Who's doing what? Twig bundles?

With the mild weather so far this January for many parts of the UK, has it tempted anyone out into the garden to get planting or trimming those shrubs now the berries have gone? Or are you still lucky enough to have berry-bearing hedges with berries still on show?

If you are getting a trim in before the nesting season kicks off, try to keep some of your cuttings as bundles of twigs and create log piles can be great places for invertebrates, lichens and fungi. Try placing them in your borders, under shrubs or in wild areas of your garden. It would be great to see your handywork so take a picture and post it here!

Only planted a few bulbs so far, but some berry hedging is on the agenda shortly. I was planting bulbs yesterday with a singing robin just a few feet away. He's found out we have mealworms and won't leave us alone!

I always do the garden around now so that it's ready for such as like the bulbs but they've come early !! Luckily, I had attacked the edges under the trees in November! Two of the Holly bushes, especially the one, were dripping with berries but there's barely any left now and there's non at all on the 120 feet of Pyracantha !! So the birds have all had a lovely time and full bellies !! I do leave some branches and twigs but I wanted to make a bug hut and I haven't got round to it ( need Reginald Perrins shop!) so I will listen to you Ian and put more under the hedges. Maisie sounds like you had a really lovely time yesterday, I do so love to hear Robins sing, does your heart good doesn't it . Your foot signature is brilliant and so true !!! :-)

Not done much as we are fairly boggy here on the edge of 'grazing marshland'! Hedges are still pretty laden with berries and the berry bearing bushes in my garden haven't been touched yet!!

Had good visits from a variety of birds with the frosts earlier in the week but we are now wet and mild again here in North Somerset. With this change it went a bit quiet on the feeders again today!!....weird weather!!

Higgy

Tackled some of the beech hedges at the back end of last year, but the hawthorn I left till now. The hedgesparrows enjoy the extra height that's been put on + it has clematis, honeysuckle + hops growing through, that were still in the green. I reckon that I must be mad though as I cut it all back with seceteers so as not to shorten the growth that these new plants have put on!!

I have a large, for this garden, log pile at the back of a border by a bit of hedge, that I just add more to the top off. This winter its had the lower branches of the crabapple + the large 'clearings' from the border infront. All the fennel + other old stems that might be over witering wee beasties are added loosely in + about. The great thing is when I guddle around in the composty bottom there are all sorts of life, newts, toads, worms, slaters its always amazing to have a wee look. Must take tiny out with me next time I look + the microscope for the big'uns'!!