As winter approaches most gardeners are conscious of the fact that they should make some provision, in terms of food or shelter, for the wildlife that lives in their garden or visits it through the coldest months of the year. Feeding the birds is one of the most positive things we can all do, but there are many ways we can help some of our other garden wildlife to survive the winter cold.
The idea that several species of our prettiest butterflies sit out freezing cold winter weather by tucking themselves away behind thick ivy on a wall or in a sheltered pile of logs in the garden may seem extraordinary, but Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma and Brimstone all do exactly that. Given the opportunity they will sneak into your garden shed or spare bedroom, but generally they have to make use of what nature has provided for them in terms of shelter at this time of year. Assuming they survive the frost and snow, they come back to life as soon as the weather warms up and spend the spring months feeding on early flowers, especially dandelions, before mating and laying their eggs. But of course butterflies are not the only creatures that have to find a way to survive the winter. Frogs, toads and newts, plus beetles, lacewings, ladybirds and many other invertebrates will all use the shelter of a log pile.
So how do we create the perfect winter habitat for these creatures plus provide a habitat for a great deal of wildlife all year round? Firstly we need our logs of course. These should be in poor condition if possible. A log pile created from sturdy, dry, new wood will not be a great wildlife habitat until the logs have decayed a little, so if you can find pieces of wood or branches that have come from trees that were felled a while ago, you will be off to a good start. Find a shady, damp spot to create your pile and begin by digging a hole. If some of the wood is buried, you will be making a home for a far bigger range of wildlife. The larvae of many beetles and other invertebrates feed on damp, decaying wood below soil level which means you could be providing a food source as well as winter shelter for all sorts of creatures including hedgehogs and birds.
Add damp logs as and when you find them but try not to disturb your habitat in the process. You will soon find fungi and mosses colonising the dead wood and a whole range of fascinating wildlife will take up residence, not just through the winter but all year round.
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