As our gardens start to fade into autumn, it's tempting to have a big clear up to get rid of the year's growth. But flowers that are past their best can still bring huge benefits in their value to wildlife. So put away those secateurs for now and let's have a look at some of the ways leaving your flowers standing through the autumn and winter can help the wildlife that shares your garden.
Take sunflowers for example. Most birds love sunflower seeds and will happily eat them from a feeder. But some birds have specially adapted beaks that enable them eat seeds directly from seedheads. Finches, with their triangular, pointed beaks are particularly likely to visit any sunflowers left standing in your gardens. Chaffinches, goldfinches and even bramblings might stop on a sunflower head, first picking out then cracking each individual seed with their strong, stout beaks. Other seedheads attractive to birds include teasels, echinacea, alliums and rudbeckia. Here at Flatford Wildlife Garden, the birds have been enjoying the fennel seeds from the plants in front of the visitor centre.
Fennel seedheads left standing at Flatford Wildlife Garden
Photo: Julia Walshaw
Leaving dead flowers standing can also provide shelter for the many minibeasts in your garden. The seedheads provide nooks and crannies for insects to find protection. Over the next few weeks, many insects will be starting to look for suitable places to spend the winter, such as the dry hollow stems of perennials. These stems are a particular favourite of ladybirds. All species of ladybird in the UK hibernate (this is called diapause for insects). Ladybirds do this in their adult state. They survive the cold winter months and accompanying food shortages by becoming dormant. They take shelter and enter a state of suspended animation, where their metabolism slows and their temperature drops. Some ladybird species hibernate individually, whilst others gather in big clusters. Ladybirds like to hunker down in gaps in tree bark, piles of leaf litter, or holes through the middle of stems. They might even nestle in the depths of a teasel head. So try to resist the urge to tidy any of these up over the next few weeks so your garden can become a winter home to a range of wildlife.
Flatford Wildlife Garden is open for just a few more weeks this year, before closing to the public for the winter season. Before that, there's a chance for families to enjoy a Half term Celebration of Trees. Children will be able to find out why trees are so amazing during the family garden trail. Then they can create an animal wildlife collage with autumn leaves to take home. The cost is £2 per child. The garden is open every day from 10:30-4:30 until November 1st.