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Winter Protection - Page 3

© Graham Leatherbarrow

With colder weather just around the corner don't forget the garden wildlife. Birds will be grateful for any kitchen scraps, but wild birdseed if you can get it is best. Peanuts (unsalted please) make a good staple winter diet for many seed eating birds. You can nowadays buy good wild seed mixtures that will feed a larger range of wild birds. Other birds, like robins and blackbirds will appreciate some rotten apples either on the ground or elevated out of harm's way from marauding cats. Fats of all kinds are very high in energy and will help many small birds through those very cold winter nights. Bacon rind is good, as is a lump of suet or other animal fat removed before cooking. Your garden birds do a good job in controlling pests during the spring and summer, helping them through the winter is the least we gardeners can do.

Once my early winter jobs are done, I'm looking forward to seeing and feeling some of those crisp sunny days winter can pull out of her hat. Before you know it Christmas will be upon us and then a new gardening year will lie ahead. There are one or two winter highlights to come first though. The winter garden for me is not complete without the scent of the 'Witch Hazel' or Hamamelis mollis wafting the air. Mmmm I can hardly wait!

Winter Assortment

• Orchard Nurseries - Specialist bulb growers, UK and EU only.
• Recycle Works - Compost bins and shredders.
• Gardenworld.co.uk - Gardening products, recipes and advice.
• Garden Humour -To boldly grow where no one has groan before!

Graham Leatherbarrow.
November, 2002.

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Winter Jasmine	Bubble wrap protection	Tropaeolum speciosum fruit	Yew tree	Wildbird Seed Feeder
Witch Hazel

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