Gardening in autumn

Autumn; the season of gold, rust and red hues. Leaves on trees and shrubs change in colour and start to fall, leaving cosy blankets of leaf litter for wildlife to snuggle in. Damp soil and logs provide inviting conditions for invertebrates to hide away. Bushes burst with berries, that are feasted on by garden birds. Although there are fewer sunny days, there is still plenty of life to spot on your patch this season!

With flowers wilting and petals falling, you may be tempted to give your garden a tidy by deadheading some plants. However, these leftover remnants are loved by wildlife; birds will snack on seed heads and insects will burrow down into stems for shelter over winter. Try to avoid deadheading beyond September.

Fallen leaves also provide important shelter for wildlife, so try to avoid clearing leaf litter. If you need to clear paths, why not create leaf piles in the corners of your garden instead?

Give hedgehogs a hand

The milder autumn weather means that our hoggy friends start to roam gardens more on the lookout for food. You can help hedgehogs (and other wildlife) move more freely through neighbourhoods by leaving small holes at the base of your garden fences. If you frequently get visitors, why not offer them an evening meal?

Autumn also prompts some seasonal festivities, such as Halloween and Bonfire Night. To keep these small spiky mammals safe, please make sure you:

• Don’t leave out leftover pumpkins after Halloween – if hedgehogs ingest these, it can make them very ill
• Do check bonfires before lighting them – hedgehogs often seek out log piles for shelter

Read more in our top tips below.