Delivery free uk delivery available* delivery within 2-7 days
Look After Wildlife This Winter
18 November 2019

We love our wildlife here at Best4hedging and we know our readers do too! So we’re always trying to educate our readers on what we can do to help the little guys out, especially in the winter months when they need it the most. We’re tempted to stay indoors in the winter, who would blame us? And we often feel guilty for neglecting our gardens. However, don’t threat too much as this is the best thing we can do for wildlife. Letting our gardens go a little wild has many benefits, it provides shelter for wildlife where they can nest and stay warm. Food is provided by the berries on your un-pruned hedging. So you can literally let nature do the work for you to help our wildlife, but of course nature needs a helping hand so here’s some things you can do to give that little bit extra help this winter…

1. Feed the birds

Whilst hedging with berries is a wonderful source of food for birds, sometimes that isn’t enough so make sure your bird seed feeders and regularly topped up and plenty of fat blocks are hanging in your wire frames. Some cheeky squirrels may get at these, but at least they are also getting a good feed!

2. Break The Ice

If you have ponds in your garden, make sure to crack the frozen over water to make holes. Toxic gases can build up in frozen water which will affect the fish hibernating at the bottom. You can make a hole on the frozen ice by placing a hot pan on the area you want to create a hole. It isn’t advised to crack the ice with force or to pour boiling water as again, this can affect the fish that are living in the pond. Also don’t forget to provide water for the wildlife, keep an eye on this freezing over. A good tip for keeping the water in your ponds and water bowls from freezing is to leave a ball (any sports ball that floats will work) in the water. The ball will slowly drift around the water creating light ripples that will stop the water from freezing over.

3. Attracting Wildlife This Winter

One of the best methods to attract wildlife to your gardens is by providing food. Putting out a small amount will encourage wildlife to visit your gardens- but don’t put out too much or your garden will turn into a 5 star restaurant for the little visitors!

Hedgehogs: Hedgehogs particularly like dog & cat food, mainly biscuits, avoid leaving out milk and bread as this upsets their tummies.

Foxes: Put out cheese, boiled potatoes, chicken carcasses, bread and fat scraps at dusk.

Squirrels: Squirrels do not hibernate, instead they cache food during autumn to eat when food is scarce. Offer them nuts such as hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds, plus some chopped apple, beans, carrots or spinach.

Badgers: Badgers have a tough time finding their favourite food – earthworms – when the ground is frozen. Provide them with lightly cooked meats, cheese, peanuts and fruit. info taken from discoverwildlife.com

4. Wildlife Space in the Garden

The most simple, effortless way to provide a safe habitat for wildlife is to actually do a little less gardening! Most gardeners are horrified at the thought, but there are ways to avoid your green space from transforming into a back-yard jungle. All we’re recommending is that you sacrifice a small area of your garden and allow it to overgrow naturally, as clearing every bit of foliage and cutting every inch of grass turns your garden into a hostile environment for wildlife to survive. Allowing a space to grow will provide the suitable conditions in which wildlife can forage and find sustainable shelter.

5. Plants

With a carefully thought out garden design, a wildlife friendly garden should include plants that offer numerous benefits that will contribute to the survival of wildlife, especially at this time of year and will provide added interest throughout other seasons. Incorporating plants that flower, produce berries and have a dense structure into your garden design, will offer a haven for wildlife searching for a home this winter, such as the following:

The characteristics of these hedge plants offer a sheltered habitat with accessible food sources that will certainly facilitate the survival of wildlife through the frosty season. For those plants that produce food, consider delaying pruning if it will remove seeds or fruit that will cater to birds and small mammals. Not only do these hedging plants help wildlife, but the splash of colours and attractive texture create a spectacular garden feature.

Have some tips of your own? Or would like to write blog for us? We’d love to hear from you! Email into marketing@best4hedging.co.uk