Anyone who keeps nesting boxes has been urged to complete five crucial tasks (stock) (Image: Getty)
Anyone who keeps nesting boxes in their garden has been urged to complete five crucial tasks to help garden birds this weekend. In a comprehensive round-up of gardening tasks to complete this month, the team at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine compiled various handy sections on everything from “around the garden” to “fruit & veg”.
In the wildlife section, among the team’s 50 overall tips was advice on tidying your pond, wildlife-friendly annuals, and ensuring your nest boxes “are all in good nick now”. Indeed, the horticultural experts pointed out that some birds start their hunt for nesting sites in January, but noted that the “peak time” is mid-February, which, of course, includes Valentine’s Day today.
Beneath the title “check your nest boxes”, it read: “Some garden birds start looking for nesting sites as early as January, but the peak time is mid-February – around Valentine’s Day.”
READ MORE: The three things every gardener needs to attract birds this winter
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The experts pointed out that some birds start their hunt for nesting sites in January (stock) (Image: Getty)
It continued: “So make sure your bird boxes are all in good nick now: take them down, empty out the old nest material, then rinse with boiling water and leave to dry. Ensure there is no damage, rot or splinters, then fix the boxes securely back in place.
“If a box is rotten or damaged, consider replacing with a woodcrete box, which will last longer and provide better protection from predator attacks.”
In related news, as we slowly emerge out of winter and start looking forward to some lighter evenings, Gardeners’ World icon Monty Don has shared a list of other gardening jobs for you to complete in February.
In a blog post, Monty said: “February is the month when the garden really starts to come alive and grow even if the weather can be severe and the days are still short. In February something is definitely happening. There is a thrill in the air.”
First up was pruning; certain varieties of flowers should be pruned in late winter, with roses reportedly a gardener’s biggest priority at present, but clematis and buddleias should also be pruned this month.
People have been urged to ensure their nest boxes “are all in good nick now” (stock) (Image: Getty)
Secondly, you can start to sow your tomatoes inside a warm greenhouse or shed, but you can tackle other hardier vegetables, too, including chillies, rocket, and broad beans, and potatoes can also be chitted.
Sepaking about the third job, mulching, Monty said: “This will do three important jobs simultaneously. The first is to suppress any annual weeds and weaken any perennial ones.
“The second is to reduce evaporation and therefore keep in moisture and the third is that it will be incorporated into the soil by worms and improve the structure and nutrition.”
In fourth was feeding birds, with Monty noting that the “better nourished the parent birds are”, the “larger and healthier the offspring”.
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