2 weeks Ago By Alex Evans
Gardeners are being warned not to rake up the leaves in their garden this winter because it could disturb an animal that's highly endangered in the UK. If you happen to live in a spot near trees and are lucky enough to have a nice garden, the downside is that this is the time of year where you'll be battling a carpet of soggy brown leaves across your carefully tended lawn, patio, decking - basically everywhere. Then they freeze, create icy slip hazards and generally look a mess across your carefully tended outdoor spaces.
But now gardeners are being advised not to rake up all the leaves in their outdoor spaces and to keep some piles out - which have two key benefits. Leaves are good for a garden . They break down into the soil and add vital nutrients to the ground which can help act as a natural fertiliser and boost next year's lawn, crops and flowers.
They can, though, become a bit much if they carpet an entire lawn and block out the light. When raking up leaves - especially to burn them in a burner or bonfire - hedgehogs are in particular danger as log piles and piles of leaves appear to be ideal places for shelter for them. As Wiltshire Wildlife Trust says: "Unfortunately, the native British mammals regularly fall foul of unchecked bonfires and are killed because of it.
"Considering their recent classification as vulnerable to extinction on the Mammal Societies Red List, the warning for bonfire night is now more crucial than ever. Since 2007, numbers of wild hedgehogs in the UK have halved, and there are now thought to be fewer than a million left in the UK." The Trust advises that gardeners should deliberately leave some piles of leaves and logs in their garden to help hedgehogs this winter.
It added: "Leave wild areas in the garden, such as piles of leaves and logs. These make effective nests and attract the insects that hedgehogs need as part of their diet. "Cover any drains or holes, and ensure any ponds or swimming pools have an escape route.
Avoid using fruit netting as hedgehogs can become entangled in it." They even advise that you could buy a or build a hedgehog house and ensure it is placed somewhere sheltered, and is well camouflaged with leaves, compost or tree branches. In any case, gardeners are being advised to be extra careful when sweeping up leaves and are being asked to do whatever they can to help the spikey creatures from going extinct.
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