Welcoming Wildlife into Your Scottish Garden This Autumn
- bloomingscotland
- Sep 12
- 2 min read
September is a season of transition in Scotland. While summer’s brightness begins to fade, autumn brings rich colours, ripening fruit, and the rustle of leaves underfoot. It’s also the perfect time to prepare your garden so that wildlife has food and shelter as the seasons change. With a little mindful garden maintenance and thoughtful design, you can make your garden a haven for birds, insects, and small mammals well into autumn and beyond.
Celebrate Seed Heads and Berries
Resist the urge to tidy everything away.
Seed heads from perennials such as echinacea, rudbeckia, sunflowers and teasels provide natural food for finches and other birds.
Berries on rowan, holly and cotoneaster are ripening now and will attract thrushes and blackbirds.
These small details not only support wildlife but also add beauty and texture to Scottish gardens in autumn.
Plant Now for Pollinators
Autumn is a prime season for planting, and you can still provide nectar for late-flying insects.
Ivy flowers bloom in September and October, offering a last feast for bees and butterflies.
Michaelmas daisies and sedum bring both colour and food for pollinators.
Adding spring bulbs such as crocus or snowdrops ensures an early food source next year.
Create Shelter and Habitat
Garden design can play a key role in supporting wildlife.
Log piles and leaf corners offer hiding places for hedgehogs, amphibians and insects.
Evergreens and shrubs provide cover for birds as deciduous plants begin to thin.
Compost heaps not only recycle waste but also create warm homes for a variety of creatures.
Provide Fresh Water
Even in Scotland’s damp climate, a reliable water source is invaluable.
Keep bird baths filled and clean.
Consider adding a small pond - even a half-barrel water feature can attract frogs, newts and dragonflies.
Inspiration from Scottish Gardens
Visiting Scottish gardens at this time of year shows how professionals balance beauty and biodiversity. Look out for ornamental grasses left standing for movement, berrying shrubs that glow in low autumn light, and borders designed to support pollinators right up to the first frosts.
Autumn gardening isn’t just about clearing and cutting back - it’s about creating space for life. By combining careful garden maintenance with wildlife-friendly choices, your garden can continue buzzing, fluttering, and chirping long after summer has passed.
Whether you’re tending a balcony in the city or a rural plot in the Highlands, your outdoor space has the power to support Scotland’s wildlife this season.
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