Welcome to the February edition of our wildlife-friendly gardening blog! 

With 2023 well underway, things are starting to ‘move’ in the garden. Bulbs are popping up and bird song is increasing as they vie for the best nesting territory. On clear days, try listening out for some of our resident songsters. If you are interested in learning a few bird calls, this is a good time to get your ‘ear in’ before the summer migrants arrive! 

On mild days you might also hear (and see) signs of amphibian activity. Newts are starting to come out of hibernation and if you have a pond of any size, you could already have frog spawn. Warmer winters mean that frogs are spawning earlier than in previous years and scientists are interested in tracking these changes. To help understand some of the impacts of climate change, you can report your sightings to Natures Calendar. You can also check out our February ‘species of the month’ feature for some top frog spawn facts. 

Hungry insects are starting to emerge from hibernation and need an energy boost from the nectar and pollen provided by early flowering plants. Could you help by growing a late-winter larder for insects? Take action for insects and consider planting shrubs like sweet box or winter flowing heathers – either can be grown in a pot. Think again about early flowering ‘weeds’ – the cheery yellow flowers of lesser celandine are a good nectar source. This useful native can be kept ‘in check’ by lightly weeding out some of the nobbily bulbils. Crocuses are also a good early source of food for insects and, if you have a sunny patch of lawn, purple Crocus tommasinianus is a good variety to naturalise. Later in the month, look out for the first red-tailed queen bumble bees and peacock butterflies enjoying your wildlife friendly plants. 

As snow drops finish flowering, this is a good time to split and move them as these bulbs establish best if planted ‘in the green’. Share with friends and remember to plant them to the same depth as they were in their original spot. Water well, remove old flower heads and let the leaves die back naturally for strong plants next year. 

If the soil isn’t waterlogged or frozen, you can plant bare root trees and shrubs to provide shelter and food for birds. Guelder rose, mountain ash or juneberry (Amelanchier) are all good trees for small gardens and some crab apples (Malus ‘Laura’) or fruit trees (‘Conference’ pears, ‘Discovery’ apples) can even be grown in pots. 

The end of this month is a good time to cut back old flowering stems of perennial plants (sedum, golden rod, teasels). It is much better to do this now than in the autumn, as many insects will have been able to shelter over winter in the nooks and crannies that seed heads and hollow stems provide. Leave bundles of stems in a quiet corner to give insects time to find a new home. These will be picked over by birds looking for a tasty snack and some of the plant debris may become nesting material. 

You can also put out natural fibres for birds to collect for nest building. Avoid using pet hair unless you are sure it has not been treated with anti-parasite medicines, and avoid human hair as chicks can get tangled up and die. Please look at the RSPB website for further guidance.

If the weather isn’t tempting you to linger outside, February is a good time to sort and clean pots/trays before the main seed sowing season gets underway. Clean pots mean your plants have a better chance of growing strong and disease free. If any plastic ones have broken, think about replacing them with alternatives. Seeds can be sown in toilet rolls or paper pots, or perhaps make a wooden seed-tray from old planks or offcuts. Please see our website for more ideas on upcycling and using less plastic. 

Look out for more wildlife-friendly and sustainable gardening tips in next month’s blog. 

Thank you for helping wildlife! Working together we can help create a wilder Dorset!