Create Your Habitat Garden: Tips for Biodiversity

Top Tips for a Thriving Habitat Garden

Creating a habitat garden is essential for supporting local wildlife. Here are our top tips to help you design a thriving ecosystem at home.

Plant Local Native Plants

And Let Them Go to Seed!

Native plants are the backbone of a healthy garden. Their seed heads and dried florets provide critical habitat for insects during the summer months. Wait until the autumn rains are approaching, then trim them back to encourage fresh growth.

The ornamental florets of Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) provide interest and habitat throughout the Summer months.

Use Natural Materials

Natural materials enhance your garden’s ecosystem. Local rocks and branches are ideal for landscaping. If your local rock isn’t suitable, find alternatives nearby.

Using local branches or logs benefits the local flora, fauna, and funga. Create microclimates in your garden using boulders and habitat logs. These areas are perfect homes for small wildlife, like the garden skink (Lampropholis guichenoti).

A dry creek bed provides a functional and affordable drainage solution as well as creating habitat for wildlife.

Retain 'Dead' Trees with Habitat Pruning

Many people view defoliated trees as useless. However, these trees, known as "stags," are crucial for various bird species. If left in place, they can become homes for critters that rely on hollows.

Hollows take a long time to form, often a century. They serve as safe resting places for beloved native wildlife such as Ringtail possums, Gang-gang cockatoos, and even microbats.

Note that many introduced species do not create suitable hollows for native wildlife. If you want to encourage these creatures long term, always choose local, native tree species.

One of less than 100 known Gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) nesting hollows in southeastern Australia. The 2019-20 wildfires burnt swathes Gang-gang habitat in East Gippsland, NSW and ACT, forcing the migration of some populations toward Melbourne where they seem to be successfully establishing themselves - particularly in the Eltham area.

Water: The Lifeblood of Your Garden

Water features are vital for a healthy habitat garden. If you decide to install a pond, make sure it receives sunlight both morning and afternoon but is sheltered from the harshest summer heat.

By placing rocks in your pond, you create microhabitats. This helps maintain stable water temperatures and provides surfaces for critters to enter and exit. Native aquatic plants, planted in baskets, can also enhance habitat quality by oxygenating the water and providing structure.

Local indigenous plant nurseries offer various aquatic plants suitable for your area and can provide guidance on the best species for your project.

Some Great Species We Recommend:

1. Nardoo (Marsilea drummondii and Marsilea mutica)

2. Water Ribbons (Cycnogeton procerum)

3. Running Marsh Flower (Ornduffia reniformis)

4. Upright Water-Milfoil (Myriophyllum crispatum)

   
   

How to Plant Aquatics: Step-by-Step Guide

An aquatic planting basket that allows water to fully infiltrate the root zone.

Fill your basket 1/3 full of low-nutrient soil, wet and compact.

Position the roots onto the compressed soil layer, covering the aquatic fertiliser tablet (optional)

Top roots with a small amount of soil and then fill basket with pebbles or stones.

Give a good water before placing in your pond to remove any excess debris.

Position plant to depth appropriate for that species (usually on the label!).

If you implement some or all of these principles in your garden, it will only be a matter of time before you see the results. As they say: build it and they will come!

If you'd like us to help you plan and design a habitat suitable for your family and the local wildlife, check out what services we provide for Habitat Gardens and get in touch to start the process!

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