A red squirrel’s guide to gardening

As spring draws closer, join Heather Harris in discovering how a few thoughtful choices can transform your garden into a sanctuary for red squirrels and the wildlife that depends on it.

There’s a quiet kind of magic in spotting a red squirrel in your garden: a moment that makes you pause mid cup of tea and smile at your good fortune. Sadly, these encounters are becoming a rarity, but with a few thoughtful, red squirrel-friendly touches, your garden can become a haven of food, shelter, and safe passage.

Gardening for wildlife isn’t just rewarding, but a chance to reconnect with nature. In a world where paving slabs replace flowerbeds and lawns are trimmed to perfection, nature can struggle to take root. By softening the edges, letting go of expectations, and welcoming wilderness, you can shift the balance back. Garden with nature, not against it.

The marvel of mess

Every good woodland has its hidden nooks, tangled corners, and pile of leaves where creatures pause to rest or build. Red squirrels, especially, love the messy bits. To us, leaves, moss, twigs, and grass may seem like clutter. To a red squirrel, they are the precise materials needed to transform their dreys into warm, sturdy nests safely tucked into the branches. Reds build multiple dreys, so the more available materials, the better. Tucked beneath logs and stones, damp pockets form where fungi and insects quietly flourish, offering red squirrels the hidden snacks they depend on.

Plant a pantry

If red squirrels wrote shopping lists, they’d be filled with hawthorn and holly, plump rowan berries, sturdy hazel, and tall Scots pine and larch. These aren’t just beautiful plants, but vital red squirrel nourishment.

Choosing trees and shrubs like these does more than add colour, height and seasonal interest. It quietly stocks the shelves of a living pantry, offering berries, seeds and nuts through the year. And when a garden provides food in every season, it doesn’t just look alive - it is truly thriving.

A thoughtful feast

Everyone loves a furry or feathered friend perched at their feeder, it’s half the fun of having a garden! It can be hugely rewarding, but balance is key.

Red squirrels enjoy shelled hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, and small pieces of fresh fruit to mimic nutrients they would naturally forage for.

The goal is to support and encourage wild behaviours, so we recommend scatter feeding in infrequent, small doses above all else. If you do have feeders, regular sanitisation with cleansers such as Virkon S or Safe4 is essential to mitigate the spread of the often-fatal squirrel pox virus.

Create a canopy corridor

Red squirrels are natural acrobats, leaping through their woodland canopies. A garden with plenty of connected branches will effortlessly feel more like home. Plant trees close enough for little leaps and mix in shrubbery to create a layered woodland feel. The more your garden mimics a forest, the more boldly a red squirrel will explore.

Red squirrel with a scatter of nuts and seeds

Kindness is key

Kindness counts in every corner of your garden. It doesn’t need to be vast or wild to make a difference, but it must be gentle. Skip the pesticides and harsh chemicals, offer a shallow bowl of fresh water where creatures can drink safely, and keep a close eye on pets during busy squirrel hours of dawn and dusk. Give red squirrels the space to explore without feeling watched, and admire them quietly from a distance.

And if you ever spot a squirrel who seems sick or injured, please reach out to us, your local vets, or the RSPCA. Each small act of care helps your garden become a sanctuary to each red squirrel passing through.

Maybe a red squirrel will visit this year. Maybe next year, or maybe the year after that. Wildlife tends to move at its own pace, and part of the joy is watching your garden slowly transform silently yet beautifully. When a flash of russet fur finally graces your nurtured garden, remember that nature chose you.

Grow your garden from the heart, leave some corners untamed, nourish with care and watch your garden become a place of possibility for all the visitors who bring it to life.