Well Autumn is definitely here! Blustery days are bringing fallen Sycamore leaves in through our front door whenever it is opened. Mushrooms are popping up all over the place. Spiders are creeping inside. And starling murmurations are becoming a more common sight.
Acorns abound in Autumn!
But even as I look out to the back garden, bees, wasps and hoverflies are dodging the raindrops, looking to find food. Your garden still has a lot to offer! So what can we be doing this month to help our garden visitors (and wildlife in general)?
Plant a tree! Now is the time to plant a bare root or container grown tree- before the ground is potentially frozen, but coming up to the dormant period, when trees don’t have to expend lots of energy in their new position making leaves and fruit. They can focus on growing roots and stabilising themselves. Native trees like hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and holly grow well in the area and can be planted as a hedge against the prevailing winds which will help the rest of the garden cope with the coastal weather. They also all offer Autumn fruit and nuts for birds and small mammals.
You could even plant an acorn! Acorns (the nut of an oak) and Beech nuts will be dropping on the floors of wooded areas. I like to collect and bury a few in a well lit area close to where I find them. Sometimes nuts don’t make it to the preferable location- where light is penetrating the canopy- so there’s no problem with helping them along. You could even take some home to grow into saplings- growing a native tree is always a huge benefit to wildlife. If you don’t have the space to plant these on your property (they can grow very large!), you can donate the young tree to Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Always ensure there are plenty of nuts on the floor for woodland wildlife to collect for their winter larder.
Mushrooms season!
Hedgehogs: These marvellous little creatures are fattening up for winter which means they will be looking for food in your messy leaf piles and compost. Try not to disturb these areas and always move a bonfire pile just before you light it so any hedgehogs who are hiding in there will be seen and moved along! Hoglets can still be around- keep an eye out for ill or abandoned baby hedgehogs. More information can be found through Prickles and Paws.
Reptiles and amphibians will be preparing for hibernation. They will likely find piles of wood and leaves an ideal place to winter so try not to move them. Holes in the undergrowth or under buildings will be sought after too. You could make your hibernating visitors a ‘hibernaculum’ (an underground refuge accessed by pieces of pipe), or even just leave a few upturned terracotta pots in a corner. I would do that asap, before they’ve all found their nesting sites.
Bats will be looking for roosting sites where they will spend winter in hibernation. They will also be mating! You can help out our bat populations by installing a bat box so they have an extra roost site, and don’t turn on any artificial lighting in your garden. Bats like it dark- lights affect their behaviour and can deter them from gardens all together.
Bees are still finding their way to nectar in the Autumn months- make sure you have a few Autumn flowering plants around!
As always- remember that access, food, water and shelter are needed for wildlife all year round.
Don’t let the elements deter you from enjoying your garden space and welcoming visitors. It can really be a sanctuary for you and them throughout the changing seasons.