Christmas is coming and here is the first of three installments of easy things to do in the wildlife-friendly garden! Thanks to the RSPB website blogger, Adrian Thomas, for his ideas:
“Presents to buy, parties to organise, food to cook, relatives to entertain….. I probably don’t need to remind you that Christmas is coming!
It doesn’t leave you much time to spend in the garden but just spending a few minutes out there might be what you need to relieve some of the stress.
- Leave any shrub and hedge pruning until the New Year. See, I told you this was going to be easy! Not pruning now will mean that any berries, moth eggs and larvae will still be available for the birds in these lean winter months.
- Put something wildlife-friendly on your wish list to Santa. Maybe a birdbox or a new feeder. They are presents that will give you years of pleasure.
- Feed the birds. OK, so you will need to pull on your gloves and overcoat for this one but keeping those feeders topped up at this time of year is so important.
- Leave the dead stems standing from this year’s flowers. They will look great when frosted or speckled with snow, they harbour insects and seeds for birds and they help protect the soil beneath. You can tidy them up come March, by which time many of them will have been broken off at the base by frost and snow, making it easier to comb them out.”