Welcome to the October edition of our wildlife-friendly gardening blog. At the arrival of autumn, gardeners used to think about ‘tidying’ everything up - removing the dead stems of perennials, cutting off spent flower heads and clearing leaves. Thankfully, many people now recognize that leaving this material in-situ creates nooks and crannies where pollinators can hibernate.   

Ladybirds snuggle down in seed heads such as Echinops, poppies and Phlox, while hollow stems may be home to larvae of pollinators like solitary bees. Leaf litter and plant debris provide a safe place for other gardener’s friends such as predatory ground beetles and spiders. Tussocks of grass are important for lots of butterflies (meadow brown), moths (shuttle-shaped dart) and bees (carder bees). Queen bumblebees seek out old mouse holes in quiet areas, or gaps under stones or logs in north facing banks. Give a boost to our declining insect population and leave any ‘tidying’ until the first signs of spring - we can achieve quite a bit for wildlife by doing very little now! 

In the wildlife garden this month, look out for centipedes - our species of the month. These nocturnal hunters are hiding under pots, logs and stones during the day – but by night they are eating all sorts of creatures including slugs and flies. Encourage these, and other helpful predators by creating a bug hotel. Other species to look out for this month include green shield bugs, which at this time of year are turning brown in preparation for hibernating among dead leaves and bark – in spring they will turn back to green. If you are lucky, you might hear this year’s fledgling tawny owls starting to set up territories. Listen out for the ‘kee-wick’ call of the female and the more familiar ‘hooo-hu’ call of the male. The new ‘messy’ areas in your garden should attract small rodents, such as voles, looking to feed on invertebrates. These rodents will make perfect meals for local tawny owls, as well as other birds of prey. 

Sources of nectar in the garden this month include dainty devils’-bit scabious and radiant heleniums (sneezeworts). With a second flush of flowers, scented honeysuckle is great for attracting moths, while Fuschia magellenica and shrubby plumbago are favourites for bees. Last, but not least, ivy is smothered with tiny flowers which are alive with feeding insects on sunny days. These include the appropriately named ivy bee, which is spreading north from Europe, the first confirmed records were here in Dorset in 2001!  

October is a good time to lift and divide any wildlife-friendly perennials which have outgrown their allotted space. Use them to fill gaps or give to friends. The warm soil and more regular rainfall will help new plants establish well for next season. It’s also a great time to plant bulbs for next spring’s pollinator cafe. You can plant up tubs and containers with bulbs such as snake's head fritillary, grape hyacinth and squill – all of which are great for bees and small spaces. Include some violas and trailing ivy so that your container looks good now, as well as in the spring when the bulbs start to appear!  

Climate change is making our weather more extreme. We had wet and windy weather in July and August, but June was incredibly hot. Plan to collect rainwater overwinter and see if you have any space for installing one or more water butts. The more the better as an extra one might be handy to top up your pond or bird bath before the water evaporates.   

Other actions you can take to help birds is to clean out nest boxes and make sure bird feeders are clean to minimize the risk of spreading disease.

Thank you for gardening for wildlife! You are helping create and connect habitats, providing stepping-stones for wildlife to move through the landscape and increasing resilience to pressures such as climate change. If you haven’t already applied for one of our free ‘Wildlife-Friendly Space’ awards, please have a look at our webpage and help us promote more wildlife friendly spaces for a Wilder Dorset!  

Enjoy your garden and see you next month.