Following some welcome rain over the last couple of weeks, everything in the garden has had an autumnal surge. It feels like all of the shrubs, trees, herbs, and flowers are having a final hurrah, perhaps in celebration of making it through one of the driest seasons on record. It’s at this time that many of us start to think about cutting back our gardens or green spaces.

A wilder garden

Way back in March, I decided to create more wild areas in the garden this year. With a fairly large area of multi-use lawn, I wanted to make it look more interesting and attract more wildlife. Rather than leave the whole lawn to grow long which, as a dog owner, could cause a few issues, I chose a few patches near the edges and the fences, and between some fruit trees, to try and create a patchwork of different mini habitats. I also added a few wildflowers, including teasels sourced from Avon Wildlife Trust’s Grow Wilder nursery. 

Creating more wild areas has made a difference for nature, and not just in terms of seeing more wildlife. The areas where I continued to mow have become dusty patches, following the very dry spring and summer, and will probably not cover naturally until next year. However, the wilder areas survived intact and became a mix of tall grass, thick shorter grass, and self-seeded flowers. 

Garden visitors

After several years without them, the starlings have returned this year. A flock of up to twenty birds descends on the lawn each morning, hurriedly pecking through the long grasses for something tasty. 

It’s been a bumper year for butterflies and particularly moths in the garden, spending most of their time flitting around the wild patches. Our not-very-scientific method for measuring the increase in moths this year has been the sheer number coming into the house in the evening, attracted to light. I’ve spent quite a lot of time gently returning moths to the outdoors, including our very first jersey tiger moth – an amazing sight.

Growing or mowing?

With the growing season still underway for the next couple of months, it’s important to keep nature in mind as you prune, cut, and rake.

The very dry spring and summer has prompted many trees and shrubs to produce seeds and fruits much earlier, which could leave the larder bare for wildlife that needs to stock up before winter. 

To try and top up the larder, I’m looking at ways to prepare the garden for winter while leaving something for nature. Our apple tree has had a bumper crop, but they have been falling for a few weeks. I’ve collected some apples but left a few which are attracting blackbirds and dunnocks, and a few opportunistic wasps. 

I’ve left the cuttings from the lavender in a small habitat pile, now that the flower heads have gone over, to provide some enrichment for insects, and will add other prunings and leaves as we move deeper into autumn season develops. 

For the wild areas in the lawn, I’d like to see a few more wildflowers emerging next year. To give this a boost, I mowed the areas with the blade on the highest setting and took away the clippings to compost. Removing the clippings prevents them from adding more nutrients to the soil and may encourage a bit more diversity in the grasses and flowers when spring comes around again.

In the meantime, I’ve made a conscious effort to brush up on my moth ID skills and keep an eye out for any bats attracted to the moth buffet!

Find some tips for autumn gardens with Team Wilder