IN THE GARDEN
1 Encourage wildlife – add a shallow bird bath to your garden to encourage feathered visitors or leave the stems of herbaceous plants to provide shelter for insects and food for birds. 2 Plant trees and shrubs while the soil is still warm and moist to help them establish a good root system before coming into growth. 3 Plant tulip bulbs in November and December to reduce the risk of the fungal disease, tulip fire. 4 Dig new beds and mulch existing ones with well-rotted compost or leaf mould to improve soil health, retain moisture and reduce weeds. Gardening jobs for November
standing over winter or go all out and create a wildlife garden is up to you. For those inclined to a well- manicured approach, planting just a couple of snowdrops in a shaded corner will encourage bees to visit your plot in the depths of winter. And if you’re more relaxed in your approach to gardening, leaving flower stems and piles of fallen leaves for food and shelter for wildlife through the winter has great appeal. Here in the Botanic Garden, we have formal, intensely cultivated plantings alongside wilder areas. We are proud of the rich biodiversity our visitors can enjoy, which includes bees, dragonflies, kingfishers, grass snakes and even foxes and badgers. None of this would be possible in a completely sterile garden. By taking a few simple steps, you can quickly start attracting a variety of wildlife into your garden this winter.
Sally Petitt is head of horticulture at Cambridge University Botanic Garden
OUTDOOR HAVEN Welcome wildlife into your garden with teasel (top left), snowdrops and aconites (top right) and berkheya (bottom right)
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2025 95
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