A garden can offer shelter and feeding opportunities yet remain difficult for a hedgehog to reach. Solid boundaries turn neighbouring green spaces into separate compartments. In places where hedgehogs live, a carefully planned connection can make those spaces more useful together.
The UK conservation campaign Hedgehog Street suggests a 13 cm by 13 cm opening as a practical size for its hedgehog highways. That measurement is a starting point for a suitable garden boundary, not permission to cut any fence or wall.
Follow the route beyond your own garden
Talk to the neighbour or boundary owner first. Look at both sides of the proposed opening: a connection into another planted garden is different from one leading straight towards a busy road, an uncovered drain or an area with hazardous equipment.
Consider the boundary’s other jobs, including keeping pets contained. A wildlife opening must not compromise a necessary safety barrier. For masonry, structural fences or uncertain ownership, get appropriate advice rather than improvising a hole.
Draw a simple sketch with the proposed connection, sheltered areas and obstacles. Ask the neighbour to add their side. This often reveals a problem that is invisible when each person looks only from their own lawn.
Make maintenance part of the agreement
Keep the finished edges safe and the passage clear. Plant pots, stored boards and a newly delivered bag of compost can quietly block a route that was open last week. Agree who will check it after garden work and who should be contacted before the boundary changes.
Do not move a wild hedgehog into the garden to test the opening. The aim is to allow voluntary movement through suitable habitat. Avoid disturbing animals or blocking a route while one is using it.
This approach belongs within local wildlife guidance. If hedgehogs are not native to your area, ask a local conservation organisation which species and connections would actually benefit from changes to your garden.