With short days and colder weather, we tend to think that nature shuts down for winter, going into hibernation like a dormouse. But, of course it does no such thing. Nature is dynamic, always on the move, planning the next phase.

Underneath the soil, bulbs are slowly sending up shoots, Winter flowering shrubs are a magnet for any insects brave enough to venture out on milder days, and buds start to dwell on our fruit trees.

The first crocuses began flowering in mid January in the meadow, followed by snowdrops - welcome splashes of colour when we really need it.

By early February we start gradually clearing the herbaceous borders to see which clumps need dividing and where we can squeeze in some additional plants, though it’s good to leave some teasel heads to attract the goldfinches. When I got out into my garden, I’m usually accompanied by a cheeky robin or blackbird!

Winter is an ideal time to put up nest boxes, bat boxes and homes for solitary bees. We have several nest boxes mainly for blue & great tits and house sparrows but also open-fronted boxes for robins, though they need to be carefully sited to avoid predators like cats, grey squirrels and corvids, so underneath climbers such as ivy.

Another essential in any wildlife garden is a bug habitat. Ours consists of a base of old logs upon which is stacked old hollow plant stems, brushwood, intermixed with dry grass, cones and even our old Christmas trees, cut up and added to the layers.

Having put up several bee boxes I was intrigued to see a great tit repeatedly trying to peck its way into the hollow cane tubes which the previous season’s solitary bees had sealed with mud. It explained why I had found some of the tubes pulled out part way - they were clearly after the pupae inside!

I have recently been hearing the strident song of a song thrush quite early. Not quite the ‘dawn chorus’ yet, though you may also hear a blackbird or robin, so , uninviting though it may sound it's worth the early rise! It was good to hear the thrush as we don’t  often see them in the garden these days.

Overhead we see (and hear) skeins of Canada geese, and the occasional little egret or heron. Some years ago I started to add wildflower species to the beds and borders. A favourite is red campion which has a long flowering season especially if deadheaded. Others include garlic mustard, teasel, hemp agrimony and the wonderful vipers bugloss. Marjoram is a must - in fact most herbs are great if allowed to flower.

We are keeping a close eye on the pond. No frogspawn as yet. Fingers crossed! But its first appearance varies from year to year.

So to finish on the exciting subject of compost! Now’s a great opportunity to plan and build a compost container. In smaller gardens a ready-made ‘Dalek’ type bin is fine. But an open heap is best for wildlife. This can be easily made from old pallets and a few posts to create a pen in which to stack the waste materials. Alternate green and brown material and in around a year it will be ready to use and will have provided a home for countless invertebrates as well as amphibians, reptiles, such as slow worms, and possibly hedgehogs.

Last year a pair of blackbirds ferried beak-fulls of worms from the compost heap to their chicks. And you get free compost to boot!

Already the days are stretching out and spring is on the horizon! Enjoy your wildlife gardening.

Andy and Gill Sutton

Andy and Gill live in Totton. Andy is now retired from a career in agriculture and horticulture. Before the pandemic, Andy was helping a local primary school with their wildlife projects and looks forward to returning to the project soon.