How to Rewild Your Backyard in 7 Easy Steps

What comes to mind when you think of rewilding? Maybe it’s creating a pond for amphibians and birds to flock to. Others may think of shady forests with deer roaming about and try to emulate that in their yard. Rewilding is possible on whatever scale you need—any changes you make are good. They help struggling animals survive in areas that were once wild.

Two helpful actions are planting native plants and removing invasive species. Natives provide valuable nectar to struggling insect species. More insects means more insect predators, so species increase until the ecosystem is teeming with life. Removing invasive species also means fewer noxious weed seeds in nature.

Weed Out Invasive Species

First, you’ll want to handle the invasive species that might creep into your garden. Various perennial and annual weeds threaten ecosystems. They might seem harmless, with lots of flowers or seeds, but they soon prove disastrous. Invasive plant species block out native plant seeds, which lowers the amount of them that germinate.

This means fewer native bugs and more non-native ones that adapt well to foreign plant species. European honeybees favor many crops—they especially love plants they’re familiar with, including many weedy European plants like English ivy. 

An invasive plant is an introduced species that spreads readily throughout ecosystems, displacing native plants. A whole range of bugs lose their valuable habitats to these weedy species. Take out the common invasive species from your yard to help them out:

Some invasive plants take time to remove. I’m still battling Spanish bluebells in my yard as they spread through seeds and bulbs. Use timely weed removal strategies, as the populations will decrease over time. Consistency is key! Contact your local extension office to learn the best methods and timing for removing invasives.

Plant Native Species

With all that space where weeds once were, you’ll have room for new plants! Native plants are excellent replacements, as they’ll help struggling insect populations in your area. More insects means more pollinators near your vegetable garden and fruit trees! Welcome bountiful crops with native species—they’ll work together inviting native bees and butterflies.

Seeds are often easiest for starting annual or herbaceous plants, while potted plants are better for transplanting shrubs or trees. Find a local nursery near you, or order seeds online from native plant retailers. These beneficial species easily grow from seeds. 

Friends, neighbors, and native plant conservationists may also be excellent sources of native seeds, cuttings, and divisions. Volunteer for a local plant conservationist group, or ask around. Plant lovers give extra plants away freely, especially when you tell them you love gardening too!

Use Ornamentals That Are Noninvasive

Not all non-native plants are bad! Many of our most popular garden species are descendants of wild ones that grow worldwide. After centuries of cultivation, they now need our help to grow. They won’t survive in the wild, and these species won’t invade existing gardens or wildscapes. 

Some examples are camellias, cultivated hellebores, and sweet bay trees that struggle to set seed; they stay in their place. Non-native and invasive are separate categories, so you don’t have to worry when planting your favorite flowers or vegetables. Simply avoid plants that spread outside the garden on their own, and buy up all those colorful pansies, petunias, and garden balsam your heart desires. 

These are simply a few to start with. Bulbs are superb for surprise flowers that lure pollinators. They’ll blossom when you least expect it, from late winter through summer. Tulips and ornamental alliums make a statement in your landscape and attract bugs and butterflies. Plant most bulbs in the fall, and they’ll bloom in the spring. Spring sow some bulbs like dahlias as they’re frost-sensitive. 

Find out whether or not the plants you want to grow are noxious weeds by researching them through trustworthy sources. Plant identification books, invasive plant organizations, and local universities are good places to start your search. Different ecoregions have different weeds, so look to local sources for the best information. 

Replace Lawns With Garden Beds

Lawns receive the most irrigation out of any plant in the United States! Close-cut lawns remove flowers, seeds, and bugs from landscapes. A little lawn is okay, especially for play spaces, parks, and walkways. A natural lawn is also better than a fertilized, pesticide and herbicide-soaked one. Use organic practices in your gardens to have the lowest impact on local wildlife.

Changing an entire lawn to garden beds is a lot of work! An easy trick is to convert pieces of it annually. Start near the edges, slowly adding seeds and perennials as a border. With time, your border grows into a full-fledged natural landscape.  

How to Remove Grass Lawns

The best trick to remove your lawn is digging it up to turn it over. Green grass decays underground, changing into rich organic matter. Start by digging about six inches deep in your lawn, uprooting all grass and weeds. Turn it all over, covering it with the soil you dug out. You’ll want to bury grass at least four inches deep for it to not sprout anew. 

Add compost or organic mulch on top of the bare dirt, and plant seeds, bulbs, or plants in the soil. You can do this in patches, allowing you to slowly add new garden beds. 

Adding Raised Beds and Containers

Another easy way to turn lawns into garden beds is by adding raised beds or containers on top of your lawn! Raised beds make it easier to garden by bringing the plants to you; you’ll have to bend over less often when tending to them than in-ground plants. It’s also easier to amend their soils and keep weeds out than for in-ground garden beds. 

Find long-lasting metal raised beds, or add good quality wood ones. You can build simple raised beds out of wood planks and posts. Large containers also work well—there are many ceramic options with ornamental detail. Whatever you decide, you and the local wildlife will delight in more plants; they provide beauty, nutrition, and charm wherever they grow. 

Remove Landscape Fabric and Plastic

Landscape fabric and black plastic especially threaten trees, as these materials prevent water from efficiently reaching their roots. It also encourages tree roots to grow gnarled and curly, as the material blocks or restricts root growth. When the materials do break down, it’s a chore to remove all their pieces. They get brittle and break easily, meaning you’ll have to dig them up piece by piece. 

If you find landscape fabric, get rid of it! Instead, weed often; you’ll notice weed populations significantly decrease. You may use these materials for a year to kill weeds, but you should remove them before they start degrading into microplastics.

Create Wildlife Habitats

A wildlife habitat is beneficial for you and your local animals, especially if you grow food. Growing tomatoes, squash, and corn invite bugs that local predators feast on. Your native plants provide necessary nectar and habitat for dozens of insects. Add a few locations for critters to hang out, and they’ll settle in for the season. These are some structures you can add to the backyard and create wildlife habitats with.

Woody Shrubs and Trees

Woody plants naturally add structure with trunks and branches. Deciduous trees have plenty of space for birds to nest in them. Conifers provide evergreen beauty, with plenty of covered branches for squirrels, birds, and chipmunks to hide in. Caterpillars and other insects feed on leaves and bark. 

If you have space for one, plant a tree that matures over 50 feet. Towering trees give more wildlife habitat than most other structures, with dozens of branches shrouded in foliage. Their nuts, flowers, and fruit provide valuable nutrition to gardeners and wildlife.

Native Plant Bramble

Bramble includes native raspberries, blackberries, currants, roses, and other thorny plants that sprout clumps of woody stems. These species create protection for small critters that fit between the brambles. Small birds, mammals, and rodents burrow beneath the cover, well away from predators. 

Avoid using this as a habitat if you deal with rats or mice. Bramble creates an environment for them to thrive instead of other more preferable animals. Keep brambles tidy if you grow them by tying them up to trellises or stakes.

Garden Structures

Other permanent structures have creative designs that lure animals in. Metal trellises with native vines create a habitat similar to small shrubs—small critters can hide beneath the foliage. Some new trellis structures have unique creations on them, like bee nests or bird baths!

Any erect object can be useful in the backyard. Grow vines, shrubs, and trees along metal, wooden, or stone structures, and you’ll create wildlife habitats in the process.

Ponds

Pools of water like ponds, lakes, and rivers attract a wealth of animals as they look for food, moisture, and a place to rest. Make a pond by digging a wide hole. Layer it with sand and thick organic material, and add water. Pond maintenance is a detailed process; start small, building a bigger pond as you learn more.

Birdbaths

Birdbaths are an easier way to add fresh water to your landscape. These are easy to fill, and you can clear them of water if it gets murky or full of mosquitos. Birdbaths not only help local birds, but they also attract small insects that need water to stay cool amidst heat waves.

Leave Those Leaves!

If you have deciduous trees around, you’re well familiar with falling leaves! At season’s end, trees suck out nutrients from their leaves for safekeeping. Then, they drop their leaves wherever they stand. This process provides valuable organic matter you can use annually to feed your plants and to provide local wildlife habitats.

Leaving the leaves is a process you can use in other rewilding efforts—fallen tree branches, charred wood, and vegetable scraps all have their place in nature. Let fungi, worms, and microorganisms decompose your waste. They save scraps from ending up in our landfills. 

Leaf Mold

One clever way to use up fallen leaves is by making leaf mold. It’s similar to compost. To make it, set a bunch of leaves in a pile at least two feet wide and tall. Turn the pile every few weeks, and eventually, it’ll turn into black, crumbly leaf mold. 

This valuable plant fertilizer feeds vegetables, fruit trees, or ornamentals. Use it as an amendment on top of the soil like compost. 

Leaf Mulch

Leaf mulch is like leaf mold without all the turning and hard work. Simply gather your leaves and scatter them in your garden beds. They’ll act as an organic mulch, protecting plants throughout the winter. In spring, they’ll continue decomposing and add valuable nutrition to your garden beds. Leaf mulch also adds beneficial aeration to your soils, helping plants breathe better during heavy rains.

Feed Your Lawn

If you grow a lawn and have tons of leaves on it, consider mulching the leaves to inject nutrients straight into the soil! Some mowers have a mulching feature—they chop up leaves, grass, and weeds but put them back into the dirt. There’s a plug instead of a bag that you put on the lawn mower to utilize this feature.