Creating animal homes in your garden

Creating safe spaces for animals in your garden is a great way to give back to the environment, but also gives you the opportunity to experience the wildlife around you and watch it grow and evolve. With most of these animal homes, you have the option to either buy or make them yourself. We think making them yourself is a bit more fun and rewarding but if you're low on time or resources, buying is a good alternative – and you still get the reward of seeing the animals enjoy their new homes.

Hedgehogs

The number of hedgehogs in the UK has plummeted in recent years and that's why Hedgehog Homes are so important. Hedgehog Homes are used so that hedgehogs have somewhere safe and warm to take shelter, hibernate and raise hoglets (very cute).

According to The Wildlife Trust, this is roughly what you need to create your own Hedgehog Home:

There are lots of different ways to build a Hedgehog Home such as this way by the RSPB. There's no right or wrong method, as long as the home is safe and comfortable. If you are interested in creating a Hedgehog Home take a look at either of those links or get in contact with your local wildlife expert.

Hedgehog homes are most likely to be inhabited in the Autumn and Winter months, when the hedgehogs hibernate.

If you don't quite have the time or capabilities to create a Hedgehog home, then log piles and compost heaps are also good options for creating a space for hedgehogs to rest.

Water-loving Creatures

A lot of animals are drawn to or benefit from having access to water. The most common type of water feature is probably a pond. A pond may seem like quite a big project but it's worth remembering that ponds come in all shapes, sizes and complexities. Small ponds can be made in anything from an old wooden box to a washing up bowl - as long as it can be made water tight.

The Wildlife Trust have a great guide here, for making a variety of small objects into ponds. According to the guide you will need:

Ponds or water features benefit a wide range of animals such as frogs, newts, snails and some birds.

There is also the option to have fish in your water feature, however many fish require a filter so that's something that you would need to take into consideration.

Bees

Possibly one of the biggest trends of animal homes in recent years, Bee Hotels are a great way to support these struggling critters. Bee hotels are designed to help out solitary bees or wasps who need somewhere to rest or who have been separated from their colonies.

According to The Woodland Trust, to create a Bee Hotel you will need:

Bees are one of the greatest contributors to the environment as they are crucial for pollinating much of the food we eat. It's also estimated that bees pollinate around 75 percent of the world's flowers, so if you're a fan of your garden looking floral and bright, bees are a great animal to encourage in your garden.

We also picked up some top tips along the way:

• Bee Hotels do well when they are south facing and in a sunny position

• They are best placed around waist height as they shouldn't be in a windy position

• It helps to place bee-friendly flowers and plants in the same area. Some bee-friendly plants include Lavender, Rosemary and Honeysuckle.

And once you're done with your animal home creations, you get to sit back and watch nature exist in their new homes, from the comfort of your own.