Why a few small changes matter so much

When you stay in a farm cottage or rural retreat, you are borrowing a home in the middle of a working landscape. That borrowed patch of garden, yard or paddock edge is part of a much bigger web of life. Birds, bees, butterflies and hedgehogs move between hedgerows, field margins and gardens, and the choices you make during a week or two can help them or hinder them. The good news is that supporting wildlife around a holiday cottage rarely means hard work. It usually means leaving something alone, adding a shallow dish of water, or choosing the gentler option when a pest appears. These small, practical acts add up, especially in spring and summer when young animals are finding their feet.

Leave hedgerows and verges a little untidy

A neatly trimmed hedge may look smart, but it offers far less for wildlife than one with a shaggy bottom and a few wild corners. If you are staying somewhere with a hedge or a strip of long grass, resist the urge to tidy it. Hedgehogs, voles and insects use the base of hedges as highways and shelter. Bees and butterflies rely on wildflowers such as knapweed, ox-eye daisy and red clover that grow in uncut verges. If you have a say in the matter, ask the owner to leave the hedge trimmer in the shed until late winter, after the berries have been eaten and the nesting season is over.

• Leave a metre-wide strip of long grass at the edge of a lawn or paddock.
• Avoid cutting hedges between March and August, when birds may be nesting.
• Pile up prunings and leaves in a quiet corner as a habitat for beetles and slowworms.
• Let a few dandelions and nettles grow – they are valuable early food for bees and caterpillars.

Put out shallow water – and keep it clean

Water is often the hardest thing for wildlife to find in a dry summer, especially on a farm where troughs and streams may be fenced off. A simple shallow dish can transform a garden for birds, bees and hedgehogs. Use a saucer, an old frying pan or a plant tray, and add a few pebbles or a sloping stone so that bees and small mammals can climb out. Refresh it every day or two, and scrub it occasionally to stop algae building up. If you are staying near a pond, do not add goldfish or duck food – just enjoy what is already there.

• Place water in shade so it stays cooler for longer.
• Keep a shallow dish at ground level for hedgehogs and a higher one for birds.
• Float a small piece of cork or a stick in deeper water as a life raft for insects.
• In hot spells, top up bird baths twice a day.

Say no to harsh chemicals

Slug pellets, weedkillers and insect sprays do not stop at the pests they target. A slug pellet containing metaldehyde can be fatal to a hedgehog that eats a poisoned slug. A spray for aphids can wipe out ladybirds, hoverflies and the caterpillars that feed young birds. Around a holiday cottage, the kindest approach is to tolerate a few nibbled leaves and use barriers or hand-picking instead. If you must deal with a problem, choose a method that is specific and wildlife-friendly, such as a beer trap for slugs sunk into the soil, or a simple squirt of soapy water on a rose bush.

• Never use slug pellets if hedgehogs or birds visit the garden.
• Leave aphids on wildflowers – they are food for blue tits and lacewings.
• Use compost or well-rotted manure instead of quick-release chemical fertilisers.
• Pull weeds by hand before they set seed, rather than spraying.

Encourage birds, bees and hedgehogs with simple shelters

You do not need to build a grand wildlife reserve. A nest box on a quiet wall, a bee hotel made from hollow canes, or a loose pile of logs can make a real difference. Farm cottages often have old sheds and outbuildings, which are perfect for swallows and bats if they are left undisturbed. If you are staying for a week, you can still help by not tidying away a leaf pile or a stack of logs. If you are a regular visitor, ask the owner whether they would put up a hedgehog house or a bird box – many are delighted to help.

• Site nest boxes facing north or east, away from strong sun and rain.
• Leave a small gap under a shed or gate for hedgehogs to pass through.
• Create a log pile in shade – frogs, beetles and fungi will thank you.
• Keep a corner of the garden wild with tall grass and seed heads for winter birds.

Watch, learn and tread lightly

The best way to support wildlife is to pay attention. Sit quietly with a cup of tea and watch which birds visit the feeder, where the bees are buzzing, and whether a hedgehog is snuffling along the border at dusk. Keep dogs on a lead near nesting areas and do not let children chase or handle wild animals. If you spot something unusual, note it down and tell the cottage owner – they may want to manage the land even better. Above all, remember that you are a guest in their home. A little restraint, a shallow dish of water and a willingness to leave a few nettles standing will help birds, bees and hedgehogs thrive long after you have packed the car.