A Hedgehog-Friendly Autumn Tidy-Up for Seaham Gardens
Late October is when most of us want the garden tidy before winter: leaves raked, borders cut back, and the pile of clippings finally dealt with. It is also the time when hedgehogs are looking for somewhere quiet to spend the winter. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) points out that hedgehogs hibernate from late autumn into spring, so the same heaps and corners we want to clear are often the places they choose.
The good news is that a tidy garden and a hedgehog-friendly garden are not opposites. A few small changes to how you clear up make a real difference, whether your garden is a small yard in Seaham or a larger plot elsewhere in County Durham.
Keep one wild corner
You do not need to leave the whole garden untouched. Clear leaves from the lawn, paths and patio as usual, but keep one quiet corner where leaves, twigs or logs can stay. The RHS suggests piles of logs, twigs or leaves because they attract grubs and beetles, which are natural food for hedgehogs, and they give shelter too.
A spot behind a shed, under a hedge or at the back of a border works well. Try not to disturb it again until spring.
Check before you strim or mow
Long grass, the base of a hedge and the back of an overgrown border are all good cover for a sleeping animal. The RHS advises checking the whole area carefully before strimming. Walk the ground first, part long grass with your hands or a rake, and look under the edges of hedges before you start a machine.
If you use a robotic mower, the RHS suggests checking with the manufacturer that it has good safety precautions, especially if it runs in the evening when hedgehogs are out.
Bonfires: build late, check first
With Bonfire Night coming up, many people burn garden waste at this time of year. A pile of branches and leaves that has been standing for days or weeks looks like an ideal shelter to a hedgehog.
The RHS advice is simple: wait until just before lighting to make the pile, or move the whole pile to a new spot before you light it, checking as you go. Then light it from one corner only, so that any animal you missed has a way out.
It is also worth thinking about your neighbours. Durham County Council explains that there are no specific laws stopping garden bonfires, but smoke can become a statutory nuisance if fires are regular or long-lasting and the smoke has a clear impact on others, for example getting into their house.
Safer ways to deal with garden waste
Burning is not the only option. Durham County Council lists other ways to deal with garden waste: a home compost bin for grass cuttings, weeds and old plants, taking it to one of the council's household waste recycling centres, or booking a paid bulky waste collection if you cannot do either.
If you compost at home, take care in autumn and winter. Hedgehogs may nest in compost heaps, so the RHS recommends being particularly careful when forking or turning the heap.
Small hazards to clear away
While you tidy, look out for things that can trap or harm hedgehogs:
- Netting and twine: loose plastic netting, old compost bags and baler twine should be stored away or put in the bin.
- Old slug pellets: the RHS says old metaldehyde-based pellets must be taken to your nearest recycling centre for safe disposal, not left in the shed.
- Ponds and holes: fix a ramp into steep-sided ponds so an animal that falls in can climb out, and cover drains and deep holes.
Leave a gap in the fence
Hedgehogs travel a long way at night – the RHS says up to 2km – so they need to move between gardens. A CD-sized hole at the base of a fence or gate is enough. If you are tidying along a boundary this autumn, it is an easy job to add while you are there.
A note for coastal gardens
Gardens close to the sea in Seaham can be windy, and leaves soon blow into sheltered corners against walls and fences. Those drifts are exactly where wildlife settles, so check them by hand before you clear them with a rake or blower, and move any leaves you collect to your wild corner rather than taking them all away.
Need a hand with the autumn tidy-up?
Farmer & Co. helps with clearing leaves, tidying borders, hedge trimming and lawn mowing in Seaham and across County Durham. See our services and prices.
For more on looking after the grass once the leaves are off, read our guide to autumn lawn care in Seaham.
Tell us your postcode and which jobs you need help with. Email hello@farmerandco.co.uk and we send you a fixed price for the work.