Why winter matters for garden wildlife

Once the last leaves come down and the first hard frosts arrive, it is tempting to put the tools away until spring. Yet the quiet months are some of the most useful of the year for wildlife. Hedgehogs are choosing somewhere to hibernate, ladybirds are tucking into cracks and crevices, frogs are settling into the mud at the bottom of the pond, and the birds that stay with us are burning through fat reserves just to keep warm overnight.

The decisions we make between November and March — what we cut back, what we tidy, where we put the fork in — can tip the balance for a surprising number of creatures. None of it is difficult, and much of it saves work and money.

Give nest boxes a winter check

Nest boxes are not just for spring. On cold nights, blue tits, great tits and even wrens cram into a box for warmth, sometimes several birds huddled together. That makes cleaning important, but so does timing: do the job in mild, dry weather, never in a hard frost or a long cold snap.

• Tap the box gently before opening it and listen, so you do not disturb a roosting bird.
• Wearing gloves, clear out old nest material and any unhatched eggs.
• Scrub the inside with hot water — boiling water on a cloth is ideal. Avoid detergents and never use insecticides, as residues harm chicks later.
• Let the box dry thoroughly before closing it, and check that fixings are secure and the roof is watertight.

If your box faces south and bakes in summer, consider turning it north or north-east. A small handful of dry hay or clean shavings inside will help roosting birds through the coldest nights.

Leave the seed heads standing

An untidy border is a well-stocked larder. Goldfinches will strip teasel and knapweed, bullfinches work over astilbe and sedum, and siskins and redpolls will take birch and alder seed. Ornamental grasses left standing offer shelter and seed, and hollow stems from last year's perennials are exactly what solitary bees and ladybirds need to overwinter safely.

So hold back on the secateurs. Leave stems standing until late March or April, then cut them back to about 30cm and stack the pieces in a quiet corner rather than bagging them for the tip. Ivy is worth protecting too: its late flowers feed insects in autumn and its berries are among the best winter food for thrushes and blackbirds. Windfall apples left under the tree will be picked off by redwings and fieldfares.

Tread carefully around hibernating creatures

Winter is the season when a careless fork can do real damage. Hedgehogs hibernate in leaf piles, log stacks, compost heaps and under sheds and decking. Frogs, toads and newts overwinter in pond mud and damp leaf litter. Bats use roof spaces, wall cavities and old trees, while butterflies and ladybirds shelter in shed cracks, loose bark and stacks of pots.

• Check any bonfire by rebuilding it on the day you light it — a heap left standing for days is a hedgehog magnet.
• Leave the compost heap alone until spring, or fork only the top layer, away from the warm core where animals may be sleeping.
• Do not clear leaf piles or log stacks that are already in place; add to them instead.
• Leave pond margins and dead stems around the edge untouched.

Feed and water through the cold snaps

Food matters most when the ground is frozen and daylight is short. Offer high-fat food: suet balls and blocks, sunflower hearts, peanuts in mesh feeders, nyjer for finches and a few mealworms for robins and wrens. Site feeders with cover nearby but a clear view, so birds can spot cats.

Cleanliness is not optional. Wash feeders and bird tables every couple of weeks with hot soapy water, rinse well and let them dry before refilling. Rotate feeding positions and keep the ground beneath clear of old husks, which can carry disease.

Water is just as important and much easier to overlook. A shallow dish refreshed daily will be used by birds, and a pond kept partly ice-free saves fish and hibernating amphibians. Never break the ice with a hammer — the shock carries through the water. Float a small ball in the pond instead, or stand a pan of hot water on the surface until it melts a hole.

Build shelter and look ahead to spring

Winter is the perfect time for the structural jobs that create habitat. Start a log pile in a shady corner, logs left whole and stacked loosely on damp ground. Make a leaf pile and leave it undisturbed until May. Add a brash pile of prunings behind a hedge, and leave an area of rough grass unmown through to spring.

It is also bare-root planting season. Native hedging such as hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, guelder rose and field maple planted now will settle in before growth starts, giving flowers, berries, shelter and nesting cover for decades. Mulch around new plants with leafmould or compost, but do not dig the soil over: undisturbed ground protects the insects, worms and fungi beneath it.

Keep a note of what worked, too. A few lines about which border fed the most birds or where the frogs spawned will make next winter's gardening easier — and the garden richer.