Search - Articles

Thank heavens for winter-flowering plants. These hardy specimens often have tiny, inconsequential blooms, but they more than make up for them with their powerful, sweet fragrance. I rarely notice the flowers of Sarcococca hookeriana, but I’m always

end.In addition to dicing with death in the middle of the road in rush hour, ‘Killie’ the hedgehog faced another danger: winter. He was far too small to hibernate (which is probably why he was still out when most hedgehogs have already entered

. Like long-tailed tits, goldcrests eat insects and spiders, but specialise in tiny morsels such as moth eggs. Their beaks are designed to pick out insects from between pine needles. In really cold winters they will occasionally come to garden feeders, so keep

. Undeterred, I thought I’d try something else for 2013: yew, Taxus baccata. I’m very fond of yew; I love seeing gnarled old trees in graveyards, exploring the patterns and fissures of their bark. Left alone, yews can grow for centuries. One specimen

when I see it. Its bark is decorated with a thick crust of lichen, and lots of birds, especially thrushes, eat its fruit. It’s beautiful. Not only would my crab apple provide fruit for birds in winter, but its spring flowers would attract bees

entrance hole can make a fantastic substitute for many species. And birds won’t just breed in it – a well-placed box can also provide winter refuge for small species such as wrens. More than 60 species are known to use nest boxes, including blue tits, great

for food. Rather than hibernating, they’re spending winter fattening up and will be set free in a few weeks. Sadly, many of Sue’s hedgehogs – including a tiny one called Sheba – have been attacked by foxes.Unlike badgers, which are known predators