Give nature a home this autumn Part 1
Created | Updated Nov 7, 2017
Do not tidy your autumn garden as it is the time of year which is the most beneficial for nature. Do not remove any of the decaying plants in your garden as they will provide a layer for wildlife to hibernate under when it gets very cold. It is also a good time to give your lawn mower a rest by letting some parts of your lawn to grow longer. This will help beetles and other small insects and small mammals an wander. It will be a place where birds can come to the feed on the seeds.
The hollowed stems and the seed heads of plants such as teasels, thistles and sunflowers and allowing garden vegetation to wither and die naturally will provide a habitat to protect them from the frost and to provide food for insects particularly bees and butterflies. While other plants will keep on flowering through the autumn but will be smaller than usual. They will be a source of food and shelter for wildlife in winter. Gather the fallen leaves along with the dead wood into a pile in your garden. This can be used for hedgehogs, insects and other animals.
If you have bushes that are completely diseased, you can cut them down and use the base of the bark as a refuge for insects. Drill a few holes in to make it a bug hotel. You can use straw, soil, pine cones, dry grass and other hollow plant stems. You can also use old wood pallets, old logs,bark and planks of wood as well as clay pots, bricks with holes to make your bug hotel.
Use old very ripe bananas to give autumn butterflies to give them an extra sweet boast to help them stay fit and healthy and give them extra energy during hibernation. Take your over ripe and mushy bananas and put on a piece of wood. The banana will slowly ferment that will gradually ferment in the sunshine. The butterflies will easily find it and be attracted to the sweetness of the banana. Look out for wasps and hornets that will come and feed on the banana that they may decide to attack you with their sting. If you get too many insects being attracted to the banana then it is time to put it on the compost heap.
Do not worry, you do not need to have a wild and over-grown garden to have a garden as it can still be attractive to wildlife and attractive to look at. Through growing a wide variety of plants you will able to support wildlife by providing the necessary food and shelter for wildlife.
