Preparing your garden for winter

It’s nearly the end of November and the nights are drawing in and it is definitely getting colder in England. It’s time to think about preparing your garden for winter if you have not already done so and helping the wildlife at the same time.

Birds

Ensure you have some bird feeders in place. I find that sunflower hearts are very popular and leave the least mess underneath the feeder. The goldfinches tend to eat part of them (not sure why as it is all nutritious) and some falls below. Some of the other birds such as blue tits, blackbirds and sparrows then gobble up the remains.

I also hang up fat balls (after removing them from any nets). These are enjoyed by lots of different birds including long tailed tits, starlings and robins.

If you don’t have a bird bath then a large saucer of water will do, preferably put somewhere that the cats and other predators can’t reach. Ensure it is kept clean and regularly topped up with fresh water. On cold mornings check for ice and use hot water (I use recently boiled) water to melt any ice.

Check any ponds to ensure they are not totally frozen otherwise any overwintering frogs will not be able to breathe. Use a ball to keep an area free and pour hot water over the edges so that other wildlife (not just birds) can drink.

Leaves

Leave some leaves in the corners of your garden and under the hedges as this will encourage worms and the birds will look through them to find the worms.

Put the remainder of the leaves onto your compost heap and the worms will eat them over the winter. It acts as a layer of insulation and helps keep the temperature up.

There are some other ideas here http://www.discoverwildlife.com/wildlife-gardens/how-prepare-your-garden-winter

What have you done to help the birds for the winter?