Top ways to help garden wildlife in Autumn
Top ways to help garden wildlife in Autumn
Many types of garden animals will sleep through the coldest months of the year, some hibernating, while others enter a state of torpor where they can wake in emergencies. In late Autumn these animals will begin to look for nice and dry places they can rest undisturbed in Winter so early to mid Autumn is the perfect time to prep your garden for them.
Keep Borders Intact
Where possible leave herbaceous borders intact so decaying plants provide places of shelter for small mammals and insects. Seed heads are a great source of food for birds and clumps of ornamental grasses could become the perfect hidey hole for a hedgehog if left undisturbed
Bundle Twigs
After your autumn pruning leave bundles of twigs at the back of your borders, in a plant pot laying on it's side or other relatively dry and sheltered locations to provide places for small mammals and invertebrates to shelter
Falling Leaves
Keep an eye on your pond to remove fallen leaves and leave a ball floating on the surface. Male frogs often spend Winter in the mud at the bottom of ponds and if the pond freezes over gases caused by decaying plant matter can get trapped and poison them. Keeping on top of fallen leaves now helps decrease the plant matter in the pond that can decay and the ball will stop the ice sealing the pond when it forms
Stack Pots
Leave stacks of plant pots in a sheltered location to give bees and other insects somewhere dry to shelter
Rake Lawns
You'll be wanting to rake up fallen leaves from lawns and paths, but instead of disposing of them leave them in a corner or beneath a hedge for hedgehogs and other animals to shelter in
Compost Heaps
If you have a compost heap it's an ideal place for many animals to hibernate in. If yours is plastic raise it onto bricks so there's access at the base and if your heap is an open one then cover it with with an old piece of carpet or rug to help keep it dry and insulated. From now it will be important not to disturb the bin until at least April when all species should have finished hibernating
Nesting Boxes
Clear out and clean nesting boxes ready for next Spring and for birds to shelter in during Winter
Insects in Your Home
Some insects such as ladybirds and butterflies may try to enter your home to hibernate, however the sudden increases and inconsistent temperature from central heating will not be good for them. If you find any then carefully transfer them to a shed or garage that will have a much more consistent temperature. An empty box is a handy and safe way to move most insects without harming them
Some more tips you might like
Autumn Bird Care
Just as Autumn is a time of change for the plants in your garden it is also a time of change for wild birds. Some birds have already started their migrations and other species will soon be starting theirs too. Many will be leaving the UK for warmer climates, but there will also be others arriving from colder countries.
Autumn bird advice
Reviving Summer scorched lawns & prepping for Winter
During the summer your lawn may have become scorched, patchy or compacted and once we reach the cooler but still warm temperatures of Autumn it's the perfect opportunity to remedy these. The better condition your lawn is in entering the Winter the better it will survive and ultimately save you work in the Spring.
Revive your lawn
Autumn - Time to plant Spring flowering bulbs
Bulbs are a highly rewarding way to add some colour to your garden and Autumn is the perfect time for planting Spring flowering bulbs. The soil is still warm enough for the bulbs to establish their roots, allowing them to flower in Spring instead of Summer.
Get your bulbs planted
