If your garden has had a rough winter, give a little thought to our lovely British wildlife. There are many birds, butterflies, bees and other animals that will use your garden each year as a place to breed and hibernate during the various seasons, relying upon the food and habitat available in their natural surroundings.

The good old British winters are failing to provide the habitats and natural food sources that our garden critters and furry friends need to survive. Many frogs and toads are returning to dried out ponds after the harsh spring, caterpillars and aphids are being washed off plants, putting baby birds at risk and many swifts and swallows are going hungry due to the insects inability to breed during wet weather.

However, there are plenty of things you can do to look after the local wildlife and provide them with a happy and perfect place to hibernate, so here’s a little guide to helping some of our most threatened species survive the cold winter ahead.

Bats 

As bats eat midges and moths, put in a pond and grow nectar-rich plants that often attract insects in the evening. You can also become a bat carer, as there is a desperate shortage of bat breeds in the Midlands, London and many parts of Scotland and Wales. Visit www.bats.org.uk for more information.

Ladybirds

Ladybirds are perfectly adapted to deal with large amounts of rain, and their tough outer shell protects their legs during heavy downpours. Ladybirds are predominantly aphid eaters, although orange ladybirds often eat mildew, which flourishes during the winter. Be sure to leave aphids on your garden plants for the ladybirds to find, and allow nettles to grow as they offer the best way to attract aphid-eating ladybirds into your garden!

Tip: If you are finding ladybirds in your home, don’t be alarmed - they are there to hibernate and they won’t bother you! Buy a ladybird house from your local garden store and let them hibernate in style!

Garden birds

Wet and cold springs can really affect baby birds, and can pose a threat to their survival if there is too much rain and colder-than-usual temperatures. Song thrushes and blackbirds create open cut nests that are exposed to the elements, where as blue tits often craft enclosed and sheltered nests. To help your lovely garden birds, leave mealworms and halved apples on the ground, brush leaves under shrubs so birds can find beetles and insect larvae, and plant a few shrubs around your garden, such as hawthorn for berry growth. Birdhouses are also great ways to provide shelter for our winged friends.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs often breed in nests on the ground, and their main food source is slugs. However, flooded areas and those gardens affected by heavy rain can cause nests to become waterlogged. If you see hedgehogs in your garden, leave out a dish of water and meat-based cat or dog food to try and fatten them up for winter! Hedgehogs start to look for places to hibernate around September time, so be sure to check all bonfires and garden areas. Visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk and call the BHPS on 01584 890 801 if you see a hedgehog during the day! (Hedgehogs do not often travel during the day; it may be a sure sign that they are unhealthy.)

Butterflies

Butterflies cannot fly during rainy periods, and need warmth in order to fly and breed. British wintertime can be a challenging time for butterflies as little sunshine and lots of rain can disrupt their breeding, putting local populations at risk of dying out. To provide good shelter and warmth for butterflies, grow a patch of long grass for species such as gatekeeper, speckled wood and meadow brown to breed in. If you can, grow nettles in a warmer spot of the garden to provide breeding places for peacock, painted lady and red admiral species. Visit www.butterfly-conservation.org for more information!

Here at Verdon Grey, we love gardens and are proud to be one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high quality, luxury garden furniture. For more information or to enquire about our beautiful garden ranges please do not hesitate to contact us on 01284 812000 today!