Gardening

Winter GardenProducts Relating to 'Winter Garden'

As the days shorten we inevitably spend less time winter gardening - there aren't so many tasks to be done, and staying warm and cosy indoors seems a much more attractive prospect. Similarly, the wildlife in a winter garden is searching out food and shelter to help survive the winter, and there's a lot we can do to help.

As we want to do less in the winter garden, our benign neglect will provide wild creatures with many desirable residences. There was once a time when no respectable gardener could retire indoors for the winter unless the herbaceous borders had been cleared, all the fallen leaves removed and the vegetable patch reduced to bare soil.

Fortunately we now realise that both visually and environmentally, the winter garden is far more interesting and diverse if some plants are left untrimmed until the spring. Tufts of ornamental grasses have a skeletal beauty, especially when illuminated by the low winter sun, but they are also a valuable habitat for hibernating ladybugs. Areas of leaf litter provide homes for many beneficial insect species and will protect delicate plants that may otherwise be killed by the cold weather. The architectural outlines of berried shrubs and the seed heads of annual and perennial plants give a visual structure to the winter garden, and many will last long into the season, providing vital food for birds who will work their way through all the seeds and berries during the cold months.

Additionally, stone walls, log heaps and untidy coorners provide ideal homes in our winter garden s for all kinds of wild animals, from field mice to frogs, toads and hedgehogs.

There are also ways we can actively encourage wildlife, not only into the winter garden, but throughout the year. These days the domestic garden is an invaluable habitat and if we treat it properly we will be rewarded with a wide variety of creatures that will act as natural predators on our less welcome garden pests.

Feeding the birds is a top priority for pest control, but once you start, it is important to be reliable and continue as birds will waste energy visiting your winter garden bird feeder or table to no avail if no food is provided. In frosty weather they will also need water. This is a good time of year to fix new nesting boxes in place so the birds will have plenty of time to check them out before the spring comes.

Insects also need homes in the winter garden and while many will take up residence in existing nooks and crannies, it's a good idea to provide some additional nesting places. These can be home made from simple materials such as a handful of straw or short lengths of cane in a flower pot, but you can also buy commercial versions.

So, why not spend a little time making your winter garden welcoming and comfortable for your wild garden inhabitants? That way both you and they will be rested and ready for action next spring.

Article Published: Tuesday 9th October 2007