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Daily gardening tip · Northern hemisphere · Tuesday 8 September 2026 · early autumn

Provide Fresh Water for Autumn Birds

As natural puddles and streams dry up in early autumn, your garden bird bath becomes a vital lifeline for local wildlife.

Provide Fresh Water for Autumn Birds
5 minuteseasywildlife
  1. Tip out any old, stagnant water from your bird bath.
  2. Scrub the surface with a stiff brush and clean water to remove dirt and algae.
  3. Rinse the basin thoroughly to wash away any loosened debris.
  4. Fill the bath with fresh water to a depth of one to two inches.
  5. Place a flat, rough stone in the center to help smaller birds land safely.
A garden in early autumn

Why it works

Birds need reliable water to drink and to clean their feathers, which helps them stay warm as autumn temperatures begin to drop. Keeping the water clean and fresh prevents the spread of diseases and stops mosquitoes from breeding in your garden.

Clova Hawkweed

Plant of the day

Clova Hawkweed

Hieracium clovense

An extremely rare perennial herb found in the mountains of Scotland. It features hairy, basal leaves and yellow dandelion-like flower heads on tall, slender stems.

Read about it →

Gardening news

Gardening news

Art week brings new audiences to Herefordshire garden

A garden named Stockton Bury Gardens is holding a yearly art event to attract new visitors and show how art and gardening go together.

The Dirt · 2026-09-07
New research

Plants struggle to adapt in a warming climate

Researchers studied wild morning glories over nine years to see how they respond to climate change. They found that needing to attract dwindling pollinators limits the plants' ability to adapt to rising temperatures.

sciencedaily.com
On this day

Medicinal garden opened at Matthaei Botanical Gardens

On 8 September 2015, the University of Michigan opened a dedicated medicinal garden at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. The garden organized plants by the human body systems they treat rather than by plant families.

record.umich.edu

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