Creating a Wildlife-Friendly Winter Garden: Tips for Supporting Local Animals

Winter doesn’t mean your garden has to go into hibernation! Creating a winter garden that supports local wildlife is a rewarding way to keep your outdoor space alive and thriving during the colder months.

Winter-flowering plants, such as winter jasmine and hellebores, provide a valuable food source for pollinators during winter days. Its nectar is only beneficial to pollinators during warm spells in winter.

With a little planning, you can provide birds, bees, and other critters with food and shelter with your garden plants to help them survive winter while adding natural beauty to your garden.

Provide Food for Winter Wildlife

Food is scarce for many animals during winter, so your garden can become a haven for hungry wildlife. Here are some easy ways to help:

· Bird Feeders: Set up feeders with seeds, suet, and nuts to attract local birds. Hang them in visible spots and keep them filled throughout the season.

· Native Plants: Grow garden plants that produce winter berries, like holly or viburnum. These can be a lifesaver for birds when other food sources are gone.

· Leftover Seeds: If you still have flowers like sunflowers or coneflowers standing, leave them be! Their seeds can feed birds and small mammals.

Create Shelter and Warmth

Wildlife needs a safe place to stay during harsh weather. You can create cozy spots in your winter garden without much effort.

· Log Piles: Stack logs or branches in a corner of your garden. These provide shelter for small animals, insects, and even frogs.

· Evergreens: Planting evergreen shrubs or trees offers year-round cover for birds and small creatures to nest and hide.

· Bee Hotels: Solitary bees may hibernate during winter. A bee hotel or undisturbed piles of leaves are great resting spots for them.

Offer a Water Source

Water can be hard to find during winter when ponds and puddles freeze over. Adding a water source to your winter garden can help wildlife stay hydrated.

· Birdbaths: Use a shallow birdbath with fresh water. In freezing temperatures, add a small floating ball to keep the surface from icing over completely.

· Unfrozen Ponds: If you have a garden pond, keep part of it ice-free by adding a floating heater or an aerator. This will also help fish and amphibians.

Add Plants That Thrive in Winter

Some plants continue to shine even in the cold, offering beauty and resources for wildlife.

· Winter-Flowering Plants: Plants like winter jasmine and hellebores provide nectar for pollinators on milder days.

· Grasses and Shrubs: Leave ornamental grasses and shrubs intact rather than trimming them back. They offer seeds and shelter to wildlife.

Avoid Using Chemicals

Skip the pesticides and herbicides in your winter garden. These chemicals can harm wildlife and disrupt their natural food sources. Instead, let nature take its course.

Creating a winter garden isn’t just about helping wildlife—it also brings life and activity to your yard during an otherwise quiet season. Watching birds flock to your feeders or spotting a squirrel darting through the trees can brighten even the coldest day.

Want to create a wildlife-friendly winter garden? Visit Garden Worx, your trusted plant nursery in Riverhead, New York! From garden plants to gardening supplies, we have everything you need to support local wildlife during winter.

Let our garden experts help you make your garden a winter haven for birds, bees, and more. Call now for more information.