How to increase biodiversity in your yard

Several years ago, Mark made insect hotels in his woodworking shop for some of his gardening friends. They were received graciously and at the same time with the common query: “What is it? What does an insect hotel do? What kind of insects will it attract? Are they all good for my garden?”

Clearly, this discussion has a long way to go. It started with concern about the decline in the honeybee population, and has extended to the general concern shared by naturalists everywhere about the problems with our native population of pollinators.

We are no longer concerned exclusively with the decline of honeybees. Truth is, there are more than 700 species of native bees (honeybees are not native) that serve as primary pollinators in Canada, many of which you can attract to your yard with an insect hotel. In addition, there are thousands of other invertebrates that either pollinate more than 30 per cent of the plants that we rely on for food or are essential members of the web of insects that make up the whole show.
Take a moment to digest the following, and you will be on your way to understanding the whole, big picture.

1. Understand the meaning of ‘biodiversity’

The word comes from biological diversity. WWF defines it as, “The term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems within which they live and interact.” Biodiversity in your yard is represented by the range of naturally occurring plant, animal and insect life that exists in it. There is much that you can do to increase biodiversity, or the “range” of life in your yard.

2. Plants – pack them in

Do not underestimate the impact that you can have on the beneficial insect life in your neighbourhood by planting flowering plants. The longer each plant produces a flower and the more of them, the better. If you have a minimum of six hours of sunshine in your garden, you are in luck. The varieties of plants available to you are nearly limitless. If you are dealing with shade, you also have opportunities to plant flowering plants galore, but you will need to be more thoughtful about your plan. In either case, place your plants densely to attract the maximum number of pollinators.

3. Add water and don’t stir

Adding a still-water feature is the single most impactful feature that you can add to your garden or balcony for attracting pollinators. A pond in the yard or a half-barrel on the balcony works just fine. When you add a water feature, we can guarantee that you will discover wildlife in your yard that you have never seen before. As dragonflies, salamanders, frogs, toads, water beetles, amphibians, mammals and bugs discover your new drinking hole, they will grow, thrive and breed.

We are only beginning our understanding about the profound importance of creating biodiversity in our yards and gardens. As we look into the crystal ball, we see the interest in attracting pollinators and creating biodiversity in Canadian gardens growing steadily.