Hedgehogs are one of the most recognisable mammals to visit British gardens after dark, often covering a surprising distance, sometimes a mile or more, over a single night as they forage. A garden that offers a route in, something to eat and somewhere quiet to rest is far more likely
click to investigate see repeat visits than one that is sealed off and tidied within an inch of its life.
Fresh water for drinking and bathing rounds out a decent set-up. Gardeners building out their feeding station for the first time typically start with a good spread of bird feeders to cover the different food types birds look for.
Access is usually the first barrier. Solid fencing and walled boundaries cut a garden off from the wider network a hedgehog relies on. A gap roughly the size of a CD case cut at the base of a fence panel, sometimes called a hedgehog highway, lets them pass between neighbouring gardens without needing to cross open roads or driveways.
Leaving a few deliberately untidy corners does more good than a uniformly neat border. A patch of long grass, a stack of logs left to slowly rot down, and leaf litter left in place over winter all provide shelter for insects, amphibians and small mammals that a fully cleared garden simply cannot offer.
Bees and other pollinating insects rely on gardens for a large share of their food, especially in built-up areas where wildflower meadows are scarce. A garden that offers flowers from early spring right through to autumn does far more for pollinators than one with a single showy burst of colour in June.
Different nematode species target different problems. Some are used against slugs, others against vine weevil grubs feeding on plant roots in containers and borders, and others against chafer grubs or leatherjackets damaging lawns. Because they are pest-specific, the right choice depends on identifying which pest is actually causing the damage.