Wildlife Wonderland

Regardless of whether or not you are a wildlife enthusiast, you can’t escape the fact that your outdoor space is always going to be a living zone shared with various species of wildlife. These could be a family of hedgehogs or bumblebees, frogs, earwigs, birds, badgers – the list is endless. But as you go about your garden tidying tasks this autumn, it is important to remember that the fallen leaves, dead stems and log piles which we refer to as  ‘mess’ and feel duty bound to clear up represents ‘home’ for many wildlife visitors.

A recent Facebook poll on Gardenersworld.com suggests many of us are willing to compromise our gardening practices for wildlife. It is possible to be tidy AND care for wildlife at the same time, it just takes a little forethought.  So rather than throwing any garden debris onto a compost heap or bonfire, just move it  to a corner of the garden out of sight, but where it can still benefit insects and mammals. Think about creating hibernaculums (a winter home for hibernating animals) out of natural materials, for example you can bundle tree branches behind pots for insects, gather bags of leaves which can be crammed into corners to provide shelter for frogs, slugs, and snails or leave a stack of logs in a damp, shady corner to attract hedgehogs, beetles and amphibians.  And don’t forget you can invite a variety of  birds into the garden if you regularly provide them with food during the winter,  see below for a list of preferred menu options for specific species of bird!

House sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves: small seeds, such as millet

Blackbirds: flaked, maize , dog and cat food

Tits and greenfinches: peanuts and sunflower seeds

Goldfinches and siskins: Nyjer seeds

Greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskins: peanuts

Robins, dunnocks and wrens: crushed or grated nuts, mild grated cheese