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Wildlife guide

Supporting garden wildlife through a changing winter

Milder, wetter winters shift when animals need food and shelter most.

Garden Forward editorial team · Published 2026-01-09 · Updated 2026-01-09 · Global

A gardener in a sun hat standing on stepping stones above a koi pond, surrounded by broad tropical foliage and clipped hedging
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Warmer winters can wake insects and birds earlier, at a time when little is in flower.

Winter- and early-spring-flowering plants have become disproportionately valuable.

Keep water available: freezing is less of a problem than it was, but dry cold spells still are.

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Editorial content. Narrative may be assisted by Noah, but plant traits, native status, safety information, climate figures and suitability scores are locked factual fields that Noah cannot alter.