A season of change
As the days shorten and temperatures begin to fall, gardens start to change. Some flowers continue to provide food, seeds and fruits become available, leaves begin to fall and wildlife starts preparing for winter. There can still be plenty to discover if you take the time to look.
What might you notice?
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What's Flowering?
Look for late-flowering plants that continue to provide nectar and pollen. These can be particularly useful as fewer flowers remain available.
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Who's Visiting?
Watch for pollinators making the most of remaining flowers and notice how the number and variety of visitors changes as the weather becomes cooler.
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What's Changing?
Look for ripening seeds and fruits, falling leaves, fading flowers and wildlife beginning to seek sheltered places as autumn progresses.
Ways to help this autumn
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Keep Late Flowers
Allow late-flowering plants to continue blooming so visiting pollinators can make use of them for as long as possible.
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Leave Some Seed Heads
Rather than cutting everything back, leave some seed heads standing. They can provide food for wildlife and shelter for small creatures.
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Make Use of Fallen Leaves
Leave some fallen leaves in suitable areas or gather them into a quiet corner where they can provide shelter as they gradually break down.
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Leave Sheltered Spaces Alone
Avoid disturbing every stem, pile of leaves or quiet corner. Some wildlife may use these protected places as temperatures fall.
Let autumn take its course
A garden doesn't need to be completely cleared as summer ends. Notice what continues to flower, what begins to fade and where wildlife finds food and shelter. Leaving a little behind can make your patch more interesting to explore and more useful to wildlife.