As a gardener, one of the very first things that you should learn is that you are not gardening alone. You have an army of helpers, many hidden from sight, that allow you to grow and aid you in your gardening endeavours. Everything gardens. We are just one of the living beings shaping our environment as we tend our gardens. 

Connecting with wildlife in your garden is not just about admiring the most visible creatures and enjoying watching them go about their business. It is about forging deeper connections with and understanding our connection to the wildlife that shares our space.

Connecting With Wildlife Around Your Food Producing Areas

If you are growing food in your garden, it is vital to understand that you cannot do so successfully without the aid of numerous other creatures. 

Pollinators are required to provide their services for a range of fruits to form. In an organic garden, many insects and other creatures also provide pest-control services, helping you to manage your garden in an organic and holistic way. 

Connecting with that wildlife means not only recognizing its contribution, but also doing all you can to attract and aid those creatures as you manage your vegetable plot and other food producing areas. 

One great thing that you can do, for example, is choose native plant species where possible. Select native fruit trees, for example, instead of or in addition to exotic ones. Create guilds of beneficial attractant plants (native where possible) around your trees. And companion plant to attract pollinators and other insects to your vegetable garden.

Connecting With Wildlife in the Soil

Another vital thing to remember as a home grower is that much of the beneficial life that shares our space is not visible to the naked eye. Micro-organisms in the soil are essential for growers and their gardens. 

Though we cannot see all the life we depend on in the soil, we should try to recognize its contribution and connect with it nonetheless. We can do so by taking whatever steps we can to protect, conserve and improve the soil and benefit the precious web of life that it contains.

Connecting With Wildlife in Wilder and Natural Areas

In order to create gardens where we can connect with wildlife in other ways, we should also make sure that we have wilder and more natural zones within our space. Wildlife ponds, brush piles, and un-managed corners can all help to bring in wildlife and create more biodiversity in your space. 

You might also plant native planting schemes – creating areas of native woodland or forest, wildflower meadows in place of mono-culture lawns, or rain gardens filled with native plants, for example. 

The more we see of, and the more we observe native wildlife in our spaces, the more connected we can feel to the world around us. And the more benefits we can derive, both as gardeners, and in more personal ways, from enhancing our sense of connection to the natural world.