nicely finished and cracks and holes are almost impossible to find, which also presents a challenge for the birds, because they can no longer nest in and near the house.
The greatest chance of success has a nest box that hangs on the "Northeast".
Then it doesn't blow and rain so much indoors. Never hang the nest box in full sun, as the birds do not like that because it gets too hot. You must also provide a clear flight path, so no obstacles directly in front of the entrance to the nesting box. In the fall, when the nest box is no longer used by the birds, it is a good idea to clean it with boiling hot water.
Feeding during the breeding season
Birds need more protein during the breeding season. This can be done in the form of: Dried mealworms , Dried amphipods , Dried locusts , Dried insect mix, Dried silkworms.
Attract many different birds through a lot of variety
You can attract most garden animals by adding a lot of variety to your garden or balcony. A nice bonus is that you not only attract many garden animals, but also insects, bees and butterflies, which in turn ensures a nice diversity. It is best to view the garden in layers. Ground cover plants, semi-tall plants and dense shrubs or trees. If you really want to go crazy and drive the animals crazy, plant a berry hedge, then you have a party in your garden! But different types of shrubs in succession that are in bloom at different times of the year also do very well and you have many animals in the garden at different times of the year.
A few good examples are: Gelderse Rose, Privet, Firethorn, Blackthorn, Elderberry and Cardinal's Hat.
- Turn your garden or balcony into a bird paradise!
- Hang or place or screw (on the railing) a nice water bowl
- Place pots or, if there is more space, a vegetable garden container with flowers or herbs
- Place a small raspberry or other berry bush in a pot
- Grow a climbing plant along the yard divider or balcony
- Hang a nest box in the shade for blue tits or great tits, for example, with a 3-in-1 house sparrow nest box under the eaves
- Hang up a feed silo, we have very nice ones in our outdoor bird category
