How to make your garden wilder
Here's our month-by-month guide to how you can wild up your garden and help in the ecological crisis!
Jobs for November
Plant hedges – If you’re lucky enough to have a little piece of green space, now is the perfect time to plant hedgerow trees. You can buy trees for as little as £1 from a local nursery, and all you need is a shovel. Recommended species include native roses, elder and hawthorn to act as a food store for wildlife. If you have a large garden, try growing hazel (Corylus avellana) for its nuts and attractive catkins.
Finish planting spring bulbs – November is a good time to plant tulips. The hardy summer-flowering bulbs, such as lilies, alliums and crocosmia, are better in September and October (but no harm in trying!).
More tips for gardening for wildlife in November here.
Jobs for December
Plant trees – December is a good time to plant trees (either potted or bare-root in the garden). If you are lucky enough to have a small area to fit a little fruit tree in, now is the time! The People's Trust for Endangered Species have a good tool to help you find a local variety to suit future needs.
Create free plants! – This month is a good time to take a cutting from shrubs, trees and perennials. By taking cuttings from successful plants in your local area you can be confident that they grow well on your local soil types. Please ask for permission first! A good guide on how to successfully take a cutting is here.
Attract the robins – Making bird boxes are a great activity for the whole family. Why not build an open-fronted box for a robin?
Sort your cat out – Own a domestic cat? Why not buy them a bell for their collar? A recent study suggests that this can reduce predation on mammals and birds as it acts as an alarm to wildlife. Just remember to make sure it has a quick-release mechanism, just in case it gets snagged.
Spread wildflower seed – As the frost comes in, now is a good time to spread wildflower seeds onto bare soil. The quickest, and by far the easiest way to spread the seed is to get hold of some BeeBombs and throw them on the ground. They do best in full sunlight and low-nutrient soil. No need for digging – just avoid them drying out. Our conservation expert Dan Geerah threw his down four weeks ago and they have germinated. In Bristol, you can buy BeeBombs at Smaller Footprints on Regent Street in Clifton. They'd make a great Christmas Gift!
Jobs for January
As the temperatures drop, snowdrops will begin to bloom, but it certainly isn't the most active month in our Wilder West Bristol calendar. But there are a few things that will put you in good stead for the year ahead:
Plant hedging and fruit trees – If you are planting any bare-rooted hedging, fruit trees or shrubs, now is a good time – just ensure that the ground isn't frozen. The plants are tolerant once they are in the ground and will provide good habitat and cover for wildlife.
Prune – For those already with fruit trees established, January is a good time to winter-prune to remove any dead, damaged, congested and diseased branches.
Top up birdbaths with fresh water daily and melt the ice with warm water on frosty days.
Make wildlife boxes – Once again, the cold days are perfect for making wildlife boxes, to put up in sheltered spots, on tree trunks, sheds or walls, well before the nesting season begins.
Remove debris from shed and greenhouse guttering, so winter rain can fill up your water butts.
Jobs for February
As the days are now getting longer, you can start preparing for the bird nesting season beginning. There are several things that can be done to best welcome our feathery friends next month.
For birds:
Other tasks:
Jobs for March
As the seasons change, the temperatures rise and there open opportunities to get your little wild space ready before the buzz of spring begins. March is also the time that birds begin breeding, so there are a couple of tips to ensure that you help out as best you can.
Water is relatively scarce in our urban environments – and wildlife need it! So dig out a new pond, or install a water feature, to attract more wildlife. But remember, do not stock it with any fish as they disrupt the ecosystem. Let nature decide who lives there. A good read about urban ponds is here.
Some more things for March:
Jobs for April
Spring is upon us, and bird nesting season is now well under way. There is a huge amount that you can do in your wilder garden, but please don't worry about it being too tidy (messy can be good). Here is a list of some of our main tasks:
Jobs for May
In May, many plants and trees will be coming into bud, hopefully bringing some much-needed pollen and nectar sources to the bumbling bees that are now around. The weather is now warming, so it's the perfect time to get outside and look after your wilder space. Some actions for the month:
Jobs for June
June is a month of hot temperatures. This is when amphibians leave the ponds, butterflies emerge from the cocoon and hedgehogs are becoming active searching for food. Therefore some actions that should be continued during the hotter months:
Jobs for July
Similarly to June, July is a time where much life is moving to new stages.
Here's our month-by-month guide to how you can wild up your garden and help in the ecological crisis!
Jobs for November
Plant hedges – If you’re lucky enough to have a little piece of green space, now is the perfect time to plant hedgerow trees. You can buy trees for as little as £1 from a local nursery, and all you need is a shovel. Recommended species include native roses, elder and hawthorn to act as a food store for wildlife. If you have a large garden, try growing hazel (Corylus avellana) for its nuts and attractive catkins.
Finish planting spring bulbs – November is a good time to plant tulips. The hardy summer-flowering bulbs, such as lilies, alliums and crocosmia, are better in September and October (but no harm in trying!).
More tips for gardening for wildlife in November here.
Jobs for December
Plant trees – December is a good time to plant trees (either potted or bare-root in the garden). If you are lucky enough to have a small area to fit a little fruit tree in, now is the time! The People's Trust for Endangered Species have a good tool to help you find a local variety to suit future needs.
Create free plants! – This month is a good time to take a cutting from shrubs, trees and perennials. By taking cuttings from successful plants in your local area you can be confident that they grow well on your local soil types. Please ask for permission first! A good guide on how to successfully take a cutting is here.
Attract the robins – Making bird boxes are a great activity for the whole family. Why not build an open-fronted box for a robin?
Sort your cat out – Own a domestic cat? Why not buy them a bell for their collar? A recent study suggests that this can reduce predation on mammals and birds as it acts as an alarm to wildlife. Just remember to make sure it has a quick-release mechanism, just in case it gets snagged.
Spread wildflower seed – As the frost comes in, now is a good time to spread wildflower seeds onto bare soil. The quickest, and by far the easiest way to spread the seed is to get hold of some BeeBombs and throw them on the ground. They do best in full sunlight and low-nutrient soil. No need for digging – just avoid them drying out. Our conservation expert Dan Geerah threw his down four weeks ago and they have germinated. In Bristol, you can buy BeeBombs at Smaller Footprints on Regent Street in Clifton. They'd make a great Christmas Gift!
Jobs for January
As the temperatures drop, snowdrops will begin to bloom, but it certainly isn't the most active month in our Wilder West Bristol calendar. But there are a few things that will put you in good stead for the year ahead:
Plant hedging and fruit trees – If you are planting any bare-rooted hedging, fruit trees or shrubs, now is a good time – just ensure that the ground isn't frozen. The plants are tolerant once they are in the ground and will provide good habitat and cover for wildlife.
Prune – For those already with fruit trees established, January is a good time to winter-prune to remove any dead, damaged, congested and diseased branches.
Top up birdbaths with fresh water daily and melt the ice with warm water on frosty days.
Make wildlife boxes – Once again, the cold days are perfect for making wildlife boxes, to put up in sheltered spots, on tree trunks, sheds or walls, well before the nesting season begins.
Remove debris from shed and greenhouse guttering, so winter rain can fill up your water butts.
Jobs for February
As the days are now getting longer, you can start preparing for the bird nesting season beginning. There are several things that can be done to best welcome our feathery friends next month.
For birds:
- Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers if they have outgrown their space before birds start nesting.
- As always, there is never a bad time to put bird boxes up in sheltered spots, on tree trunks, sheds or walls.
- Make fat-ball feeders and hang them among shrubs and roses to attract blue tits, which will also forage for overwintering pests.
- If it does snow, clear a patch to allow birds to hunt for insects in the lawn.
Other tasks:
- For those with stands of hazel, February is a great time to coppice, cutting to the base, to encourage a flush of new stems that you can use for plant supports in a few years.
- If in January you were lucky enough to have a flourish of snowdrops, divide large clumps of them after flowering and replant to start new colonies.
Jobs for March
As the seasons change, the temperatures rise and there open opportunities to get your little wild space ready before the buzz of spring begins. March is also the time that birds begin breeding, so there are a couple of tips to ensure that you help out as best you can.
Water is relatively scarce in our urban environments – and wildlife need it! So dig out a new pond, or install a water feature, to attract more wildlife. But remember, do not stock it with any fish as they disrupt the ecosystem. Let nature decide who lives there. A good read about urban ponds is here.
Some more things for March:
- Home composting is the most environmentally friendly way of dealing with kitchen and garden waste, plus it produces compost that can be used as an excellent soil improver. Therefore, build or buy a new compost bin, ready to recycle the coming season's garden waste. The RHS has a good "how to" page for those wishing to try composting.
- Last chance to prune any roses that are in the garden, so get this in early in March if needed.
- Keep putting out food for garden birds, as the breeding season gets under way.
- Place insect hotels or bundles of hollow stems in sheltered corners, where insects can lay their eggs.
Jobs for April
Spring is upon us, and bird nesting season is now well under way. There is a huge amount that you can do in your wilder garden, but please don't worry about it being too tidy (messy can be good). Here is a list of some of our main tasks:
- Check that guttering on sheds and greenhouses is clear of debris, so that April showers will fill up water butts.
- If you are looking for an activity with the kids, sow strawberries or sunflowers in a sunny, open site, then water regularly and protect seedlings from slugs and snails.
- Help establish your new wildflower meadows. If they are in Year 1 (sown in the last few months) they can have a spring cut - this is useful for meadows where grass growth is very lush. Just cut back to 7.5cm high and remove the clippings. (If the grass is dominant, we recommend buying some yellow rattle to sow in August).
Jobs for May
In May, many plants and trees will be coming into bud, hopefully bringing some much-needed pollen and nectar sources to the bumbling bees that are now around. The weather is now warming, so it's the perfect time to get outside and look after your wilder space. Some actions for the month:
- Cut back spring shrubs such as flowering currant if you are sure that nothing is nesting in them. This will ensure that they produce plenty of flowers for nectar and pollen next spring.
- Go easy on the wildlife pond - frogs, toads, and newts will be arriving, and some will be laying eggs. Trying to reduce disturbance near the pond will help these populations succeed.
- Hedgehogs are courting and mating this month – activities that may happen in your garden if you are lucky. Make sure your garden is hedgehog-friendly by removing hazards such as loose netting, and ensure that your pond has at least one area that slopes gently to the water, allowing easy access. Slug pellets should be avoided at all costs – instead encourage hedgehogs, thrushes, shrews and ground beetles, all of which consume slugs.
- A spell of wet, windy weather or a late frost at the beginning of the month can spell disaster for young birds in the nest. Natural insect food may be reduced or nests may be swamped by rain. Make sure you continue to put out food for the birds in hanging feeders now. Mammals such as wood mice, bank voles, hedgehogs, and even foxes will benefit from the leftovers on the ground.
- Leave clumps of nettles to provide food and habitat for many butterfly species. Small tortoiseshell, red admiral, and peacock butterflies all lay their eggs on nettles and so the caterpillars eat the leaves. The best place to leave nettles is in direct sunlight (as butterflies prefer this).
Jobs for June
June is a month of hot temperatures. This is when amphibians leave the ponds, butterflies emerge from the cocoon and hedgehogs are becoming active searching for food. Therefore some actions that should be continued during the hotter months:
- Keep bird baths topped up with water - and ensure they are away from cats (above ground / hanging in trees).
- Keep out trays of water on ground level for hedgehogs (but ensure there is no drowning risk, so add a hedgehog ladder to your pond).
- Put out log piles for amphibians to hide in damp/cool areas.
- Let your roses and shrubs fruit by not dead-heading them - they provide valuable food for passing birds.
- Don't mow the lawn. The longer you leave the lawn, the more flowers come through. Remember that a "weed" is just a plant that is in the wrong place. Daisies, dandelions and clover all are gorgeous if you leave them for the bees and butterflies. If you do mow, always remove the clippings and compost them!
- In dry summers, house martins – which make their nests using mud – struggle to build and repair their nests. By leaving out a dish of mud (simply soil with added water), you can give them a helping hand. Keep the dish topped up with a fresh supply of mud for several weeks over summer, or until it rains.
Jobs for July
Similarly to June, July is a time where much life is moving to new stages.
- Be careful for young birds and amphibians in your garden (especially be careful with the mower).
- The wilder gardener can cut their lawn in stages: cut half now and then the other half in a month’s time. Leave seedheads where they fall for a few days to let the seeds scatter into the soil, then gather up the clippings for compost. Then mow the meadow with a lawnmower to make it short and even. Remove all the mowings to avoid enriching the soil – most wildflowers grow best in low-nutrient conditions.
- Seen any hedgehogs? Report all hedgehogs (dead or alive!) to this national initiative.
- Prepare for the planting season by buying some pollinator-friendly seeds. Sow wildlife-friendly biennial plants, such as honesty, teasels and foxgloves, that will flower next year.
- As for June, keep bird baths topped up with water, and make sure they are well above the ground and away from cats; and keep water at ground level for hedgehogs.
