The Garden in Winter
Image from Alexas_fotos at Pixabay
Winter can be good news for the lazy gardener. But if you’ve been looking at that pile of leaves and thinking: “I must clear that up”, hang fire. Leaving things just as they are can be a great to help wildlife.
Piles of leaves can provide shelter for all sorts of beasties, including mammals, amphibians and insects, and as this is also a good place for snails and slugs, it can be a well-stocked larder for the sheltering creatures to feast on.
image from NoName_13
If you have been pruning, leave some of that dead wood for the insects. They can overwinter here.
Birds might need a little more attention. Our feathery friends are inclined to lose a chunk of their bodyweight just keeping warm through the long winter night, so keeping bird tables topped up is a must.
Different foods will attract different birds but please remember that salty foods are toxic and are a definite no-no. Good options are seeds and suet, fruit and dried mealworms. Water is important too but make sure it doesn’t freeze.
Image from timoostrich at Pixabay
If you are just starting a bird table, remember that it is important to keep it going throughout the cold weather. Once the birds know the food is there, they will expend energy getting to it, and if the cupboard is bare, they may not be able to replace that energy.
If you have a pond, remember that fish need oxygen, so to help prevent the water from freezing, just leave a tennis ball on the surface.
What do you do to help wildlife in your garden? We are always happy to hear from you. Email Kitty at speaktofish@gmail.com.
