Wilder Gardening

Shorter days do limit what we can do outside, but this is a great time to reflect on what went well in the garden, and what more we can do for wildlife in our green spaces.

It’s good to have something in flower in every season and winter is no exception. Winter flowering shrubs can be lifesavers for insects on mild days. Plants to consider include sweet box (Sarcococca confusa), winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) and winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima).

In December look out for the redwing. These winter migrants are searching for berry-bearing shrubs such as holly, viburnum, or pyracantha, and are often seen in mixed flocks with fieldfare. Seed feeding goldfinches will be tucking into the seed heads you have left in your flower borders; they especially love teasels!

With a clear view of twigs and branches, winter is the best time to prune apples and pears. By doing this you will increase next year’s crop and provide more blossom for insects. Similarly, you can rejuvenate deciduous climbers and wall shrubs by removing a proportion of older stems. Save any long stems for next year’s stakes or plant supports and add other trimmings to your log pile. Winter is also a good time to take hard wood cuttings from deciduous shrubs such as dogwoods (Cornus) and flowering currant (Ribes). It’s very satisfying to grow things from scratch, plus you might save a few pennies and reduce your carbon footprint too! 

Celebrate wildlife gardening and use your garden to take action to help support nature. Many of our common garden visitors – including hedgehogs, house sparrows and starlings – are increasingly under threat. But together we can make a difference. Find out how our green spaces can provide for wildlife.

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Wilder Allotment Awards: Although allotments are mainly used for growing food, by adding in wildlife friendly plants you can create a mini-ecosystem that’s good for you and good for wildlife. Demonstrate you are making an effort to welcome wildlife in different ways and practicing environmentally friendly actions and apply for your plaque today!

Apply today!

Thank you for gardening for wildlife, every positive action you take makes a big difference. With your help, we can put nature into recovery, create more space for wildlife to thrive, and reduce the pressure on the environment. This has to be a joint effort. We all have different skills, knowledge, and experience to offer. And we’ve got resources and advice to help get you started...