Robins will flock to your garden if you don't do one specific task

In a world filled with do this and do that to attract birds to your green spaces, renowned British gardener Sarah Raven has shared exactly what not to do if you hope to see the beloved robin in your garden.

Robins have long been considered the UKs favourite bird, having even topped a country-wide poll which invited Brits to vote for their favourites

The red-breasted avian emerged victorious in the BBCs public poll organised by British birdwatcher and naturalist David Lindo in which 224,000 votes were submitted to crown Britains favourite bird that the public wanted to see elevated to National Bird status.

The humble robin captured 34% of the total votes and has since been unofficially recognised as the UKs National Bird.

Its no surprise then, that thousands of green-fingered enthusiasts do everything in their power to attract the stunning creature to their gardens. From buying fancy birdhouses to installing gorgeous birdbaths UK gardeners are known for going to great lengths to attract robins, and small birds in general, to their gardens.

Avoid doing one task to attract robins

Speaking to The English Garden, Sarah has shared the one task you must avoid if you want to attract robins to your garden tidying up fallen or loose leaves.

Urging green-thumbers to avoid the temptation to tidy up leaves, the popular gardener says that while it can be alluring to have a garden that boasts an immaculate lawn and stripped borders, achieving that may just end up stripping your outdoor space of key elements and make it ecologically barren.

The English Garden guidance says: Loose leaves create a layer beneath your shrubs and trees where hidden prey like beetles and worms for the foraging robin lie.

As several gardeners may still wish to keep their gardens neat and tidy with some semblance of order and organisation, it may be most sensible to create intentional wildlife-friendly areas within your garden.

These can be anything from woodland corners to sections behind hedges, which, when left unkempt and in their natural state, may further serve to allure and entice garden wildlife, especially birds like robins, to gardens.

Another major no-no when it comes to attracting robins and small garden birds is resisting the urge to deadhead perennials too early.

Sarah, in collaboration with The English Garden Experts, warns of the drawbacks of cutting back and deadheading perennial plants such as teasel, rudbeckia, sedum and echinacea to early all of which produce seed heads which help support insects, encourage winter foraging opportunities for birds, as well as add a touch of elegance and beauty to gardens, especially in upcoming winter months.

The English Garden experts share: To a robin, the silver seed heads signal food and habitat.