Ok they don’t seem that hangry – in fact, flitting from branch, chirping to each other constantly, they are pretty charming. Once all the leaves fall from the trees, birds become more visible and are one of the main attractions in many gardens during the winter months.

The species of birds which visit your garden is somewhat out of your control – birds will already have established routes and preferred habitats which will be impacted more by the wider environment than by your little patch of land; you can however, encourage the local birds to visit your garden more regularly and to linger for longer.

So how can you encourage birds to your garden?

Food & Water. Just like us, birds are motivated by their stomachs – although this is more of a matter of life and death for them than for most of us. With food in shorter supply over the winter months, many birds benefit from some extra food being provided.

It’s worth investing in a squirrel proof bird feeder if you want the birds to be in with a chance. The type of feeder you choose will also impact the kind of food it can hold, and which birds can access it, so have a look at the RSPB website to see which foods would be most appropriate for the birds you see around your garden –https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/safe-food-for-birds/

Water is just as important in the winter as in the summer – especially so in dry spells. Bird baths should be placed well away from somewhere a predator (cats, foxes and so on) might hide in wait, so the birds can visit without being ambushed.

Similarly, bird feeders should be hung high enough to provide the birds with a good view of the garden, some cover and easy access and escape so they will feel safe enough to feed.

Of course, birds don’t only eat food we leave out for them – if you create the right conditions you will notice they take advantage of other feeding spots around your garden too.

Other garden attractions to birds include;

Fruiting plants – in winter, birds will feed on fruit which failed to ripen to our tastes and it is always a good idea not to strip fruiting plants completely (even if they all look ripe) and leave some for them.

Other plants may have fruit which we wouldn’t eat but that birds love, for example ivy flowers are great late sources of food for pollinators and then the birds feast on the berries that follow. Rowan, hawthorn, holly, pyracantha and many others provide beautiful colour in winter and lots of food for avian visitors too.

Seed heads – birds will feed on seed heads which remain over winter. It is worth leaving plants un-tidied over winter so birds can make the most of the seeds still present. Many summer flowering plants such as teasels, sunflowers and lilacs offer attractive food for birds and you will see them taking from both your ‘human’ bird food and this naturally occurring seed. These seed heads also look beautiful in frosty weather – another reason to leave them.

Leaf/log piles – ground feeding birds such as blackbirds will enthusiastically dig through leaves and the edges of a log pile to reach insects and worms. Remember you don’t need your whole garden to be ‘unkempt’ – if you like it neat, consider leaving a sheltered corner piled with leaves and twigs from the garden. The insects will come and the birds will follow.

Things to bare in mind –

• Check you are giving birds the right food – just like other animals some foods can be damaging or poisonous to birds (salted peanuts for example).
• Hygiene is important – cleaning your feeders and bird baths regularly will help stop the transmission of diseases between birds. Also take care of yourself – wash your hands after handling bird baths and feeders.
• Check the season – some birds should not be fed during the breeding season as they can take inappropriate food back to their young.
• For more advice on how to feed birds safely check the RSPB’s comprehensive advice: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/

California is to ban the sale of Small Off-Road Engines (SORE) from 2024 due to the smog pollution they cause. As you can see from the graphic above, there is a significant pollution output from these machines.

SORE equipment includes quite a lot of horticultural equipment;

• Petrol Lawn Mowers
• Petrol Leaf-Blowers
• Petrol Hedge Trimmers
• Gators (those little trucks you see grounds keepers in parks zipping around on)

California are often at the vanguard of environmental and health/safety legislation, but where they lead, we tend to follow. There are already great strides in producing battery powered versions of many of the above – and these will continue to benefit from refining over the next few years (some are very heavy or have batteries which do not work across different tools at present). I hope that our government will consider similar restrictions to those imposed in California here.

My objections to petrol power tools do not end with their smog causing pollution emissions – they are also sources of noise pollution – irritating people and scaring wildlife. I think we’ve all been bothered by the noise and dust (and let’s face it – the shear pointlessness) of a leaf blower being used near us at some point. This isn’t just a concern across the pond; in Harrow, the Green Party are calling for a ban on petrol leaf blowers in the borough.

In addition to noise and air pollution, there is the issue of carbon emissions – all power tools inevitably produce some level of carbon emission. However not all tools are created equally in this regard. As shown in the figures below, a petrol lawn mower produces around 6 times the amount of carbon as an electric lawn mower.

The good news is that, unless you have a very large garden, power tools are not usually necessary. Most standard-sized, residential London lawns can be easily mown with a hand-push lawn mower or electric plug-in/battery mower. Many hedges actually benefit from pruning with secateurs – to avoid shredded/browning leaves and snapped stems, as well as ensuring you are cutting to a node. Others are best tackled with sharp (they really do need to be sharp) shears.

If you do plan on investing in some powered garden equipment, perhaps consider electric or, the future surely, battery powered.

Bulb Lasagne is a method of planting spring flowering bulbs which aims to produce a succession of flowers from early to late Spring.

It’s the perfect activity for autumn, when the growth in the garden is slowing and creates the promise of beautiful, early colour in Spring.

It’s a very simple concept – in a deep pot, you plant bulbs in layers with the largest and latest flowering bulbs at the bottom (usually this will be Tulips) and the smallest and earliest flowering bulbs at the top (so possibly Crocus or Iris reticulata).

If you are using three layers then Narcissus make an excellent mid-Spring flowering bulb for the layer between the earliest and the latest.

What you will need:

• Choose a deep pot with at least one decent drainage hole – something approximately one foot deep (30 cm) is probably about right. If you have a much larger pot you can save on compost by putting some small plastic plant pots upside down in the bottom to partially fill up the pot. If you are using a terracotta pot ensure that it is frost proof
• 3 types of bulbs – in different sizes and with different flowering times.
• Peat-free compost – if your compost is heavy, which peat-free can sometimes be, consider mixing it with some grit or perlite to aid drainage
• Horticultural grit
• Chicken wire or similar
• A label if you are likely to forget what you have planted

The method is very simple;

• Fill the bottom of the pot with crocks (broken pieces of pottery – often easily found in the garden in the form of old plant pots) or pebbles to ensure that there is very good drainage. Many bulbs hate sitting in wet soil.
• Using the peat-free compost, fill the bottom of the pot so that you have about 8 inches of empty space left above the soil. Now add your latest flowering, largest bulbs. You can place them quite close together (when planting up pots we often cram plants in compared to planting out in beds) – leave about one bulb’s width between each. Make sure the pointy bit of the bulb is pointing upwards.
• Cover with about 3 inches of compost and gently pat down with your hand.
• Now add your next layer of bulbs; you do not need to worry about whether they are placed over a bulb on the level below – as the bulbs grow they will weave their way around the bulbs above them, as if they were an obstacle in the soil such as a pebble.
• Add about 3 inches of compost over these bulbs. Pat this layer down gently.
• Now you can place your smallest and earliest flowering bulbs on the top level. Once you are happy with the placement, push these bulbs down slightly into the compost and then sprinkle a thin layer (1 inch or so) of compost over the top.
• Add a thin layer of garden grit over the top.
• Water well (you will not need to water these autumn planted bulbs again, unless the weather is very dry and the soil is no longer moist).
• You may want to cover your pot in chicken wire or similar to deter hungry squirrels from digging up your bulbs. This can be removed before the bulbs flower in spring.
• Label if necessary and place your pot in a sheltered, sunny spot.

Voila! You’re done. Reward yourself with a nice cup of tea.