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11. The 10 minute gardener: winter wildlife gardening

January 23, 2018 by Catherine 5 Comments

Wildlife gardening jobs for winter with the 10 minute gardener: ideas for quick gardening tasks that will really give local wildlife a helping hand.

Welcome to a special wildlife gardening edition in the 10 minute gardener series.  This time I’m looking at quick gardening jobs you can fit into a busy schedule that will help your local wildlife during winter.

Winter is a tough season for garden wildlife; the cold weather demands high-energy food, but natural food sources are hard to find.  Because we don’t spend as much time outdoors in winter, it’s easy to forget that our local wildlife is still out there, but hunger actually drives more wildlife into our gardens in search of food.  Here are some ideas for quick wildlife gardening tasks that will really give local species a helping hand.

Feed wild birds

It’s hard to spot garden birds at leafier times of the year, but in winter we get a really good view of them as they pay our gardens a visit.  Encourage them with hanging feeders or a bird table; position these where you can see them from the house and out of the reach of cats.  This is a lovely job to get children involved with; you could encourage them to make a diary of the varieties that visit, or get crafty making your own fat cakes.

wildlife gardening bird feeder

Provide a water source

You may not think water is scarce for local wildlife at this time of year, but natural sources of water can easily freeze in winter.  If you have a bird bath, keep it topped up and check regularly that it isn’t frozen.   If you don’t have a bird bath it’s really easy to make your own with a simple shallow dish of water.

Give nature a home in your garden and encourage birds to visit with this easy guide to making a bird bath - perfect for a fun family nature activity.

Install a bug hotel

A bug hotel is a great way to provide shelter for overwintering insects such as ladybirds and lacewings.  You can buy a bug hotel or have a go at making your own, it can be as simple as filling a small piece of drainpipe with lengths of garden cane – or you can really go to town!

Nottingham in Bloom open day bug hotel

Make a leaf pile

You’d be surprised how much protection a pile of leaves can give to small mammals and ground-feeding birds, it’s also a great place for hibernating.  It doesn’t need to be big; a small pile in a quiet corner of the garden is great.  And if you already have a leaf pile or a compost heap, try not to disturb it too much, as there may well be some wildlife already in residence.

Don’t tidy up borders

A garden job that involves no time at all but still benefits wildlife – sounds good, doesn’t it?  Leaving a border intact rather than cutting down dead plants provides seedheads for birds to feed on, and fallen stems for small mammals, frogs, toads and insects to shelter in.  Seedheads also look magical on a frosty winter morning, so there’s an added bonus for us too.

wildlife gardening frosty seedheads

Taking a few minutes to garden for wildlife in winter is beneficial on so many levels.  You’ll be helping native species to thrive and, in some cases, survive; your garden will be healthier as a result; and it’s a fantastic way to get the kids involved and interested in the great outdoors on their doorstep when the weather isn’t very inviting.  Will you be tackling any of my 10 minute wildlife gardening jobs this winter?

Pin this for later:Wildlife gardening jobs for winter with the 10 minute gardener: ideas for quick gardening tasks that will really give local wildlife a helping hand.

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Filed Under: Garden jobs this month Tagged With: Birds, Compost, Garden, gardening, Minibeasts, Nature, Top Tips, Wildlife, Wildlife gardening, Winter

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Comments

  1. Dawn says

    January 6, 2017 at 10:30 am

    I usually rake all the dead leaves off my lawn throughout winter, as I find they can rot and cause problems. I would also recommend looking out for puddles and frozen patches, as it’s a sign of compacted spoil

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      January 6, 2017 at 11:20 am

      Great tips – I’ve never really thought about puddles being a sign of compacted soil, but it makes perfect sense! That’s a new job for my list this month 🙂

      Reply
  2. Juliet Evans says

    January 11, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    Love the bug hotel idea for my kids

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      January 12, 2017 at 9:00 am

      It’s a great nature activity for little ones, my kids love building them!

      Reply
  3. Urwashee Saxena says

    February 20, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    I think these steps must be followed by everyone and this article can help to take care of wild birds; we should provide a water source for birds, Thanks for sharing

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Catherine. Welcome to Growing Family, a top UK home & garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
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