With winter fast approaching, bees need extra help in the provision of the food and shelter they need to survive the cold.

Three simple actions can help pollinators this winter. You do not have to be an expert gardener to make a difference: from installing urban window boxes to planting the right bulbs, everyone can play their part to ensure bees have food and a home.

• Plant flowers, shrubs and trees that thrive in winter. The evergreen mahonia is excellent winter food for bees, while the pendant bells of winter flowering clematis can give pollinators a sugary energy boost. Ivy plants are also an ideal source of food for bees in late autumn so avoid cutting them down.

• Leave suitable places for hibernation undisturbed. Letting areas of the smallholding grow long until the spring can provide a hibernation home while cool, north-facing banks are ideal places for bees to burrow. The hollow tubes of dead stems of plants in borders can also serve as a great nesting spot.

• Planting early flowering bulbs like crocus, primrose, snowdrop or coltsfoot that flower in February and March help to support bees and pollinators looking for an early feed. Winter is also the perfect time to plant bee-friendly trees, such as acacia, blackthorn and hazel.