You would expect a wildlife charity to wax lyrical about the importance of lush, berry bearing plants for wildlife.  But the RSPB believes that wildlife badly needs dead trees in our gardens too.

The charity believes that the presence of dead or decaying wood is an important but often overlooked element of wildlife gardening.  It wants gardeners to be aware of the importance of standing and fallen decaying wood and old plants for lots of creatures.  Whether its small twigs or huge tree trunks they are home and food to invertebrates, fungi, mosses and lichens.

Birds feed on the invertebrates that make their home in old wood, and dead branches make excellent song and display perches.  A decaying tree with a snagged bough or a small cavity might also provide a nest site for a bird or bat.
 
And you don't have to have a large garden with space for dead branches, trunks or stumps to make a difference. Even in a small space a bit of creativity goes a long way. For example a nest box replicates a snug hole in a tree trunk.  If you have a balcony or terrace the wildlife charity suggests you can lay logs among planters, or even place or part bury them upright as a feature in a tub. Or, fill a large plant tub with wood chippings and soil, and part bury a small log upright in it.

The RSPB recommends providing a variety of dead wood, some lying down and some standing, to give secret but needy wildlife a chance of finding exactly what it wants.  You can do this by retaining and increasing the amount of dead woody material in your garden and lying or stacking it near to where it has been cut.  It’s also a great idea to mimic standing deadwood (as long it’s not in a dangerous place). An easy way of doing this is to 'plant’ logs upright in the ground.

For more information on using deadwood and tips on gardening for wildlife visit www.rspb.org.uk/hfw.