Signs of spring will soon be beginning to show themselves. RSPB Scotland's Jess Barrett highlights a few easy ways to help give nature a home in your garden as the days get longer and warmer.
Give nature a home this spring
Spring is starting to creep in across Scotland. We’re just a few weeks away from the clocks going forward which will give us those glorious light evenings come the summer months. Nature begins to wake up after its winter rest with leaves and buds starting to appear and some birds getting ready to make nests to bring up their young.
This is a great time of year to get your garden ready to be a place filled with nature over the next few months and providing all sorts of species with a home. Here are three quick and easy activities you can do over the next month or so to make your outdoor space more nature friendly.
1. Open a hedgehog café
You probably won’t have seen many of these prickly creatures over the last few months as they’ll have been lying low, avoiding the cold weather. Hedgehogs will be beginning to get more active round about now and it’s the perfect time to give them a helping hand by proving food and water so they can build up the energy they’ll need for raising families. In fact putting out food and water right up until the end of autumn will be a great help for these mammals and hopefully means you’ll get to catch sight of them tucking in! To get started you’ll need a sturdy box, either plastic or wood, with a removable lid and follow our step by step guide.
2. Sow a poppy patch
A mass of poppies and other flowers such as corn marigolds, corncockles, cornflowers and corn chamomiles can provide food for insects and birds, as well as important cover for other wildlife. And let’s not forget how beautiful they are to look at catching the sunlight and blowing in the wind! These flowers will grow annually so putting in a bit of effort now will reward your with some long lasting results. Early spring is an ideal prepare your sowing area – you need to make sure the area is as free of weeds as possible. Follow our simple instructions and you should enjoy these colourful flowers from June to September alive with the sounds of bees buzzing and birds foraging.
3. Build a bird bath
Many of you will have provided water for your garden birds over this recent cold winter which will have been really important for them when natural sources were frozen. However, it’s just as important to provide water during the summer months when water can be scarce due to warmer weather – not only will they drink from it they’ll also use it to cool off and keep their feathers in good condition! Building a bird bath during spring will mean it’s all ready for your feathered visitors such as blackbirds, robins, sparrows and starlings who love a quick dip, and will mean that they get to know that there’s a good source of water to be found in your garden. Here’s how to do it.
If you’ve been inspired by these activities do share with us on Facebook and Twitter how you’re giving nature a home. You can also find out more ways to help nature on doorstep visit on our website here.