Hedgehog-Friendly Gardens: Gaps, Shelter and What Not to Do

Few garden visitors are as lovable as the hedgehog. 

But it’s a sad reality that, in the UK, these spiny mammals are facing long-term trouble. In the 50s, estimates placed the UK’s hedgehog population at 30 million; today, fewer than 1 million remain, and they’ve officially been classified as vulnerable to extinction. 

It’s not all bad news! According to the State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report, while rural populations are still struggling, hedgehog numbers in towns and cities are showing signs of recovery. 

Why? Because of gardeners like you! Urban gardens in areas like Prescot, St Helens, and Liverpool are becoming the new stronghold for the country’s favourite spiky mammals. 

Best of all, you don’t need a patch of land the size of a nature reserve to make a difference. A few small, inexpensive changes can help build a hedgehog highway across Merseyside. 

How to make your garden hedgehog-friendly

A hedgehog-friendly garden is one that’s been checked (and double-checked) in a risk assessment. 

1. Create a water escape route 

Hedgehogs love a dip, and, contrary to popular belief, they’re strong swimmers!

They’re happy to paddle across a pond to get to the other side, but the danger isn’t the water itself. It’s the steep, slippery sides they can’t scramble out from. 

All you need to do to prevent a hedgehog from exhausting themselves is build an exit strategy! Here are three ways to do this: 

• Ramp: The easiest fix for existing ponds is to add a ramp. A piece of rough timber or a rigid log works well.

• Beach: A creative fix for those building a new pond (or reshaping an old one) is to craft a sloping ‘beach’ area with pebbles and stones at one end. Now, hedgehogs can stroll in and out for a dip, no climbing necessary! 

• Steps: For formal ponds where a ramp might look out of place, use submerged rocks or brick stacks to create a tiny staircase leading up to the surface. 

2. Check bonfires before lighting 

Did you know that hedgehogs hibernate from October or November, right through to March and April? It’s during the Autumn, these creatures are looking for a cosy space to hunker down in, and a bonfire may as well be a hedgehog holiday retreat. 

These creatures are constantly seeking dry, sheltered, and dark places, so a pre-made bonfire stack is indistinguishable from a natural nest. To keep them safe, you should never set fire to a pile that has been sitting for any length of time.

Simply poking the base isn’t good enough, as a hedgehog’s instinct when faced with a threat is to curl up into a tight ball (plus, you may injure them in the process). 

Be thorough: completely move the bonfire materials to a clear patch of ground on the day you intend to light it. By manually rebuilding the stack just before, you guarantee that no wildlife is hidden inside. 

(Another tip: when you light the bonfire, ignite it from one corner to give any other creatures plenty of time to escape).

3. Look carefully before strimming 

Strimming is one of those everyday garden jobs that can cause serious harm in seconds. 

Long grass, overgrown verges, and the base of hedgerows are favourite sleeping spots for hedgehogs during the day, so they may well be invisible to a gardener standing above. 

As we’ve learnt, a hedgehog’s natural defence mechanism when it hears loud noises (like the roar of an engine) is not to run away, but to curl into a tight, stationary ball. Tragically, this instinct leaves them completely vulnerable to blades. 

A good habit is to clear the area first by walking through it in a noisy, heavy way, which can encourage hidden wildlife to move on. 

You may also want to set your cutting height higher for the initial pass to reduce the risk of contact with any animals on the ground. 

4. Avoid using slug pellets

For years, the standard response to a hole in your favourite foliage was to reach for a bottle of slug pellets. However, this is one of the most damaging things you can do in a hedgehog-friendly garden. 

While the toxic chemical Metaldehyde was officially banned in the UK in 2022, many sheds and garages in Merseyside still hold old bottles of these pellets. If you find them, please dispose of them safely at a local waste centre – never use them. 

How to create a hedgehog habitat in your garden

Now that your hedgehog-friendly garden has been optimised against the biggest threats, it’s time to invite the country’s favourite mammals into your home! 

1. Leaf piles 

Most gardeners’ instinct in Autumn is to rake, bag, and bin every stray leaf in sight, but stop: leaf piles are the duvets of the hedgehog world! 

Instead of getting rid, collect medium-sized dry leaves (like oak, hazel, or beech) and pile them in an undisturbed area of the garden. You’re sure to attract hedgehogs who want to use these leaves to build layered nests for hibernation. 

2. The Hedgehog Highway! 

The Hedgehog Highway is one of our favourite ways of creating a hedgehog-friendly garden (plus, it encourages conversations with neighbours!) 

You can provide all the food, shelter and foliage in the world, but if a hedgehog can't get into your garden, it’s wasted. Fun fact: hedgehogs can cover 2km a night when searching for food and mates, but solid fencing stops them in their tracks.

Make sure hedgehogs can move freely between gardens by creating a 13cm x 13cm gap (about the size of a CD case) in your boundary fence or wall. It’s just enough for a hedgehog to pass through, and is usually too small for most other pets.

3. Lay down food & water

Hedgehogs get hungry, too! All that travelling is hard work, so consider leaving a midnight snack for them to stumble upon. Fresh water is always helpful, especially in hot or dry spells, and should be offered in a shallow bowl that’s easy to reach.

For food, offer meaty cat or dog food (jelly-based is better than gravy) or specialised hedgehog nourishment. Place them out in shallow bowls, and to keep them coming back for more, try to refresh every day. 

4. Create a hedgehog hut

A purpose-built hedgehog home is the best gift any gardener can offer (especially in smaller or tidier gardens where natural cover is limited). 

If you’re into DIY, you can build it yourself using untreated timber or buy a purpose-built hedgehog home. Look for a design with a tunnel entrance that’s only big enough for hedgehogs: this should confuse predators! 

Then, once you’ve found the perfect home, camouflage the outside of the house with vegetation so it feels like it’s been there forever (don’t forget to leave the entrance clear!) 

Shop for gardening materials with Whitaker’s Garden Centre! 

A hedgehog-friendly garden is a happy one indeed (and you can keep it looking great with gardening tools from Whitaker’s Garden Centre). We’ve got great deals on plants and shrubs, pots and planters, and even Tom Chamber's Hungry Hedgehog Blend! 

Let’s work together to keep the North West’s hedgehogs safe!

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