Autumn is here. You’re probably thinking about checking the boiler is working and packing away the garden furniture. And it’s a time for home-making for wildlife, too.
Hedgehogs are looking for a place to hibernate, insects are hunkering down in the undergrowth and birds are flocking to our garden feeders. It’s time to roll out the welcome mat for winter wildlife in your garden.
Attract hedgehogs to your garden with a leaf litter pile. Photo: Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)
Here are seven easy garden projects to help winter wildlife.
1. Clean and refill bird feeders
Cleaning bird feeders is vital to preventing the spread of diseases. Scrub your feeders with soap and boiling water and rinse thoroughly. Allow to dry and fill with high-calorie winter foods such as fat balls. Don’t forget to keep your birdbath full and free of ice. You can buy food and feeders at the RPSB shop.
Building a compost heap is a great autumn garden project. Photo: Eleanor Bentall (rspb-images.com)
2. Make compost
This is the season when the garden produces all sorts of green “waste”. Don’t throw it away; it’s a gift! You can make your own compost heap using a wooden box or few wooden pallets. Or you can buy a ready made bin. Compost isn’t just great for your garden. The heat the pile generates will provide the perfect winter home for insects and reptiles.
3. Clear out nestboxes
Every couple of years or so, it helps to empty out tit and sparrow boxes to clear them of parasites, and autumn is the right time. If you can, remove the box from the tree, give it a quick sploosh with boiling water, leave to dry and then put back up again.
If you’ve had swifts or other birds nesting in your roof space, clear out the area and give it a clean (using animal-friendly products only), ready for next year’s new arrivals!
Clean out nest boxes with soap and water. Photo: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
4. Feed hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are preparing to hibernate. So now is the time to put out some dry (non-fish) cat food or specialist hedgehog food. This will help them gain the weight they need to hibernate safely.
5. Make a leaf litter pile
Even a simple leaf litter pile will make a great winter home for insects, or maybe even a hedgehog. Make a circle of chicken wire in a shady corner of the garden and fill it with soft, dried foliage and pruning trimmings. Leave a small doorway in the bottom to allow access for hedgehogs.
Hawthorn, blackthorn, elder and crab apple are all good trees for wildlife. Photo: Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
6. Get ready to plant trees
There is space for a tree in every garden, even in a pot on a patio. Do some research now and find the tree that will be right for you. Buy and plant your chosen tree bare-rooted in the winter.
Look for native trees which tend to be more wildlife-friendly. Some will attract birds, some butterflies, some bees.
7. Collect wildflower seed
Give wildlife a headstart in spring by preparing wildflowers now. Pop an old envelope in your pocket and take a walk around your garden or out in the countryside. Collect seeds from your favourite wildlife-friendly plants. You can scatter them in your garden, plant them in pots in peat-free compost and leave outside for the winter, or store them in the bottom of the fridge ready to sow next spring.
What garden projects will you be doing this autumn in your wildlife garden? Let us know in the comments below.
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