Josh creates habitat for insects, birds, and lizards in his garden by planting an array of native plants and building some simple structures for shelter and water. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
‘I’ve always seen our garden as shared space. I don’t just mean for friends and family, but for wildlife too.’
Over the years Josh has put in the effort to accommodate biodiversity into his garden, creating many projects such as nesting boxes, bird baths, native plantings, frog ponds, insect hotels and more. Gabion structures create heaps of hiding spots for insects, logs and boulders provide basking areas for skinks, and there is even a nest box for pardalotes. But aside from these structures, it is the plants that underpin everything-native plants! If you want to support wildlife, native plants can provide a food source for them. If this is one of your goals, it is important to think about having food available throughout the year.
Josh’s native habitat verge aims to provide this, with grevilleas as a source of nectar for nectar-feeding birds. The coastal sword sedge produces seed as a food source, and the local eucalypts house heaps of insects, which are eaten by insectivorous birds. The key is diversity in species and in structure-understory, midstory, overstory.
There are a few areas in Josh’s verge plantings that need a little touch-up and accentuation. Josh will first assess what is working in the verge, and what needs some attention. They will start with some maintenance to existing plants, then install simple habitat structures, and lastly plant out some natives specifically chosen for their tempting berries and flowers to draw in wildlife.
Tidy up existing plantings:
Kangaroo paws are beloved by nectivorous birds such as honeyeaters, wattlebirds, and spinebills. Josh’s Kangaroo paws have finished flowering and the tall flower spikes are faded and spent. There is also an ailing one-sided bottlebrush. Josh cuts back the sickly foliage to give the plant a better chance at growing back healthy.
Method: Cut back the flower spikes at the base, and be mindful of the brittle irritating hairs on the dry kangaroo paw flowers. PPE- gloves & glasses.
New native plantings:
With this reclaimed space, Josh wants to plant a mix of locally native species that can provide food to animals, particularly lizards and birds. As the plants are local to his area, they will be perfect for encouraging local native wildlife. His plant selection is a good mix of flowering, fruiting and protective plantings. All the plants have low water requirements, so they fit into Josh’s priorities in his garden. He is also planting some berry-bearing native species that will be a sweet treat for the reptiles. Ensure to mulch thoroughly after planting as lizards love to hide in the mulch.
Habitat structures:
Josh has some salvaged native hardwood logs which have been drilled into by boring insects. These insects are long gone, but the holes that they left behind could be the perfect habitat for native bees. Josh uses this log as a stand for a shallow dish that can be used as a bird bath.
‘It doesn’t take much to create wildlife habitat in your garden, the right plants, some nesting structures, and some water is really all you need. For us gardeners, there is really no bigger compliment than creating a space that others want to share.’
Featured Plants:
SPIDER NET GREVILLEA - Grevillea preissii ‘Gilt Dragon’ 
COASTAL SWORD-SEDGE - Lepidosperma gladiatum 
DWARF SUGAR GUM - Eucalyptus cladocalyx ‘Nana’ 
ONE-SIDED BOTTLEBRUSH - Calothamnus quadrifidus cv. 
KANGAROO PAW - Anigozanthos cv. 
- Grevillea crithmifolia 
OBTUSE-LEAVED GREVILLEA - Grevillea obtusifolia 
HONEYPOT DRYANDRA - Banksia nivea 
SPREADING FLAX-LILY - Dianella revoluta  
BERRY SALTBUSH - Chenopodium baccatum syn. Rhagodia baccata 
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