Your backyard can be a haven for butterflies, hummingbirds, and other lovely wildlife. Here’s how:
One of a gardener’s great pleasures is sitting back and watching the wildlife buzz around busily in their garden. There is a sense of pride that one feels when they know they have created a truly living garden – a space that provides a habitat for a wide variety of species. In this space, you can savor mother earth’s beauty in harmony with butterflies, birds, and a whole variety of interesting wildlife. You can observe them sipping nectar, getting relief from the hot sun, and simply enjoying being alive. Below are a few tips on how to attract wildlife in your landscaping.
1. Take your design from nature…
The flora and fauna of native communities have co-evolved over centuries to become habitats that support specific species. Examples are Coastal Sage Scrub, Oak Woodland, and Chaparral. Planting in communities will attract specific wildlife. They won’t just visit once, they’ll keep coming back, and some of these new friends may even make a permanent home in your trees or shrubs. This way, you will be able to observe multiple generations of bird families, the migration of butterflies, you might even get to know some individuals. This is the most satisfying way to enjoy a wildlife attracting garden. The best way to ensure success is to make your plantings mimic the native plant community in your area. For example, I live in Los Osos, so I would plant a Coastal Sage Scrub garden which would include plants like, Sagebrush, Buckwheat, Manzanita, and Wild Lilac. These plants would attract animals such as the White Crowned Sparrow, Hummingbirds, Towhee, and Cottontail. Las Pilitas Nursery in Santa Margarita has a searchable list of plant communities by zip code. Using that information, you can figure out which type of plant community to plant in your yard. Follow the link here to find the plant community best suited for your area.
2. Invite them in…
Make your garden as inviting as can be with lots of nooks and crannies, open spaces, sunlight, and shade. Leave some branches un-pruned so a bird can perch. Keep some ground bare so bees can nest and morning doves can eat seeds. Provide shelter for some creatures looking to hide from a predator, or looking to nest. Leave fallen leaves on the ground as mulch that can provide shelter for insects. Logs and rocks are good places for creatures to call home for a while. Again, take a look at nature to see how wildlife interacts with their natural habitats.
3. Make sure they are well fed and have enough water…
Like with any guest at your house, you will want to make sure they have enough to eat and drink. Choose plants that provide nectar for birds such as Penstemon, Mimulus, Zauschneria, and Salvia. Don’t prune your spent flowers, rather let them go to seed for the birds to eat. You can also plant wildflowers in your garden and let them go to seed. Leave some fruits on your trees to share. Make sure there is water out so your new friends can grab a drink when they stop by. Avoid putting out hummingbird feeders with the sugar water in them, as hummingbirds should get their food from nature and nowhere in nature is there corn syrup with red dye in it.
4. Avoid pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers…
All of these products have chemicals in them that shouldn’t be ingested by any animal. These chemicals can not only effect the animal who ingests them, but can pass through the food chain and harm many more animals. If you have a garden that mimics nature, the use of pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers shouldn’t be necessary.
5. Put a bell on kitty…
You love nature and you love animals so you may have pets that live at your home. Cats love to be outside in the garden just as much as you do, but your new friends will not stick around for very long if they know he’s there. Put a bell on kitty so that your new feathered friends have a good warning when he’s around.
Building a garden to attract wildlife is all about preparing the space for them to come. If your garden has comfortable nooks, delicious nectar and seeds, water, shelter, and safety, you will have an inviting little habitat for wildlife. You will be sure to have some new acquaintances in no time.