Temperatures in March can still fall below zero so March can be difficult time for garden wildlife. Here are a few tips to help the wildlife on your doorstep.
Feeding birds
Garden birds will have eaten all but the last of the berries in your garden and earthworms and insects may well be taking shelter, so it’s important to keep feeding the birds. Also, this is the time when they need to be strong for breeding so birds in particular really do need a helping hand.
Avoid peanuts when there are baby birds around as there is a chance they can choke on them and don’t forget to keep a shallow source of water for birds to drink and bathe in.
Hungry Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs will start to emerge in numbers from hibernation so if you have any in your garden, cat and dog food is an ideal meal for them. The jelly based foods are the best. Put the food out at night and discard any that’s left in the morning and, if you haven’t got any prickly visitors, you may well start to attract them.
Lawn Clippings
Now is the time, when we dust down our lawn mowers and start mowing again. Rather than composting your lawn clippings you can make a small heap in a dry corner of your garden and allow them to dry out. Dry grass clippings may provide a home for slow worms or you might even encourage a bumblebee colony to move in.
Planting
When starting to think of what to plant in your garden for the summer, try and find nectar and pollen-rich plants. These will provide excellent plants for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and moths.
Pond Life
Improve your pond health for breeding amphibians by adding brooklime and water forget-me-not. Newts may lay their eggs on these plants. Submerged plants such as hornwort and curled pond weed will oxygenate the water and provide shelter for tadpoles. Removing duckweed and blanket weed (algae) will help keep your pond nice and healthy.
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