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Give nature a home in your garden

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Now that autumn is well and truly here, it’s the perfect time to start getting your garden ready for spring!

When planting up your garden borders opt for a good selection of herbaceous shrubs and perennials as well as an assortment of spring bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, for a splash of unrivalled colour. If you have any tall roses, now is a good time to prune these plants back. By doing so, this will promote healthy growth next season.

If you have a pond, there is no harm in clearing the leaf litter from it, but resist the temptation to discard or move the debris too far away as it may provide shelter for a whole host of creatures. Don’t forget to provide some natural food for your garden birds and leave seed heads to overwinter. Thistles and teasels, for example, are highly favoured by many birds, such as goldfinches.

Now is also the time to start thinking about providing cosy homes for the feathered friends which visit your garden. Many birds, keen to find shelter over the winter, will readily set up home and roost if provided with nest boxes.

It’s recommended that old nests are removed in the autumn once the breeding season is over and there’s no chance of disturbing previous occupants. The nests of most birds harbour fleas and parasites which remain to infest young birds that hatch the following year unless the box is cleaned with boiling water.

Once the box is clean and dry, a handful of hay or wood shavings can be inserted into the box to keep it snug for roosting birds or small mammals.

For more tips on giving wildlife a home in your garden, visit www.rspb.org.uk/homes.

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