One of the recurring themes I’ve been encountering in my reading recently has been the obsession with tidiness in our gardens. Many of us guilty of it to some extent or another. The problem is, neat and tidy tends not to be very helpful for wildlife, and I want to make my garden more hospitable.
Part of my research has involved looking at wild habitats with a view to try and re-create them in my garden, not least because such habitats are systematically being ripped apart in order to satiate the apparent demands of modern humans. I’ll mention other projects in other posts, but this particular one involves logs, and more broadly, the idea that decay is the basis for a lot of life (perhaps of some comfort to those who suffer thanatophobia – fear of death).
In undisturbed wild land, such as woodland or hedgerows, life springs from decay. As fallen trees or branches decompose into the earth (along with leaves and vegetation, insects and so on), an extensive and thriving habitat is born for a variety of wildlife. This includes, but is certainly not limited to: centipedes, woodlice, beetles, worms, solitary pollinators, and amphibians. In addition to this, many of these small creatures provide a tasty snack to opportunistic birds and other larger animals, and so are a crucial link in the food chain. Small things can have a big impact.
Going back to my mention of neat and tidiness, an important point to make is these habitats are established and thrive without human interference. Nature doesn’t use pesticides on itself or rid itself of weeds. It doesn’t mow itself. In fact, the majority of the cultivation of the soil is done incidentally as each lifeform in that ecosystem goes about its business (for example, earthworms aerate the soil, and millipedes help move organic matter around). Everything is inherently linked and, with time, has the potential to support any adaptive life.
So, although the temptation is there to dispose of old twigs, fallen leaves, etc, I decided to try and cast aside what is ultimately quite a manufactured idea of tidiness. I wanted to have a go at creating such an ecosystem in my garden adjacent to the pond – in this case, a log pile. Obviously, it’s going to be difficult to re-create it perfectly, but I wanted to have a go! Here’s what I did:
I dug down a couple of inches into the soil and set some nice thick, old logs into the perimeter to form a foundation. I then added a load of leaves, moss, composted bark and pinecones before informally layering logs, twigs and branches of varying sizes. Finally, I topped it off with some recently trimmed back conifer to provide additional shelter (not unlike what you might find in a coniferous forest). It’s in a relatively shaded area and right next to both a small marsh area and the aforementioned pond, so the habitat should remain relatively cool but humid.
I’ll be keeping a good eye on the log pile this year - I have no other real plans for it apart from maybe planting a scrambling plant over it to add a bit more vegetation and something for the birds and bees. Then it’ll just be a case of replacing any logs that completely decompose, with new ones. It’s certain to grow and change over the years it could take a considerable amount of time before it reaches a balance – after all, ecosystems are complex and can take a long, long time to establish. I’ll be happy to see any wildlife visit, whether temporarily or permanent, and no doubt some critters have already moved in! I’ll report back if anything visible and of note appears.
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden (even if tiny), consider giving this a go. Even if you don’t have access to fallen logs (you can’t go and nick ‘em from woodland as they’ll already be a habitat in itself), old leaves, branches, twigs and sticks stacked can still make a wonderful habitat (sometimes called a brash pile). I find that there is something deeply, deeply fulfilling about creating a home for wildlife. The great thing to boot is that this doesn’t need to be really formal, so if you’re ham-fisted and clumsy like me, all will be well :)
