While we may not be spending as much time in our garden throughout the colder months as we do in the summer, it’s still important to look after your outdoor spaces during the winter to help support the wildlife through these cold few months.

Dobies, retailers of autumn flowering bulbs and other garden fundamentals has provided us some advice on how to make sure your garden is suited to help wildlife survive during the cold winter days:

Helping Hedgehogs

In tough environments, frail hedgehogs can be seen during the day in gardens and through the streets. This is an indication to suggest that finding food and water may be a difficult task for Hedgehogs to do during frosty times.

To help combat dehydration in your local hedgehogs, leave a dish with water in it out in your garden. You could also put some meat-based cat or dog food outside to help Hedgehogs fatten-up during wintertime.

With bonfire night also pending, ensure that you check piles of wood and twigs for hedgehogs before lighting. It’s time to make use of that summer house in the colder months!

Take care of the birds

In the tougher months, birds can struggle to maintain their energy levels and keep warm. One thing you can do is leave out fat blocks in wire cages since fatty foods can help with this. These could be made with lard and packed full of goodness for birds, such as fruit, seeds and dried mealworms. For smaller bird such as wrens, search your kitchen for some scraps and leave out finely chopped unsalted bacon rind and grated cheese.

Some ground-feeding birds struggle to look for meals due to frost, so place seeds or fat balls on a wire mesh just off the ground to help them.

When temperatures become lower, water sources such as ponds can become frozen over. There’s a chance this is the only way for birds to hydrate and clean themselves since water sources may be limited. Therefore, leave out a dish of water or even an upturned bin lid with water in for birds to enjoy.

As winter draws to a close and the days become brighter, clean out your bird boxes so they are ready for the new breeding season.

Check the Chickens are safe

It’s not uncommon to raise chickens. Due to them being prone to frost bite, the harsher months can be troublesome. There are things that you can do to make sure your chickens are as healthy as they can be:

• Check for leaks in your coop – If may be time to purchase some new coop, Dobies would be ideal for this, but simply repairing holes with plywood is also an option.

• Insulate windows well in order to capture heat during the day and keep the coop warmer for longer when the dark nights arrive.

• Coat chickens’ combs and wattles in petroleum jelly to help protect them from frostbite.

Additional animals

There are a huge number of animals inhabiting in your garden that could benefit from a little human help:

• Float a tennis ball or something similar in your pond to stop it from suffocating frogs if the pond freezers over.

• Leave your grass to grow long over winter and cut it again in the spring. This will act as shelter for insects and butterflies from the harsh weather.

• Piling up rocks, twigs and rotting wood can create a shelter for insects who might not survive otherwise. If you have decking, they also like to use under this as a form of shelter.

• By planting seed that will flower in the winter, you can provide a food source for bees that may be making their way to a nest.

This winter find time out from cosying up on the sofa to carry out the suggested tips, you will see wildlife thriving in your garden all year long. In addition, you may have helped some animals survive, this may not have been possible without you.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=382

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/problem-solving/how-to-help-wildlife-in-your-garden-this-winter/

http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plant-inspiration/help-wildlife-survive-winter/