Supporting your yard, wildlife, and your health…
January might seem like a “quiet” month outdoors, but it’s actually one of the best times to do simple and basic, healthy activities that improve your yard, support wildlife, and set your garden up for a strong growing season. These activities get you moving in the cool air which is beneficial for body, mind, and spirit while directly benefiting (1) native birds, (2) beneficial insects and pollinators, and (3) planning your Spring Garden.
Create a Winter Bird & Beneficial Insect Haven
Remember: January is a tough month for wildlife: natural food is scarce, and shelter can be limited. You can help All Creatures Great and Small by doing the following:
- Setting up or refreshing bird feeders and water sources
- Clean existing feeders with warm, soapy water (or a mild bleach solution, rinsed thoroughly) to reduce disease.
- Refill with high-energy foods: black oil sunflower seeds, suet, nuts, and for some species, nyjer seed.
- Provide fresh water in a shallow birdbath; in very cold climates, use a birdbath heater or change water frequently.
- Maintain “wild” microhabitats
- Keep as much leaf litter, seed heads, and brush piles in as many places as possible around your yard. These areas provide a safe place for beneficial insects to survive the winter.
- Seed heads from flowers like coneflower, rudbeckia, or grasses provide both food and shelter.
- A loosely stacked brush pile offers hiding spots for small birds and overwintering insects.
Add simple insect hotels or bundles
- Tie hollow stems (like bamboo or spent perennials) in bundles and place them under an eave or inside a sheltered shrub.
- These can provide nesting and overwintering sites for solitary bees and other beneficial insects later in the season.
Environmental and ecological benefits
- Supports native birds in lean times: Supplemental food and unfrozen water help birds maintain body weight and survive freezing nights, especially in urban and suburban areas with limited natural forage.
- Boosts natural pest control: Birds and beneficial insects you support in winter often help control pests (like caterpillars, aphids, and beetles) once spring arrives.
- Increases biodiversity: Even a small yard can become a mini refuge, helping migratory birds and local insect populations persist in developed landscapes.
- Reduces yard waste impacts: Leaving some natural “mess” (leaves, stems, twigs) keeps organic matter on-site instead of in landfills, where it can contribute to methane emissions.
Why is January ideal to care for Birds?
- Food scarcity is highest: Many berries and seeds have already been eaten or knocked down; your feeders and seed heads become crucial resources.
- Insects are dormant: Cleaning and rearranging is less disruptive when many insects are tucked away in leaves, bark crevices, or underground.
- Easier observation and enjoyment: Bare branches make birds easier to see, turning this into a relaxing, mindful outdoor hobby during an otherwise quiet month.
If you are considering a Spring herb or vegetable garden, you can do this in January 2026.
- Determining the appropriate planting zone and last frost dates for North Central Georgia.
- Plan your garden layout based on space, sun exposure, as well as companion planting principles.
- Selecting native or well-adapted vegetable, herb, and flowering plant species that are ideal if you are just starting a garden this year. Look for seeds for plants that are quick to germinate, and resistant to mold or mildew.
- Be sure to use seeds that are organic, non-GMO varieties, with region-appropriate cultivars.
- Develop a seed-starting schedule, including soil preparation, indoor light requirements, and watering systems
- Then, in late March or early Spring, you can set up your garden beds or containers for transplanting in early Spring, using organic soil amendments and mulching strategies
We will cover more about “getting your Spring Garden ready” in later articles. If you start planning now, you will be all set to plant when Spring arrives !!!
