Birds, Butterflies, Bees and Bugs Garden

These 4 B’s are tiny pollinators and an important link in our ecosystem. We can easily create a habitat for them which adds another dimension to our outdoor spaces.

If you have space in your front yard or back yard but no time to manage it, try leave-it-alone gardening, ditch the perfectly planted flower beds and weed-free lawns. You may plant local plants that thrive in the region. DO NOT use any pesticides or chemicals. Just add water and organic manure.

Creating a bee, bug, bird and butterfly friendly habitat is easy; vines growing, deck overhangs, dense shrubs, bird and butterfly houses provide shelter; Bird baths, ponds, shallow water dishes provide water, placing rocks in water provide easy access to bugs and small birds to drink it; Sunlight too is needed so make sure some sun comes in the garden; Birds mostly eat insects and seeds, so leave seed pods on plants, caterpillars and larvae eat greens so let native weeds grow, flowers provide nectar to bees, birds and butterflies so make sure there are enough.

Now some people may have an aversion to bugs, but these bugs are food to small birds. If you want birds chirping around you need bugs. Fruits and seeds will provide food for adult birds. Nectar-filled plants attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Populate your terrace garden with flowering plants, vegetable plants and herbs not just leafy greens. Plants like moneyplant, jade, aloe etc. though easy to maintain, hardly offer anything other than shade to other creatures, choose moe generous plants. Also when pots are empty let wild plants/grass grow, till you need them.

Nothing compares to birds chirping in morning and butterflies flying around!