There are plenty of jobs to do in the garden as autumn takes hold but one simple hack could help wildlife survive the colder months, according to TV star and gardening expert Monty Don
As the days grow shorter, the temperatures drop and the flowering blooms have all but gone, gardeners will be busy clearing the excess of summer’s abundant growth and preparing plants and shrubs for the long winter ahead.
One annual side effect of the change in season is the leaves turning from green into all shades of orange, yellow and red hues and falling from the trees.
While it is tempting to get a broom or leaf blower out to tidy up your outside spaces, celebrity horticulturist Monty Don has a brilliant trick that makes use of your unwanted garden rubbish and helps your local wildlife in the process.
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On his tips and advice blog, Monty shares a breakdown of what jobs need doing month by month throughout the year. In an entry for October he suggests a hack that will not only help your garden look neater but gives back to nature too. He suggests collecting the fallen leaves to provide a cosy sanctuary for wildlife such as frogs to seek cover in as the weather gets colder and they become less active.
“Leave drifts and piles of leaves under hedges and trees to provide over-wintering cover for hedgehogs, frogs, small mammals and insects, along with stacks of logs and piles of prunings – all of which gives essential winter protection for these small creatures that contribute so much to the garden’s health,” he writes.
He also says if you don’t have anywhere to store the leaves, you could make a bay out of some posts and chicken wire which will provide a suitable space. It’s best to sort this out at the beginning of the month so you are fully prepared.
While the common frog isn’t critically endangered in the UK and they are still prevalent, their numbers have declined in recent years, according to WoodlandTrust.org. This is due to factors such as habitat loss with ponds being lost to human building developments, pollution, disease and getting killed on roads as they travel to breeding grounds.
During autumn, frogs and other amphibians such as newts enter gardens to find secluded places to spend the colder days and nights. Most will move a fair distance from their breeding ponds in the search for a suitable place so don’t be surprised if you see them in your garden even if there’s no water nearby.
As well as providing the perfect winter hideaway for wildlife, Monty reveals leaves are incredibly valuable for the garden’s health. “Every fallen leaf is potential leafmould and leafmould, which unlike compost, takes no turning, mixing or knowledge to make, is garden gold,” he explains.
Because of this he says he’s “obsessive” about making leafmould which he does by gathering as many fallen leaves as possible. He then mows them to chop them up and piles them in a big open heap. “They can break down into a lovely rich, crumbly texture and become an essential component of our home-made potting compost,” he adds.