Your garden may seem quiet as the days grow colder, but look a little closer and you’ll discover an extraordinary world of activity beneath the leaves and branches. From migrating birds making critical stopovers, to hedgehogs preparing for hibernation, autumn and winter are far from lifeless seasons. In this article, we explore which animals are active in your garden during these colder months and what you can do to help them thrive—without disturbing the delicate balance of nature.
Did you know? Dormice can hibernate for up to seven months, often curling up in old bird nests or even garden sheds.
🍂 Seasonal secrets: what’s really going on out there?
- 🍁 Birds use your garden as a vital pit stop during migration
- 🦔 Hedgehogs prepare for hibernation and need safe passage
- 🪲 Leaf piles become five-star hotels for insects and frogs
- 🧊 Winter isn’t silent—life just goes underground
- 🍽 You can help by feeding, sheltering and not tidying too much
Autumn: a garden in motion
Autumn marks a turning point in the natural calendar. While leaves fall and flowers fade, wildlife shifts gears. Birds from northern climates arrive in search of berries and shelter. Hedgehogs rummage through flowerbeds and lawns, gathering the fat reserves they’ll need to hibernate. Meanwhile, squirrels become frenetic, caching acorns and conkers they may or may not remember come spring. Even butterflies and bees make late appearances, sipping from the final blooms of ivy and sedum.
How to support autumn visitors
Let the wild stay wild. Resist the urge to clear every leaf—those damp, dark corners offer perfect shelter for insects, frogs and small mammals. Grow late-flowering plants like Michaelmas daisies and verbena to support pollinators. Set up feeding stations and clean birdbaths regularly so migrating species can rest and refuel. And if you’ve got fences, create a hedgehog highway—a 13cm hole is all they need to safely pass through.
Winter: nature slows down, but doesn’t stop
When frost settles and the garden looks bare, it’s tempting to think that nature has hit pause. But much is happening below the surface. Hedgehogs, frogs and newts curl up in compost heaps or leaf mounds. Bees overwinter in hollow stems and bee hotels. Foxes and badgers patrol their territories under the cover of night, while robins and wrens hop between hedgerows searching for sustenance.
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How to help wildlife through winter
Support comes down to small, conscious choices. Leave log piles undisturbed—they’re full of hidden life. Keep ponds from freezing completely to help aquatic creatures breathe. Break the ice on birdbaths and top up feeders with suet, seeds, and mealworms. And most importantly, avoid all chemicals—pesticides and antifreeze can be fatal to animals relying on your garden for refuge.
Why your garden matters, even in the cold
As days grow shorter, your garden becomes more than a patch of green—it transforms into a lifeline. By leaving parts wild, adding food and water sources, and understanding who’s out there and why, you’re helping entire ecosystems survive the most difficult seasons of the year.
Come back soon to learn how spring and summer bring even more surprises—and how you can make your garden a haven for every season.
