Nature’s Larder

As the days shorten and temperatures drop, wildlife across Kent – and the wider UK – is busy preparing for the colder months ahead. From hedgehogs and dormice to thrushes, robins, amphibians, and late-flying insects, all are seeking food and shelter to build up vital reserves. The good news is that our gardens can play a big role in supporting them.

Here are a few simple steps you can take this autumn:

1. Delay cutting back hedgerows and ivy
Hedgerows heavy with berries and ivy flowers buzzing with insects are nature’s late-season larder. By leaving them intact, you’ll provide a valuable source of nectar, berries and cover when other food is scarce.

2. Keep seed heads standing
Resist the urge to tidy borders too soon. Plants like teasel, sunflowers and grasses hold seed heads that feed finches and sparrows through autumn and into winter. They also provide perching spots and shelter for insects.

3. Leave windfall fruit in orchards
Those fallen apples, pears and plums may look messy, but they are a feast for blackbirds, redwings and even small mammals. A few piles left under trees can make all the difference for wildlife fattening up for winter.

4. Create cosy corners
Piles of leaves, logs or sticks in a quiet spot can give hedgehogs, amphibians and insects the shelter they need as temperatures drop. Think of it as a natural ‘hotel’ for hibernators.

5. Go gently on garden tidy-ups
A less manicured garden is often a richer one for wildlife. Delay big clear-ups until spring and you’ll be helping many species survive the hardest months.

By making these small changes, you’ll be giving nature a hand at a time when it needs it most – and you may even be rewarded with more birds and wildlife to enjoy watching in your garden this winter.