Birds will flock to your garden in autumn and winter if you have 3 plants

Brits can help make sure birds continue to flock to their gardens in October with three species of plant. Birds play a key role in gardens, seeking out and consuming insects that can cause damage and disease in plants.

But the cold British autumn and winter makes it tough for the avian creatures, due to there being less of their favourite foods around. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to make them more likely to visit next month, even as colder conditions arrive, an expert says.

Emma O'Neill, head gardener at gardenorganic.org.uk, revealed her tips to the Express.

She said: "Birds and wildlife are a gardener's constant companion, but autumn and winter can be a difficult time due to limited food sources."

Birds also require extra energy to keep warm when it's really cold, according to the RSPB, so its important that they have plenty of nutritious grub around to keep them going - including plants they feed on.

Ms O'Neill said: "Don't be too quick to cut everything down, leave plants that have seedheads, which birds love such as Echinacea, sunflowers and Eryginum."

As well as being a key source of food for birds, seed heads also look extraordinary when frosts arrive.

The expert also recommends leaving small piles of logs out in gardens as "habitats for insects so birds can forage for them".

She also suggests leaving out some windfall fruit, if you've got a lot of it, which is "a particular favourite with blackbirds and thrushes".

Ms O'Neill also stresses the importance of always leaving fresh water out daily.

Meanwhile, animal food and products site Ark Wildlife revealed which things to leave out to make your garden a haven for robins.