Keeping wildlife in mind as we prepare for spring in our gardens

As the winter starts to come to an end and with the prospect of much longer and warmer days ahead, many of us will be thinking about getting out into our gardens to tidy them up and prepare them for the full spring. But as the time of year is also one where nature really comes to life, it’s important to think about the type of work we do and the decisions we make, to ensure that our garden wildlife is allowed to prosper.

For those who have chosen a full-on wildlife garden, this time of year sees their own mini nature burst into life – and these people will need little or no advice from us. But for the majority of people with gardens, their outdoor space is typically one of mixed use for everything from a children’s play area to a relaxing entertainment space. So it’s these folk that we have in mind here, as every garden – and regardless of its main use – can have at least some value to wildlife.

Dandelions are one of the first wildflowers to bloom, and therefore are hugely important to pollinating insects and in particular bees. Then once the flowers go to seed, Bullfinches and Goldfinches will eat the seeds from the Dandelion clocks. Of course Dandelions are often referred to as a weed, but it’s important to understand that a weed is simply any wild plant in a place where it isn’t wanted. So instead think of Dandelions as a wildflower, and whilst you probably wouldn’t want them covering your whole garden, allowing at least some to flower and seed is a very positive step.

March and into April sees birds such as Robins, Blackbirds, Song thrushes and Dunnocks nesting in hedges and dense shrubs in our gardens, so please don’t disturb them by cutting new and old growth back. In fact it’s always best to wait until mid-August when the breeding season is over.

A trip to the local garden centre is a must for many of us at this time of year to buy new plants or just seeds if we’re growing our own. The colour of flowers, height of the plant, whether it likes sun or shade will all be considerations, but please also consider if the flowers are nectar-rich and therefore attractive to bees. For example, Cornflowers are great for bees, whereas Pansies are not.

If you feed the birds in your garden, now is the time to add live mealworms to the variety of foods you put out, as adults will not only eat them but feed them to the young in their nests. Yes, they wriggle a bit and that does take some getting over for some people! However the benefits are huge because live mealworms can really increase the breeding success of so many species of bird, including the much-loved Robin. If you haven’t fed live mealworms before and would like more info, then have a read here.