Garden wildlife jobs for February

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Purple crocuses blooming in terracotta pots

The best way to attract more wildlife to your garden is to create habitats where wildlife can feed, sleep and hibernate, such as digging a pond, growing plants for bees or making a making a log pile. Once you've created a few wildlife havens, why not install a wildlife or nature trail camera to find out which creatures come and visit.

Leave food for hedgehogs

Leaving out food for hedgehogs — Wildlife gardening jobs - leaving out food for hedgehogs

Leave out water and meat-based dog or cat food for hedgehogs that have come out of hibernation early in mild weather, as they'll be hungry. Leave the food out from dusk and cover or discard any that's left first thing in the morning to prevent flies from laying their eggs in it. We've put together a roundup of the best hedgehog houses, to provide them with their ideal habitat. Here are a couple of our favourites:

Clean out nest boxes

Cleaning out a nest bird box — Cleaning out a bird nest box with boiling water

Clean out nest boxes to make way for prospecting birds, which usually start looking for places to raise their young in mid February. It’s never too late to erect a new nest box – a sheltered spot facing north-east is the best option. Stuck for spare time? Not to worry - we've researched some of the best nest boxes to put up in your garden to attract a range of species. We've also found a selection of bird box cameras so you can get a closer look at your feathered friends as they raise their young, some of which are listed here, too.

Plant a wildlife hedge

Plant bare-root hedges — Trimming roots before planting a dormant hedge cane

Buy bare-root plants to create a mixed, native wildlife hedge. Species such as dog rose, guelder rose, hawthorn, hazel and wild plum make fantastic hedges, providing food, shelter and breeding opportunities for a huge range of species.

Buy dog rose hedging from Thompson & Morgan, Crocus and Van Meuwen
Buy hawthorn hedging from Thompson & Morgan, Van Meuwen and Crocus
Buy hazel hedging from Thompson & Morgan, Crocus and Van Meuwen

Buy crocuses and primroses

Crocuses in flower — Purple crocuses blooming in terracotta pots

Buy pots of flowering crocus and primroses to feed bumblebees roused early from hibernation.

Buy primroses from Primrose, Suttons and Dobies
Buy Primula vulgaris primroses from Crocus and Suttons
Buy crocus from Thompson & Morgan, Crocus and Suttons

Avoid turning the compost heap

Even if conditions are mild, avoid turning the compost heap until April. Frogs, small mammals and insects may be hibernating within, and any disturbance could harm them. Thinking about using a compost bin? We've put a variety of models on test, so you can buy in confidence. For ease, we've listed the best buys from the test here:

Best buy: Blackwall Green Compost Converter
Best buy: Modular Compost Bin
Best buy: Green Johanna 330 Litre Hot Composter
Best buy: Hotbin Mk. 2 Composter

Don't forget to feed birds

Leave a variety of protein- and fat-rich foods for birds every day, which they can turn to as and when they need to. Read our comprehensive guides to nutritious feeds, bird feeders and bird tables, or shop via our quick links here: