One of the great things about having an allotment is having your own bit of the wild in which you can relax and enjoy the natural world. Gardens are increasingly being paved or decked and there is a constant pressure on green spaces in towns. Even in the countryside modern society is impacting on bird habitats; since 1945 more than 300,000 miles of hedgerow have been destroyed. Allotments offer the opportunity to reinstate some hedgerows. As well as providing birds with a place to hide and nest, our blackberry and rose hedge offers a diet of berries and haws to birds and small mammals alike. Hedges can also have advantages to the grower, providing stick supports for peas and beans, as well as defending delicate crops against harmful winds.

Needless to say the birds in our gardens (and allotments) benefit from a bit of additional food at this time of year. So, as well as the peanut wreath I blogged about before Christmas, I’ve hung some homemade seed cakes and fat balls on the trees. As long as you have some bird seed these are easy to make and are loved by birds.

Fat Balls

Combine melted lard with a mix of seeds, oats and soaked raisins to a ratio of 1:2 fat to dry. Form into balls around a loop of string. Put in the fridge to set, then hang outside.

Gelatin Seed Cakes (makes 6)

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 4 leaves of gelatin
• 3 tbsp. golden syrup
• 4 cups birdseed
• muffin tin or other mould
• dash of oil
• drinking straws
• baking parchment
• string/twine

Start by mixing the gelatin with the water and stirring until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Add the flour and the syrup and ensure it is all thoroughly combined. At this point stir the seeds into the liquid mix, making sure that they are well coated. Grease the mould, then place a short length of drinking straw in each section, before spooning the seed mix in and firming the mixture down using the back of a spoon. Leave the birdseed cakes for a few hours to set, then remove from mould and remove straws (leaving a hole in each cake). Allow the seed cakes to dry for a further few hour (overnight is even better), after which you can thread string through the hole and hang out for the birds. Once you’ve set out bird feeders, why not spend a little time seeing what visits your outside space? The RSPB are running its annual Big Garden Birdwatch on the weekend of the 25th-26th January. I’ll be up the plot to see what visits. How do you help the birds in your garden or allotment?