Amberwood: A lush garden haven for birds and bugs

From a near-bare property with just a pair of fruit trees and a washing line to a biodiverse wonderland, this Tauranga garden has undergone an incredible transformation for the benefit of wildlife.

When it featured in the biannual Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival, Heather Loughlin’s Amberwood used to bring in over 3000 visitors, all looking to experience her buzzing, bustling urban woodland-style garden. These days it’s popular with visiting groups and will form a teaching space as part of the ‘Space For Nature’ education programme run by Envirohub and supported by Tauranga City Council.

At just 208m2, Amberwood isn’t huge and sprawling but rather carefully planned to consider the creatures that will use it. Everything from the plants selected to the gardening techniques used is done to provide maximum food for birds, bugs and even frogs. With careful consideration for each tree’s requirements, Heather has grown 52 perfectly suited trees in this compact space.

To reach the rich, life-filled result Amberwood is now, Heather engaged several experts, with perhaps the most impactful being a visit from ‘The Bug Man’, Ruud Kleinpaste.

“He looked around and commented that the garden was very nice but had no food for insects,” says Heather. A strange bedfellow in the form of a wētā, which had come through the window at night and landed close to her pillow, added to Heather’s impetus to solve this problem and design a garden that would become a beloved habitat for small, many-legged critters. 

An invitation for insects

Heather set about removing her clivia and winter roses and replacing these with a range of native plants that had appeal for native insects. She grew tecomanthe, a native vine that happily climbs walls and fences, houhere (lacebark) with its sprays of delicate white flowers, and pollinator-loving shrubs like māhoe, hebes, putaputawētā, and Coprosma robusta (karamū) with its juicy orange berries. Bumble bees buzz in and out of their hive, pollinating the garden flowers for the butterflies to enjoy.

Logs were left to rot naturally and she added areas where water could accumulate to help attract smaller insects. 

A large bug motel made from wooden pallets and stacked with sticks and pinecones created a habitat for centipedes, spiders, earwigs, slaters and many dozens of other tiny insects. Wētā have a dozen large wētā motels of their own in which they have established harems. And yes, harem is the correct term: a male wētā will set himself up in a tunnel and allow five or more females where there is room.

Working with the fallen leaves from her many deciduous trees, she creates a litter much like that found on the forest floor, which brings bugs and in turn, birds. Heather’s easy hack is worth noting. In autumn after leaf fall (many of her older trees are deciduous) Heather’s process is to sweep up the leaves and lay them on the lawn, then run the lawn mower over to break them down into smaller pieces. She then scatters this litter back over the garden, where it turns quickly into a soft mulch.

A welcome banner for birds

Of course, where there are bugs, there will always be birds! But to further attract birdlife, Amberwood includes a combination of large trees, shrubs, cool shade, water sources and both natural and additional food.

“Perching, nesting, roosting, bathing, eating, drinking, socialising, it’s all there for them. Everything they need to be safe and happy,” says Heather. “As the area develops, more and more insects breed, more food for more birds is provided, and so it goes on. The soil is broken down naturally, making a rich and wonderful compost, as birds and insects excrete all they eat and aerate the soil as they forage.”

Birds are further encouraged into the garden by Heather’s bird table, which she cleans daily and stocks with seconds fruit from the supermarket, as well as nectar feeders filled with Topflite Nectar and Topflite Energy Cakes in the winter. Pīwakawaka nip up flying insects and tūī bathe in the stream. Four starling nesting boxes are quickly claimed every spring.

“It’s fun to watch the babies fledge and join the merry throng!” says Heather.

Wildlife and pets living in harmony

Heather observes a sense of respect among the animals that make Amberwood their home, including her greyhound and resident moggy.

“Over the years I have had six boxer dogs, four greyhounds and seven cats and I have always encouraged garden birds. I train dogs to ignore the birds. The cats get a short sharp squirt of hose water when caught in the Stalking Act, this soon deters them for good.”

Water bowls are refreshed with clean water and placed throughout the garden for animals to both drink and bathe in. For nesting birds, Heather places handfuls of hay around the garden, which are quickly snapped up along with cat fur from grooming sessions. An aviary of budgies, turquoise parakeets and Bourke’s parrots nibble away happily on Topflite assorted seeds, millet sprays and greens, adding to the eclectic birdsong at Amberwood. 

Heather finds there is no need for insect sprays, due to the birdlife keeping all pests in check. As her garden is on display, the plants must look good at all times, and this natural insect control does the job well. 

“They tend the garden for me all day long eating slugs, snails and the myriad of chewing insects. Sure they toss bark about, but they eat all sorts of things that would otherwise be eating and killing my plants!” she says.

Sense of balance

Walking along the ambling pathways, which journey among lush ferns and lilies, beneath tall birches, and beside the large pond with its resident goldfish, there is a sense of peace and tranquility at Amberwood.  

“The healthy harmony of the trees, plants, birds, insects, fish, hound and cat is something I feel is very precious, and very special to live amongst,” says Heather. “When the breezes blow through the trees above and the many birds sing in the cool dappled sunlight, it is a truly spiritual experience, which imparts an ancient kind of serenity to the soul.”

If you would like to experience Amberwood firsthand and find out how biodiverse gardening can be achieved in a small space, Heather welcomes garden clubs, groups and retirement village outings for 10 to 40 people and a fee of $5 per person. The visit includes a sit down talk, a tour and a relaxing time in the garden where picnics and photographs are also welcome.  

Bookings can be made by phone only on (07) 576 2288 or 027 4447 096.