At this time of year, when the crops and flowers are far and few between and the weather is getting colder and darker, wildlife begins to struggle. There are so many birds looking for a good meal and it’s so easy, as gardeners, to provide that for them.
I like to use natural things to feed the birds with. Not only does it look good in my winter garden, it’s also quite a fun little activity to do, particularly if you have kids! One of my favourite ways to do this is to cut an orange in half, scoop out the middle and fill with bird seed. Sometimes I hand these up but sometimes, I just place them around the garden for birds and squirrels to eat.
There are lots of other things you can do for wildlife at this time of year too, including:
- Creating wood/log piles for insects to hide in
- providing bird boxes
- Leaving crops such as dahlias to die back naturally, providing insects with places to hide in over the winter months
- Not being too tidy in the garden. Leaving areas to go a bit wild
- Leaving out bird seed
- Ensuring ponds don’t freeze over by pouring hot water over ice when it forms
- Leaving out water for wildlife to drink in shallow dishes
Don’t forget that winter gardens can be quite beautiful. There is something rather magical about waking up to find a layer of frost over everything, knowing that in the spring everything will once again be green and luscious.
I love the fact that winter forces us to slow down as gardeners. There is so much rush and excitement in the spring and summer and so many jobs to get done again in the Autumn time. So when winter comes along it’s a bit of a relief. The chance to rest and recover and then start over again in a few months time.
