While we often focus on planting bulbs or clearing fallen leaves in the autumn it’s also a critical time to care for the wildlife that calls your garden a home.

We have everything you need you to keep the wildlife in your garden fed and sheltered this autumn, we have a wide range of nest boxes, hedgehog shelters, insect houses and food for all types of wildlife in the garden including birds, hedgehogs and insects.

Leave Some Leaves

Leaving some leaves in garden beds or under hedges can be incredibly beneficial for wildlife, a thick layer of leaves provides shelter for small mammals, insects, and amphibians. Hedgehogs, for example, often make nests in leaf piles to hibernate through the colder months.

Consider leaving an area of your garden a little “wild” with leaves and twigs, this can become a natural shelter and home for various creatures during the autumn and winter.

Feed the Birds

As natural food sources begin to dwindle in autumn, birds will increasingly rely on garden feeders, so keep birdfeeders stocked up with seed mixes or suet balls to give them the energy they need to survive the cooler months ahead. Don’t forget to ensure bird feeders are cleaned regularly to prevent disease.

Consider offering water in a shallow dish or a birdbath to help birds stay hydrated and clean.

Put Up Nesting Boxes

Autumn may not be nesting season, but it’s the perfect time to install bird boxes in preparation for spring, putting up birdboxes now will give the birds time to familiarise themselves with the new shelter and take shelter from the rain, snow, and wind.

Install a Hedgehog House

Hedgehogs are one of the UK’s most beloved garden creatures, but they face threats from habitat loss and lack of food, to encourage hedgehogs into your garden you can leave out food such as meaty cat food or we stock specially formulated hedgehog food to help them build up fat reserves for hibernation.

We have a good range of hedgehog houses that will provide these nocturnal visitors with a safe space to hibernate over winter, place the house in a quiet, sheltered spot in your garden, and make sure it’s insulated with leaves or straw.

Check Bonfire Piles

If you’re planning an autumn bonfire, remember to check the pile for any wildlife before lighting it, piles of leaves, wood, and debris can attract animals like hedgehogs looking for shelter. If you can, build your bonfire on the day of lighting to prevent any creatures from making a home in the pile.

Plant Autumn-Flowering Plants

Many insects, especially pollinators like bees and butterflies are still active in the autumn, to support these essential garden visitors, we recommend planting late-flowering species such as sedum, rudbeckia, aster, or heathers. These plants will provide nectar-rich flowers that pollinators can feed on before the colder weather sets in, herb gardens also offer a good food source, so if you have lavender, thyme, or rosemary, let them flower fully before trimming them back.

Compost

Composting is a great way to reduce garden waste, but it can also become a haven for wildlife, a well-managed compost pile can attract worms, beetles, and other beneficial critters that help break down organic material. As the weather cools, the compost heap can also become a warm shelter for creatures like hedgehogs or slow worms. To avoid attracting any unwanted guests in the garden don’t add things like dairy or meat products to the compost.

By taking these small steps this autumn, your garden can become a sanctuary for local wildlife during the colder months, not only will you be helping them survive, you’ll also be ensuring a healthy, balanced ecosystem that will benefit your garden in the long run.

Visit Root One for all your wildlife gardening needs, from bird feeders to nesting boxes and hedgehog homes.

Autumn Wildlife Care in the Garden