AUTUMN STUFF

Pineapple in autumn, a member of the bromlead family.

It is the start of winter when rural birds move into gardens in greater numbers. Some birds will arrive from the continent looking for our warmer winters and are hopefully free from the bird flu! Natural foods are still available in the form of cotoneaster, pyracantha, berberis and holly but food demands are certain to rise if more birds find a wildlife garden. If you have the shells left over from a coconut you can make a simple feeder for the birds in your garden. Tie a string through the half shell so it can hang on a branch. Smear peanut butter into the inside, this will act as a glue for the nuts to be stuck onto. The birds can feed without having to throw everything onto the floor. We have a prototype that we made in our garden and as yet it seems to be doing all right. The compost heap will be reaching its largest size and may become home to frogs and shrews. Try not to disturb the heap until spring to give the creature a bit of peace throughout the winter. In fact a lot of the cleaning and tidying in the garden can be left until spring as we look for ways to help our wild visitors through the winter ahead. Fallen leaves and dying plants can provide vital warmth; food and protective cover for many creatures and newly forming perennial plants. The main exception is if the leaves in your garden are settling on a path and make it slippery, these are best cleaned up. Of course there are still plenty of other things to do in the garden at this time of year even if you don’t want to tidy up.



Horticultural.