Hedgehog © Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
Wildlife gardening in November
Yellow rattle by Neil Wyatt
Community Wildlife Officer Barbara Polonara shares some ideas about what to do in your garden for wildlife this month.
Check your bonfire
It’s bonfire time! Hedgehogs and other small creatures love the cosiness an unlit bonfire can offer and will readily seek shelter in piles of sticks, leaves, and shrubs, or even in discarded bags of rubbish.
However, bonfires can cause horrific deaths and injuries. Always try to build bonfires on the same day you light them or at least check thoroughly first - hedgehogs will not run off if disturbed, as their instinctive defensive mechanism is to curl up and wait.
Yellow rattle by Neil Wyatt
Rattle it!
Yellow-rattle is a perfect addition to any wildflower meadow - it will grow deep roots which keep grass at bay and favour the development of beautiful flowers. Yellow rattle seeds need cold weather to be able to germinate properly the following year. Sow now to maximise growth success!
How to grow a wild patch or mini meadow
Propagate deciduous shrubs such as dogwood and willow from hardwood cuttings over the next few weeks. Take 23cm-long cuttings and insert two thirds into a gritty compost in the open garden.
Flower power: Grow a miniature meadow (https://youtu.be/2VWdJTJKvIE)
Flower power: Grow a miniature meadow
Hedgehogs often hide under piles of leaves in autumn and winter
Leaf it be
Fallen leaves are a fantastic medium which will provide shelter and hibernation opportunities for lots of insect and mammals. Try to leave a patch of dead leaves in a corner of the garden to provide shelter to a whole host of creatures through the autumn and winter.