An indigenous, wildlife-friendly garden is one which attracts all manner of creatures, from the tiniest insects to birds, reptiles, rodents, amphibians, and if you are lucky larger mammals. As Pitta Joffe so wonderfully puts it in her book 'Creative Gardening with Indigenous plants': "A garden has to be alive to thrive!"
Photographing creatures in your garden is a great way to get in touch with the life in your garden, and it need not take you more than an hour or two. Once you start looking at what is living in your garden, you'll start to appreciate the amount of life a single indigenous garden can support. Soil bacteria and fungi are not usually visible to the human eye, but most insects are, and these are the lifeblood of the garden - providing food for birds and larger animals - so searching for insects will give you a greater understanding of the health of your garden.
Below is a collection of photographs taken in a small indigenous garden, which hopefully will inspire you to go out and photograph the creatures in your own garden.
Praying mantis
Larvae of the Citrus Swallowtail butterfly, feeding on Vepris Lanceolata (White Ironwood)
Citrus Swallowtail butterfly on Dietes bicolor
Cricket on bulbine frutescens
Crab spider waiting for prey on a Scabiosa incisa flower
Jumping spider
Blowfly on Sunbird Bush (Meturungia longistrobis)
Carpenter bee - one of our favourite insects
Hornet inspecting the foliage of a Forest Elder (Nuxia floribunda)
Garden acraea larvae, on its host plant Kiggelaria africana (Wild Peach)
Garden acraea butterfly, feeding on Scabiosa incisa
Garden Inspector butterfly (dry-season form), again on Scabiosa incisa
Damselfly
I don't know if I am imagining it but my garden suddenly seems to have so many more butterflies. Not sure if I've just never had time to notice them before of if lockdown is making them more willing to come out. Either way its an unexpected blessing. Have other people noticed this?
Hi Maryann
Thanks for visiting our site.
No, you're not imagining it. We've also noticed a lot more butterflies and several more species in our garden. I think it's because of the fantastic rainy season we've had which has created an abundance of food resulting in increased breeding success.
Take care during the lockdown and enjoy spotting the wildlife in your space.
Flourish!
Glenice
Those garden insects + the skink are magnificent . You guys are amazing!!! Love your site G
Thanks for visiting our site, G.
Please feel free to send us some pictures of sightings in your garden.
Flourish!
Glenice