Even though we want to encourage wildlife into our gardens, we are allowed to have a tidy up, it’s just the way we go about it. David Broadbent (rspb-images.com)
If like me, you’ve pretty much abandoned your garden over the winter, there are brown collapsing skeletons of dead plants, leaves, twigs and a general an untidy mess all over the garden. … and I’m ready for a tidy!
I’ve found that the main consideration in a wildlife friendly tidy up to move as much as possible rather than destroying it all on the bonfire or taking it to the garden waste- tip.
The old autumn leaf litter strewn across the garden will be full of tiny wildlife including millipedes, woodlice, earwigs, butterfly and moth caterpillars, ladybirds, spiders and beetles, all essential for the overall eco system in the garden.
The RHS say: “Stack fallen wood and prunings and leave some leaves to rot down to maximise the benefits for small mammals, amphibians, ground beetles and other invertebrates. If you have a mountain of leaves in autumn, use the surplus to make leafmould by collecting them up and stashing in wire mesh bins. A year later you will have a lovely supply of mulch.”
I personally, rake up leaves either into piles and tuck them away in corners to decompose or rake up to the back of the border where the wildlife can still thrive out of sight as the plants begin to grow up.
Big old solid stems can be discarded if you need to make room, or they can be used as stakes around the garden or piled up into woody/ twiggy habitats. If you’ve cut down hollow stems, perhaps they can be placed in a hidden area as they may harbour over-wintering insects, eggs and larvae. You could cut them into shorter strips to make your own bug or bee hotel or just wedge them in some trellis or any gap that backs onto a fence or wall and solitary bees will thank for them when their nesting season comes in the summer.
Tawny Mining Bee: Sue Kennedy (rspb-images.com)
Of course all organic matter can be piled up into a compost heap where many creatures will reside and feed and when it’s naturally decomposed into a dark brown crumbly mixture in a matter of months or a year, it feeds the plants with it’s nutrients. The smaller the leaves, twigs and unwanted plants are, the faster they will break down into a usable planting and mulching compost.
There are lots more interesting points about finding a balance between a wildlife and an ordered pretty garden with these myth-busting tips from the Wildlife gardening forum.
Its ok to tidy up, it’s just a matter of trying to reuse and relocate as much as possible.
The Flatford Wildlife Garden is still currently closed.Details of re-opening in Spring 2021 will be posted on this blog and the Flatford Wildlife Garden Website.