Lower Smite Farm garden in winter by Wendy Carter
Winter gardening
Redwing in ivy by Wendy Carter
With temperatures dropping and the weather getting wetter, gardening may be the last thing on your mind in winter. However, if you want your patch to support wildlife for years to come, now’s the time to start! The colder months offer the perfect conditions for planting shrubs and trees.
Woody shrubs, climbers and trees provide food for all kinds of wildlife; birds, insects and small mammals will feast on the berries, fruits, seeds, nuts and nectar-rich flowers that they offer throughout the year. In addition, they provide shelter, giving species space to rest, nest and breed.
Check out our top tips below on introducing shrubs and trees to your garden:
Less is more!
If you’re looking to make smaller changes, less is more in winter. Whilst it may be tempting to tidy, wildlife needs a slightly messier garden to thrive. Small mammals, such as hedgehogs, will shelter from the cold under a warm blanket of leaf litter and insects, such as the patchwork lead-cutter bee, will lay eggs in hollow plant stems. Nature makes the most of the nooks and crannies on offer, so try to avoid the following if you can:
- Deadheading plants
- Clearing leaf litter and long grasses
- Removing log piles