Ten Wildlife Garden Tips for the New Year

admin
, 30 December 2015
Ten Wildlife Garden Tips for the New Year
long-tailed tits / Amy Lewis

January is the perfect month to start thinking about making your garden or outside space more friendly for wildlife. You can help animals and birds make it through the winter and plan ahead for the spring and summer.

Here are our Top Ten Tasks for your wildlife garden in January

  1. Hang bird feeder and put out food on the ground and bird table
  2. Make sure your bird bath is topped up with fresh water and not frozen
  3. Regularly clean bird feeders, bird tables and bird bath
  4. Dig a pond or create a bog garden
  5. Trim back shrubs and trees once all their berries and fruit have been eaten
  6. Plant a deciduous tree that produces berries or fruit if you have the space – try Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) – blackbirds love it!
  7. Make a log or rock pile to create areas of shelter for wildlife
  8. Build a compost bin
  9. Plan a wild flower meadow for spring sowing or planting
  10. Buy or build a bee nesting box in your garden

Find out more about encouraging wildlife into your garden throughout the year.

We’d love to see photos of your gardens and the wildlife that visits, so please share on the Trust’s Facebook page.

Leave a comment

Comments

  • valerie alford:

    Extend the bee’s feeding season by planting very late flowerers such as Mahonia, beautiful yellow flowers till January, so useful in mild southern early winters. In garden centres in January! Plant now.
    Plant single rather than double flowers, so bees and butterflies can access the nectar. Plan your borders and order seeds from catalogues over the winter… lovely winter job!

    02 Jan 2016 12:14:49

  • maria gardiner:

    I’ve thought about hanging up a bird feeder, but I am worried that the birds will become dependent, and will have problems when I’m away.

    02 Jan 2016 12:17:06

  • Tim Buckland:

    I’ve been replenishing my bird feeders outside the office window every week over Christmas and was delighted to see that the after the starlings left his morning that a goldfinch plucked up the courage to pay us a visit. Beautiful bird. Chuffed!

    06 Jan 2016 16:34:24

  • Cherry:

    as well as providing nectar for bees if you resist pruning your Mahonia until the berries ripen if blackbirds will love you

    17 Jan 2016 13:25:55

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