Sarah Raven says you shouldn't prune these 5 winter plants to support vulnerable garden birds

As the freezing temperatures arrive many of us will be retreating from our gardens to cosy up to the nearest radiator. Winter is also a struggle for wildlife, food supplies decrease and shelter is more important than ever.

This is why Sarah Raven has shared her valuable advice on the plants you should leave unpruned to keep birds safe and healthy this season.

While you might already make an effort to attract birds to your garden, it can be easy to forget when most of your time is spent inside during the colder months. Luckily caring for our feathered friends can be a low-effort affair and save you an extra job.

That's right, you can add these 5 plants onto your list of plants you shouldn't prune this autumn winter and keep the birds protected and fed whilst you're at it.

5 plants you shouldn't prune this winter to feed birds

Whether you fancy yourself a bird-watcher or like to attract birds into your garden to help with the slug population there's no denying the joy of seeing wildlife near your home.

Alongside knowing what's safe to feed the wildlife, gardening in a way that is conscious of the animals living in your space is also important.

So when we saw @SarahRavensGarden on Instagram sharing a reel on which plants and trees you should leave for the birds we had to share.

The list includes verbena, panicum, red orache, rose hips and love-lies-bleeding. All of these will show signs of withering as the winter cold approaches, and while you may feel tempted to chop them back they still offer so many benefits to birds.

Speaking to Lucy Taylore the garden bird expert at Vine House Farm, we learn why it's imperative to leave these perennials to rot.

"The traditional approach to perennial garden plants was to cut them back as they die off in the autumn months, but we now know that waiting until the spring is typically better."

"Allowing the leaves and stems to rot down naturally where they grow helps enrich the soil and form a protective blanket for new growth in the spring, but the real benefit is to birds and other wildlife," she explains.

Whilst there are already some plants you should never deadhead or prune, these are crucial for an array of bird species through the winter.

"For soft-bill species of garden bird, like Robin, Blackbird and Dunnock, the cover of the steadily rotting down growth means that the soil below is less likely to get frozen, and with this, there’ll be worms and other invertebrates to eat," Lucy explains.

She adds, "But the other major benefit is for birds which rely on seeds during the winter months, these include Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Bullfinch. So if the seed heads remain on the plants, then birds will be able to access them."

If you're interested in the rewilding garden trend this is a great way to do it, and knowing which plants to keep around will make the process so much easier.

"There are many varieties of common garden plant with seeds which birds will eat, with notable ones being Verbena, Panicum, Red Orache and Loves Lies Bleeding – though this plant is an annual rather than perennial," says Lucy.

Shrubs and trees that provide berries will attract a whole different group of birds and are even more important to leave unpruned this season.

"These will attract species of thrush including Blackbird, Redwing, Fieldfare and Mistle thrush," explains Lucy. "So it’s important not to carry out any pruning whilst the tree or shrub still has berries on it."

"Rosehips, which are classified as a fruit rather than berry, are also eaten by birds, with an interesting example being Greenfinches which will feast on the seeds within the rosehip of the ornamental Rosa Rugosa."

Along with not pruning certain plants, garden experts warn against raking fallen leaves this autumn and winter. Once again fallen leaves provide many benefits for wildlife, as well as the health of your garden.

If you're not quite ready to embrace the overgrown garden trend there are other ways to help birds this winter. By providing safe and nutritious food alongside appropriate shelter you'll have more feathered visitors when the sun finally returns.

Shop bird-friendly food and feeders

Using more sustainable garden ideas like these will keep gardening more affordable and less wasteful, which is always a good thing in our eyes.