In my September and October articles, I talked about the bees getting ready for winter and preparing for spring activity. This month, my focus is how we can help pollinators survive the winter.
The key is autumn garden management: how much to cut, clear and rake. There are many things we can do, and these changes also benefit other wildlife that need a safe, undisturbed place for their winter dormancy.
A slightly messy garden with nooks and crannies is ideal. By all means keep a tidy, clear lawn, but leave some hidden corners for leaves and garden cuttings. Four simple things make a big difference:
Leave seed heads standing. They feed goldfinches, tits and other birds until spring. Cut the stalks back in early spring rather than now.
Keep a small brush pile. Loose piles of twigs and branches in a quiet corner, away from the house, shelter toads, small mammals and birds all winter.
Don't rake away all the leaves. Leaves hide overwintering moths, butterflies, beetles, caterpillars and queen bumblebees. Move them onto your borders instead of bagging them up.
Leave some bare soil. Many of our solitary bees nest in the ground, and mulching every inch of soil can block them. Leave a few patches uncovered.
Leave it a little messy, and you'll be feeding and sheltering the whole garden.
