Nothing in Basket!
August often feels like the peak of the gardening year. Your flowers are likely at their most vibrant, and it's the perfect time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour. As summer gently transitions, there are still some wonderful opportunities to support local wildlife in your garden. This month, we'll focus on a few key tasks, including helping out our feathered friends like house martins before their incredible journey south.
Many of us are used to deadheading plants to encourage more blooms, but did you know that leaving some to form seed heads can provide a vital food source for birds as winter approaches?
Below are some practical wildlife gardening jobs you can focus on this August.
One of the most impactful things you can do for wildlife and the environment is to increase the variety of plants in your garden. Consider adding a new plant this month that you don't currently have. A diverse range of plants provides different food sources, habitats, and shelter, benefiting a wider array of creatures.
While deadheading spent flowers does encourage more blooms for pollinators, it also prevents the plant from producing seeds. These seeds are a crucial food source for birds and small mammals throughout autumn and winter. A good approach is to adopt a 50/50 balance: deadhead some flowers for continuous blooms and leave others to go to seed.
Plants with particularly beneficial seed heads include teasels, lavender, verbena bonariensis, cornflowers, dog rose, violas, and pansies, among many others. Experiment to discover which seed heads your local wildlife enjoys most!
House martins may still be raising their second or even third broods in August and will need to repair their nests. You might spot them, along with blackbirds, gathering wet mud from the edges of ponds.
If you don't have a pond or a naturally muddy area, you can easily create one. Simply place some mud in a shallow container and keep it consistently watered. While this won't attract house martins if they're not already in your vicinity, blackbirds and other nest-building birds will certainly make use of it.
Allow your roses to form their distinctive hips by ceasing deadheading. These vibrant red seed pods will provide a valuable food source for birds and small mammals throughout the autumn and winter, adding a welcome splash of colour to your garden after the leaves have fallen.
Before you reach for the trimmers, take a moment to check your hedges for nests. Blackbirds and thrushes may still be raising their young. If you discover a nest, observe it for activity, or ideally, postpone cutting for a few more weeks to ensure the young have fledged.
Please continue to leave out dishes of water and meat-based cat food (chicken-flavoured is often a good choice) for hedgehogs. Young hoglets especially need to gain weight and energy before they go into hibernation later in the autumn.
A Chiff Chaff visiting our garden - photo provided by David Radisic photography
Variety truly is the cornerstone of supporting nature and wildlife in our garden. To get started, consider these key elements:
From there, aim to add a wide variety of plants and flowers of differing heights, including ground-covering plants.
Whether they are wild, cultivated, native, or non-native, most plants contribute positively. The most effective approach for the environment is to select the right plant for the right location. This means choosing plants suited to your existing soil and climate, reducing the need for constant watering or soil amendments.
Consider incorporating wildflowers into your garden. Many wildflower species are endangered, and by adding them and collecting seeds to re-sow, you directly contribute to their preservation for future generations.
Finally, improving your garden for wildlife doesn't mean it has to look untidy. Don't feel pressured if you prefer a short lawn or neat edges. Even small changes can make a significant difference for nature.
Nothing in Basket!