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Why a woodland garden suits hedgehogs

A woodland garden is already halfway to being a hedgehog haven. Dappled shade, deep leaf litter, rotting wood and a tangle of undergrowth give these animals much of what they need without any grand redesign. What usually lets a garden down is not the habitat itself but the way it is divided — sealed fences, tidy borders, strimmed corners and ponds with steep sides. Hedgehogs are not fussy about the size of a garden; they are fussy about whether they can move through it and whether there is somewhere to sleep.

In the UK, hedgehog numbers have fallen sharply since the 1950s, with the steepest declines in rural areas. Gardens, allotments and the scrubby edges between them now function as a genuine refuge. If you are already growing hazel, ferns, bluebells and wood anemone under trees, you have the bones of a good hedgehog patch. The job is to soften the boundaries and leave a few deliberate messes.

Open a hedgehog highway

An adult hedgehog can travel well over a kilometre in a single night, following familiar routes through several gardens. A solid fence line stops that movement dead. The single most useful thing you can do is create gaps.

• Aim for a 13cm square gap — roughly the size of a CD case — at ground level in fences, walls and gates. Hedgehogs will also use a 13cm round hole, but square is easier to cut.
• Cut one gap per boundary, ideally in a corner where shrubs already screen it. Line up gaps between neighbours so a route runs down the street.
• If a wall has to stay intact, lift a couple of bricks at ground level and leave the cavity open. Check with your neighbour first for shared boundaries.
• Keep gaps clear. Ivy and grass will close them within a season, so add them to your spring tidy-up.

If you keep chickens, raise the coop on a solid base or the hedgehogs will simply move in underneath it.

Build shelters that actually get used

Hedgehogs need somewhere dry, dark and quiet to nest by day and to hibernate between November and March. Two or three good options in a garden should be plenty.

• Log piles. Stack prunings and cut timber loosely, bark still on, in a shaded corner. Part-bury a few of the bottom logs and add a layer of leaves over the top. Rotting wood holds warmth and is stuffed with beetles and woodlice.
• Leaf litter. Sweep leaves under hedges and behind shrubs rather than into bags. A 20cm layer of oak or beech leaf mould is prime nesting material — hedgehogs will drag leaves in themselves.
• Brash piles. Bundle thin branches from coppicing and hazel cutting into a mound. This doubles as cover for wrens and toads.
• A purchased or homemade hedgehog house set against a hedge, entrance facing south or west, with a short tunnel to deter cats. Cover the roof with a piece of damp-proof membrane and a layer of leaves.

Leave at least one sheltered corner completely undisturbed all year. Tidiness is the hedgehog's main enemy.

Plant a native hedge and let the edges go

A mixed native hedge does more for wildlife than almost any other planting, and it gives hedgehogs a dry, dark corridor to move along. Hawthorn and blackthorn are the backbone, with hazel, field maple, dog rose, guelder rose and a little holly mixed in. Add honeysuckle and ivy to climb through it — both provide cover right down to ground level, which is where hedgehogs actually travel.

Bramble is worth tolerating in a corner. It is one of the best nesting plants in Britain and the thorns keep foxes and cats out. If you have a mature tree canopy, allow a shaggy margin of nettles, cow parsley and grasses along its edge. These feed the beetles, caterpillars, slugs and earthworms that make up the bulk of a hedgehog's diet.

Avoid close-mown grass right up to fence lines. Leave a strip of rougher grass at least 30cm wide around the perimeter and you will see far more foraging activity after dark.

Water, food and foraging

Hedgehogs drink more than many people realise, particularly in hot spells and during lactation. A shallow dish — a plant saucer is ideal — filled with fresh water and topped up daily will be used constantly. Put a few stones in it so anything that falls in can climb out.

Do not put out milk and bread. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and milk causes diarrhoea. If you want to supplement natural foraging, offer tinned cat or dog food in jelly, or a purpose-made hedgehog food, in a shallow bowl under a weighted cover so cats and foxes cannot get at it.

Never use slug pellets. The active ingredients, and any poisoned slug, pass straight up the food chain. Hedgehogs are also badly injured by strimmers and brushcutters, so check long grass before cutting it, and lift and move a pile of logs before dismantling it rather than pulling it apart.

Seasonal habits that help

Hedgehogs hibernate in leaf piles, compost heaps and under sheds, so a little timing matters. Build a bonfire on the day you light it rather than letting it sit for a week. Turn compost heaps gently in spring or early autumn, not in midwinter. Leave a gap under sheds and decking if you can, but block it before November if you would rather they nested elsewhere.

Keep the shallow water dish unfrozen in cold snaps by floating a small ball or refreshing it each morning. And if you find a hedgehog out in daylight during winter, or a small one active in late autumn, that is unusual — contact a local wildlife rescue for advice rather than assuming it is fine.

Give hedgehogs gaps, shelter and water, and a woodland garden will do the rest. The first sign is usually a trail of disturbed leaves and a few droppings on the lawn; after that, a regular visitor, quietly working the borders for slugs while you sleep.