My garden has plenty of wildlife in it but I want to do everything I can to turn it into a haven. Having had tree surgeons — I wrote about this recently — open up some areas, I can now see the wood for the trees, literally.
With lots more space to play with I’m putting in plenty of plants for pollinators — ones with open flowers are particularly good, such as achilleas, alliums, perovskia and agapanthus — as well as ones that berry, but I also want to create habitats so that creatures not only visit but also find a nice spot to stay. I spotted a hedgehog in our garden the other day. I’m not sure where it lives — they do cover an impressive distance at night — but would love it, or one of its offspring, to take up residency.
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My granddaughter is coming to stay soon so it will be fun doing some wildlife projects with her. Such activities are great for kids: they are educational, providing them with the chance to engage with and respect nature. We can make bug hotels and a hedgehog house or two, and she can watch me putting up some bird and bat boxes.
In small urban gardens such habitats are extremely important for nature, so here are some suggestions for how we can all play our part this autumn. Wildlife corridors are vital too so if you can team up with your neighbours and connect your gardens together in simple ways (holes in boundaries, good tree cover between them) it will be hugely beneficial to wildlife.
Hedgehog house
A hedgehog house should be concealed with twigs and branches
ROBERT MABIC/GAP PHOTOS
Although you can buy them ready to go, it’s easy to make a hedgehog house from scratch or adapt a wooden crate or box. I recommend making something basic using bits you might have in the garden. Place old bricks as walls for the sides, leave a gap at the front for an entrance tunnel and set a piece of stone or some plywood over the top. The entrance should extend a little and be about 13cm x 13cm so a hedgehog can get in but predators can’t.
Ensure that it’s sturdy and dry and that the lid can be removed for cleaning — leave the roof unfixed or use hinges. If you feel like you want to coat it in a preservative to make it more waterproof, only treat the outside of the box. Do not treat wood with non-water-based preservatives. You could cover the hedgehog home with a polythene sheet to keep it extra dry, then pile soil and leaves over the top to help conceal it better.
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Put some dry grass or straw inside and leave extra dry straw and leaves just outside the structure for ease of access by a hedgehog to use as it sees fit. Place it in a quiet spot, preferably against a bank, wall or fence, and face the entrance away from cold north or northeasterly winds.
Clean the structure in late March or early April after winter use — but not if a hedgehog is still living in there. How do you know? Put something light and small in the entrance, such as a small piece of cork. If the cork is moved overnight, bingo: it probably means a hedgehog has checked in. Wait for it to vacate then take the lid off and clean the structure using hot water and a scrubbing brush. Let it dry fully before adding more straw or dry grass and replacing the lid.
Bat house
Bat boxes should be mounted a minimum of 10ft from the ground
ALAMY
Bats usually roost in tree holes, tunnels and buildings but are struggling because of the change in our landscape and building practices. This is the perfect time of year to install a bat house. You can make them (there are various designs out there including a cutting list ) or buy them ready to go. Bats like an insulated space — I even saw one you can buy with a built-in heater —and it’s imperative that the timber is untreated as bats are very sensitive to chemicals.
Site it a minimum of ten feet from the ground — the higher, the better — on the trunk of a tree or under the eaves of the house in an easily accessible spot and away from artificial light. A sunny southerly or westerly aspect that is protected from winds and draughts (bats hate a draught) is ideal.
Bug hotel
Bamboo canes cut into short sections are perfect for a bug box
GARY SMITH/GAP PHOTOS
A simple way to make your garden more appealing to invertebrates (insects and bugs) is to construct a bug box, house or hotel. You can make them out of anything you can get your hands on, and incorporate nooks and crannies. I’ve seen fancy five-star bug accommodation made of old pallets that have been cut in half and stacked on top of each other to about four feet high. Each section is then packed with reclaimed materials: old grass and straw, old cracked bricks, twigs, bamboo canes, bits of stone, old tiles, decaying wood and the like. They look wonderful. On the top place a bowl of water and food for the birds.
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Small holes make ideal hibernating homes for ladybirds and lacewings, so lengths of bamboo canes cut into short sections, with the hollow section exposed, are perfect. For a small and simple bug hotel, set them into an old wooden box and turn on its side for easy insect access.
The placement is important. Find a warm, sunny, sheltered position, out of prevailing winds and close to vegetation. If aphids are a problem on a particular plant, such as roses, then pop your bug house nearby and you’ll notice the difference as the insects get to grips with them.
Log pile
A log pile will attract beetle larvae as it decays
MARIANNE MAJERUS
I have plenty of timber from the tree surgeons’ visit but if you’ve cut something in your garden (or happen to know a tree surgeon), use the logs and twigs to create a habitat. Decaying wood will bring in beetle larvae that feed on the dead wood. Log stacks can be placed and piled up straight on the ground or held in at each end within a simple framework. Try using wooden stakes for a more sculptural look, like an Andy Goldsworthy installation. They’ll break down and rot over time, of course, which may determine where you want to put them. I recommend in among vegetation and on soil, rather than a hard surface.
Bird box
Bird boxes should be placed about 3m off the ground
MARIANNE MAJERUS
Like bats, birds can struggle for natural holes to nest in, and many trees are managed so they don’t have cracks or get to the age where they get gnarled and craggy. Different birds go for specific-sized boxes and entrance holes (so they can squeeze in), which makes them safe from predators and protects them from inclement weather. Think about which birds you want to attract: small ones such as sparrows and robins or larger ones such as owls and kestrels. Some people regard starlings as a pest but they’re struggling and will often move into a bird box.
Bird boxes are fairly easy to make if you’re handy at DIY. Alternatively there are loads of products out there that you can buy. The RSPB has a large range of bird boxes which I love. Some even have built-in webcams so you can see what’s going on. I’m tempted.
In general, place bird boxes about three metres off the ground. Just be careful installing them, especially swift boxes high up under the eaves. Site them in shade, facing away from the prevailing wind and rain (generally facing northerly, easterly or southeasterly) and with easy access for flight in and out and away from predators. Siting them on a blank wall at three metres may not look that appealing but it is usually a safe spot.
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