Set The Garden Abuzz With Climbers For Wildlife

Want to do your bit for bees, birds and butterflies? Coating walls, fences and buildings with climbers is one of the best ways to attract and help wildlife, says Hazel Sillver

For me (and many other people, I’m sure) a garden that’s aflutter with butterflies, humming with bees and filled with birdsong is twice the garden. And as climate change really starts to have an effect, our wildlife need all the help we can offer. With many wild food sources reduced or polluted, pollinators are increasingly relying on gardens to sustain them – and one of the best ways to provide for wildlife is to plant climbers.

In the small garden, climbers don’t take up too much space, but they more than earn their place by coating walls, buildings and fences in colour, scent and foliage. Compact climbers will clamber up posts, obelisks and archways, and more ambitious candidates can be used to clad garages, sheds and the sides of the house.

The dense cover provided by evergreen climbers such as star jasmine and ivy provides safe nesting sites for birds, who will appreciate the cool, leafy shade. In fact, a nesting box positioned in the middle of a climber is ideal for blue tits. Clear the climber in front of the box so the birds have a direct flight line to the entrance hole and you will can enjoy a ringside seat for their comings and goings. Ensure the box is out of direct sun in the heat of the day to keep the birds cool.

Twice the appeal

Some wall shrubs and climbers are doubly important for wildlife – providing food for birds in autumn and nectar for bees and hoverflies earlier in the year. Firethorn (Pyracantha) is buzzing with bees in May and June when it’s a cloud​ of blossom, then frequented by birds when it’s covered in colourful berries during the cold months. Likewise, the hips of rambling roses feed hungry birds during autumn, while their summer flowers lure bees and hoverflies.