Herald - Issue 416

9th December 2021 • The HERALD • Page 55 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v | DOWN THE GARDEN PATH | 07879 552227 www.crowngardensandlandscapes.co.uk info@crowngardensandlandscapes.co.uk A family run business with over 20 years experience. Our teams of professional, friendly and reliable Gardeners and Landscapers are passionate about gardening and landscaping to very high standards of presentation and quality workmanship. Garden Maintenance Leaf Clearance Winter Tidy Up Hedges Borders Weeds Pressure Washing Landscaping Design Patios Artificial Lawns Decking Fencing Garden Repairs Your specialist Landscape and Garden Maintenance service, based in Hythe. Here to support the design, creation and maintenance of your perfect and personal outdoor space. RYAN FENCING Quality Fencing & Gates 07769 706516 • 023 8084 1203 www.ryan-fencing.co.uk • Find us on Facebook A J GLEESON BUILDING & GROUNDWORK DRIVEWAYS EXTENSIONS BRICKWORK GROUNDWORK BLOCK PAVING Colours & Designs to suit your requirements Local Work Available to View CALL FOR A FREE QUOTATION New Forest & Southampton 023 8084 4180 Mobile: 07770 771475 Bramdene, Main Road, Dibden, Southampton Merry Christmas to all our Readers, Advertisers and Distribution Points Make Your Garden ‘Wildlife-Friendly’ This Winter by Crown Gardens and Landscapes This time of year isn’t when most people want to spend time in their garden. It’s cold, dark and dormant for the most part. If you’ve done all of your autumn tidying and pruning, then your garden can be left well alone until spring. If you’ve got small children, then these ideas are great for involving them and having some fun while you’re at it – you can always invest in a wildlife camera to keep an eye on what’s happening outside from the comfort of your home. Bird feeders Birds can struggle in the winter to get everything they need once leaves have fallen and berries are sparse. Establishing a bird feeder for small birds like robins, tits and starlings can help them to cope during the colder months and also give you a garden full of action. Bags of seeds, bird cakes and fat balls are all great high- nutrition food for smaller birds who might struggle to maintain their food supply during the winter. You can also use le overs like cheese, un-cooked pastry scraps, suet and cold roast potatoes. Keep an eye on the salt content of anything you feed the birds, as salt is toxic to birds in high quantities. Bee hotels Looking a er bees has become incredibly important after reports in recent years of rapidly declining numbers. And while you might not think of bees as winter wildlife, bees behaviour is changing along with global warming. No longer returning to hives, some bees are creating new nests and hibernating away from colonies of bees. For these solitary bees you can help to sustain them through winter by providing them with a hotel to keep them warm and snug until spring arrives. Hedgehog houses We’re big fans of building hedgehog houses – we’ve covered them before in our blogs. Now is still a great time to put a shallow bowl of water out and provide a dry space for any stray hedgehogs to hibernate in. If building a proper hedgehog house feels a little too intensive, then you can create a natural one. Used pruned branches to create a small wigwam shape and then cover with mud, moss, dry leaves and anything else you nd lying around that will help to keep the hedgehogs dry. Remember to leave an air hole and entry way big enough for the hedgehog to get through. You can also feed them with cat biscuits or wet dog or cat food. Hedgehogs tend to get most of their food from the wild, but putting a small bowl out is a great supplement to their diet. Squirrels Squirrels will eat hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, walnuts and some fruit and vegetables too. It’s also possible to establish a nest box for squirrels, which is a fascinating watch for young children. e boxes need to be larger than normal bird boxes but you might be lucky enough to see baby squirrels if the nest becomes established. We hope these tips give you some fun in your garden over Christmas and New Year. Have a very Merry Christmas and we’ll be back in the New Year with more gardening tips and tricks. For all your gardening needs visit: www. c r o w n g a r d e n s a n d landscapes.co.uk Don’t forget your feathered friends this Christmas time