As summer fades and autumn arrives, many gardeners begin cutting back dead stems, raking leaves and tidying borders. Before you reach for the secateurs, remember that what might look like a messy garden to you can provide vital winter food and shelter for songbirds. While bird feeders can provide valuable supplementary food in the winter, natural forage, dense shelter and undisturbed insect habitats help to sustain songbirds through the coldest months.

The autumn months, from September through to November, are an ideal time to plant native trees, shrubs and perennials. Planting now allows root systems to establish in cool, moist soil over winter, helping the garden provide food and shelter for years to come. Here are three ‘plant now’ tips to make the most of the autumn season in your garden.

1. Plant now for winter berries

Winter-fruiting shrubs and trees provide important food for thrushes, blackbirds, redwings and fieldfares. Plant bare-root or potted specimens now to establish a reliable winter food source:

• Dog rose & sweet briar: beautiful summer flowers that turn into autumn rose hips, packed with seeds for finches.
• Hawthorn & blackthorn: spiky, dense foliage that protects small birds from predators and provides calorie-dense haws and sloes.
• Holly: the quintessential winter evergreen providing dense roosting cover and high-fat red berries late into the season.
• Elder & crab apple: compact trees ideal for smaller gardens, with bright fruits.

2. Plant now for spring insects & nectar

Fledglings rely heavily on soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars in spring, while returning pollinators need early nectar. Planting perennials and bulbs over winter will support this activity in March and April:

• Bulbs: plant bluebells  now for early spring shelter and ground cove
• Perennials: get plants such as field scabious and sea kale in the ground soon. Their early bloom times attract pollinators, while their late-season seed heads offer a natural seed mix for goldfinches and sparrows.
• ‍Insect favourites: bushes like blackberry brambles and honeysuckle act as magnet plants for insect larvae, creating a rich hunting ground for hungry bird parents in the spri

3. Plant now for year-round shelter & roosting

When the freezing winter takes hold, songbirds can lose vital body heat very quickly. Dense native trees and shrubs offer shelter out of the wintery conditions:

• Structural trees: trees like silver birch and hazel provide essential canopy structure, autumn seed mast, and deep bark crevices where hibernating insects hide.‍
• Hedgerow basics: shrubs like box and wild privet create windbreaks that keep garden temperatures slightly warmer and provide great shelter for birds

Alongside planting new additions, the easiest way to support songbirds right now is simply doing less:

• Leave the leaves and twigs: to create a habitat for insects. Ground foragers like blackbirds and wrens spend hours overturning fallen leaves to find worms and beetles hiding beneath.
• Keep seed heads intact: leave spent flowers on plants such as sunflowers and teasels so finches can pick out the seed heads over winter.

For more ideas on creating a wildlife-friendly garden, see our full wildlife-friendly native plant list to plan your year-round planting.

‍

Bird images: brambling and blue tit