With our highly urbanised and fragmented landscape, residential gardens and outdoor spaces have enormous potential to support our local wildlife and provide habitat stepping stones between our local reserves and waterways.

A garden or balcony with lots of flowering native plants will attract local birds and insects. A bushy understory, logs and stones provide homes for small birds and lizards. If there’s space, a fishpond may attract frogs and a birdbath is always popular. The benefits to habitat gardening also extend to boosting our own personal wellbeing, mental health and creating opportunities to connect with nature.

Our top tips for wildlife gardens:

• Plant a variety of native trees and plants. These are important sources of food and shelter and are better suited to Australia’s climate.
• Provide plenty of water sources such as ponds, water features and cat proof birdbaths.
• Rocks, sticks, brush, mulch and piles of leaves all provide habitat for insects. Insects in turn, will attract more birds, lizards and frogs.
• Treasure those big old trees. It can take decades for the hollows to form that animals like owls and possums need. Approximately 17 per cent of Australian bird species use the hollows of large trees for shelter and as nesting sites.
• Install some nest boxes for possums and birds. You can build your own or purchase a ready made one.
• Throw away those pesticides and install a bug hotel for ladybirds, beetles and native bees. They will help keep pests out of your veggie garden too.
• Remove environmental weeds and replace with indigenous plant alternatives. Many invading weeds in our bushland are plants that have 'escaped' from home gardens and if left unchecked can reduce biodiversity. Download the Weeds of Yarra booklet [ PDF, 2.69 MB] for more information.

For more detailed information, download the Gardening with Native Plants in Yarra booklet [ PDF, 1.51 MB] and the Gardens for Wildlife booklet [ PDF, 6.35 MB] .

Visit the Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Cooperative (VINC) for supplies of local native plants and advice specific to your garden. They are community owned and operated, and are located at Yarra Bend Park.