Posted by Chieftain Trees ● Sep 24, 2020 12:40:02 PM

How to rewild your garden: starting small

We're big fans of making small, incremental changes that add up to big impact. For example you don't get into shape overnight, it eventually happens from small cumulative efforts that build up over time. If you're asking the question how can I rewild myself? The answer is to start small and take it step by step. 

What does rewilding mean

Rewilding means letting nature take care of itself, taking a step back and allowing natural processes to repair and regulate themselves with the ultimate outcome improving biodiver.

We believe that wilding is no different to any other process. Not everyone can create a Knepp estate or even has access to a small field or hedgerow and that's ok, start small.

Why is rewilding important

Imagine the cumulative benefit of every garden in Ireland having a small plot of wildflowers or a native tree. With over 2 million houses in the country, that adds up to some powerful change. Now you know it's a good idea to rewild your garden (or backyard in the US) you might be asking yourself how do I rewild my garden? 

How to rewild your garden

The first step is the easiest and will actually save you both time and money.  It is to simply stop:

  1. Stop cutting and trimming everything like you're a barber going for a fresh fade. Just let it grow. To help reinforce this message internally, you can replace the lyrics to disneys hit with 'let it grow'. 
  2. Stop using weed killer and pesticides. This is really bad for your own health as well as your garden. You can buy organic, natural deterrents or alternatively you can make them yourself with natural ingredients.
  3. Stop making weeds the enemy. Plants such as stinging nettles provide homes to lovely insects like butterflies, so let your weeds succeed to see more biodiversity in your garden.

I told you it was easy. Now what can you start to make a positive change:

  1. Create a home for animals like hedgehogs to hibernate in through a sheltered area made up of leaves, twigs and grass. 
  2. Consider planting a small native tree or shrub such as a Rowan to provide food and shelter for wildlife. Check out our definitive guide to native Irish trees for tips!
  3. Plant native wild flowers and mix species to create a bird and insect friendly garden. Seedbombs are a great way tool for this. Simply drop them on soil and wait, over a few weeks you will see them starting to sprout like the image below. 
an image of a seed bomb

If you don't have a garden 

Believe it or not, you can still make positive change. I actually live in an apartment at the moment and I don't let that stop me. I have wildflowers growing in pots and even oaks growing from acorns where there's enough light. To learn how to grow oaks like this check out our guide here.

Great things start small

Success is more likely when we execute on small projects. Start small and invite the wild back into your garden. For tips on additional small changes you can make to your daily live to be more sustainable read our guide. Once you've made changes to your garden, why not reach out to your immediate community or join us for a larger wilding project. 

Topics: Sustainability, Rewilding

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