In this month’s Garden Designers Roundtable, we discuss how to create a garden that’s inviting to wildlife – creating a ‘habitat garden’.
I think it’s safe to say that for the most part, those of us who love gardening appreciate most aspects of nature and get a little thrill when discovering hidden bird nests in our window boxes, see a baby fawn with its mother, or hear an owl in the distance. In addition to enriching your soul, by creating a garden that caters to your area’s habitat, you’re enriching the surrounding wildlife as well. The faster society develops its land, the less land wildlife has to claim as its own. This is a real issue where I live in the Bay Area, as nature is rapidly being displaced by monster homes, mini-malls and residential developments. As natural habitats are rapidly shrinking the native wildlife is forced to find other places to call home. It’s hard to imagine, but your own garden (no matter its size) can actually have quite a positive impact in helping wildlife survive.
When a new client comes to me wanting to include wildlife in their list of design must-haves, after silently high-fiving them in my head, I then start at the bottom of the food chain – insects. That’s usually the easiest and most important place to begin. By attracting a wide variety of insects you increase your odds of pollinating your entire garden, which means more flowers and more fruit. And by planting a few specific plants, when the ‘bad bugs’ hit, you’ll have an army of ‘good bugs’ there to help fight them off (obviously this isn’t going to happen if you use chemical warfare in your garden as you’ll end up killing the good along with the bad). Most importantly, attracting a wide variety of insects means you’re providing a food source for birds, frogs, turtles, lizards and those next up on the food chain.
Some of the beneficial insects that visit my garden are Ladybugs, Honeybees, Lacewings and Hoverflies, all of which are attracted to such common plants as zinnia, marigolds, yarrow, cosmos, salvias and dill.
From this point forward, you’ll begin to notice other forms of wildlife in your garden – starting with birds.
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If you want to welcome a wide variety of birds into your garden you’ll need to provide three things: a food source (insects and/or bird feeders), a water source (fountains and bird baths) and shelter (large trees and shrubs).
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Some specific plants I like to include in my designs to attract birds are pyracantha and cotoneaster shrubs. Not only are they gorgeous in the Winter months when covered with their vibrant berries, they provide a source food to birds when food is scarce. In addition to food, the large evergreen shrubs provide shelter as well.
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Verbena bonariensis, Selago serrata and Helianthus salicifolius are three of my favorite plants that not only attracts a ton of insects, but the goldfinches and little sparrows just love to hang on their tall, swaying stems, and nibble on the little flowers.
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In addition to plants, I encourage clients to provide a birdfeeder (especially in the winter months when food is scarce). Which seed you provide will determine which birds (or black squirrels!) will be attracted to it. I use a feeder with a common birdseed mix to attract more common birds (such as sparrows, doves and chickadees) and one filled with niger seed to attract the beautiful goldfinches. Remember, though, if you begin feeding them they will rely on you as a food source. If you want them to migrate to warmer climates in the fall, stop filling your birdfeeders in September – otherwise you need to commit to feeding them through the winter months. Don’t up and quit on them mid-winter after their chances of flying to warmer climates has passed!
Not only will your garden now provide constant entertainment with the colorful show and songs of various birds, you’ll occasionally find surprises in the most unexpected places! You begin to realize that you really DO have a direct impact on surrounding wildlife (besides, it’s so fun to watch the process of parents feeding the babies and watching them grow and fledge!)
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I always encourage clients to provide more than one water source in their garden. Small, shallow dishes of water or bird baths provide easy access to little birds, just as long as they’re in an open environment where neighborhood cats can’t get them. Larger and deeper bird baths are perfect for the bigger birds and those who like to take their baths in large groups.
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As in most things in life, there’s a flip-side to all of this. Now that you’ve successfully attracted insects and smaller forms of wildlife to your garden it doesn’t just end there. Next up on the food chain are animals that aren’t as quite as charming, and you need to be prepared for this. You can’t just invite certain species of wildlife to your party! Invite one – invite them all….
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Hawks, crows and other predatory birds just LOVE to eat smaller birds and snatch eggs from nests. Just last week I watched a hawk swoop down and pluck a goldfinch from the feeder as easy as we’d pluck a blueberry off a bush.
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Rats, too, love the birdseed, fruit and vegetables in your garden – as well as some of your favorite succulents. I watched baby rats devour my beautiful ‘string of pearls’ over a period of days despite the nearby rat traps! And nothing ruins an outside luncheon faster than having your guests spot a rat climbing up the wall with a cluster of grapes in it’s mouth! (yes, it’s happened to me).
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Many gardeners live with the daily frustration of deer foraging in their gardens looking for their next meal. If you garden without fences, you’ll need to accept this as a part of life and plant accordingly. Two of my favorite clients have completely embraced wildlife (the good AND the bad) to the point of planting extras for the deer and rabbits in leiu of fencing.
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A few plants that have proven deer-resistant in my part of the world are many of the salvias (s. clevelandii, s. leucothe, s. gregii), phlomis, leonotis leonura and most varieties of lavender.
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And last, but certainly not least, are those near the top of the food chain: Bears.
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While we don’t have bears in my own neighborhood, just a few hours away they’re becoming more and more tame, realizing it’s a lot easier to forage for food near homes than it is in the forests.
All they have to do is look carefully and they’re bound to find your lunch’s leftovers sitting on your patio, or your garbage you forgot to lock up. And believe me, they’re not gentle in your garden, either. When they decide to sit down, you just pray it’s not on your favorite peony!
So remember – there’s a snowball effect when attracting wildlife to your garden. While it starts out small enough, over time it will grow and develop into a balanced eco-system. It’s all part of the circle of life, and though it may be frustrating at times, it’s a very necessary part of nature. With a little planning on your part, though, creating a garden that’s welcoming to wildlife can be one of the highlights of your gardening experience.
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Please stop by the other participants in today’s Roundtable discussion to read a bit more about attracting wildlife to your garden!
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Love the fact you mentioned multiple water sources, including shallow water dish. Our migratory warblers especially love having more than one in my yard, and I always promote that idea to those who want to help wildlife in their landscapes. Thanks for bringing up the “issue” of getting hawks eating birds etc. That’s LIFE! One is not more important than the other. And beautiful pictures, keep up the good work!
Hi Sue – so glad to meet another bird lover! I can never have too many in my garden (even hawks – love them!!). Thanks so much for stopping by!
I live north of you in Newark, CA. We have the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge very close and love the wildlife that we share……except the skunks. I love them too except their powerful perfume! We have finally managed to keep them out of our yard so our poor dog doesn’t get sprayed but especially in the Spring we can tell they are in the neighborhood!
How lovely to read about wildlife adventures…here we worry about the kangaroos who cross the road to graze on lush lawns, possums who decimate fruit trees and thump around in the ceiling and all sorts of parrots who destroy for food and for fun. Native rats eat all the bird seed they can and snakes patrol the chicken run for eggs. Gotta love that country living!
To answer your question about armadillos, yes, they are pretty destructive in a new garden. They don’t eat plants, but they’ll bulldoze young plants and uproot them in their digging for earthworms, grubs, and other yummies.
Pam – really? So, do they run fast when you see them or do they curl up in a ball of hardness? I picture them slow movers (can you tell I’ve never even seen one?). Seriously – I’d LOVE to see one rooting around in my garden. For about 5 minutes. Then I’d get over their ‘charm’ real quick!!
Great post Rebecca. We’ve certainly experienced the ‘joys’ of gardening with wildlife since moving here. I wouldn’t change a thing though (except now we know how to construct a deer fence that works). The vegetables and orchard are behind a fence, but the remaining acreage is wild, which here in the Bay Area I feel is imperative. We have so many deer because they’re crowded out elsewhere. Despite having poultry on the property, I love seeing the bobcats and coyotes wandering through, we just have to do some things a little differently to ensure our flocks are safe, but still permit the wild animals to live here. One thing we no longer do is feed the birds. In our woodland area it attracts too many of the wrong sort of rodents. Instead we try to provide natural forage and shelter for the wild birds. Two other additions come to mind for a wildlife garden. A puddling area for bees and butterflies to obtain water, which can be as simple as a dripper line dripping water on some open soil (don’t mulch everywhere!), and a pile of small rocks, branches, or small logs as cover for reptiles and amphibians.
Thanks for the great and easy suggestion – I never thought of a dripper for butterflies and bees! Brilliant!
Excellent breakdown of using the food chain as a means to lure in the whole kit and kaboodle! I love the “silently high-fiving them in my head” statement.
We have been lucky enough to have some of the larger members as visitors (yes, I did say lucky) here in our yard. A Coopers hawk regularly visits the feeders, and it’s fun watching all the action as the smaller birds try hiding or outsmarting him. We also have bears! They have been in our garage, on our deck, in the garbage (when we leave it out), and have even been jumped on by our dog. We have been fortunate enough for them to bring their cubs into the yard also. At the time the cubs were no bigger than a cat (very cute). It can make for tension, but they will move on rather quickly when left alone. I enjoy all them!
You’re the rare person who welcomes bears into their garden – you have very lucky bears!! We always get such a thrill when we spot a bear – gets the adrenaline pumping, that’s for sure!
Nice post, Rebecca. I especially appreciate that both you and Gen pointed out there’s a flip side to attracting wildlife, whether that’s tolerating some messiness in the garden or attracting the bad with the good.
Interesting what Town Mouse said about gophers. I have to admit that hasn’t been as true for my clients, although most of the ones with severe gopher problems live near open space, so there isn’t necessarily a nicely watered buffet nearby.
A thoughtful and thought-provoking post! I so agree, it all starts with the insects.
One thing I’ve found, BTW, is that my rather dry native plant garden seems to be much less attacked by gophers than my neighbor’s lush vegetable garden. Sometimes, gardening in a mostly climate-appropriate way has interesting side benefits. At least I hope those gophers won’t come over here…
Townie – I will keep my fingers crossed for you! Gophers SUCK!
Bears, oh my! I’m not prepared to see one of those in my garden, but I’m learning to co-exist with deer, armadillos, and raccoons, and I welcome the lower food chain with open arms. Oh, and I love that sweet trio of doves you photographed!
I like that you point out the bad as well as the good. There’s a certain level of tolerance one must develop for seeing plants munched, etc., which comes along with the great pleasure of seeing more-welcome visitors.
Too funny about your rat story. I have one too. I was giving a tour to the producer of a local gardening TV show when a rat ran out across the path, right under her feet. I couldn’t help exclaiming, “Oh no, a rat!” I was horrified that she’d seen a rat in my garden. And she just waved her hand deprecatingly and said, “It’s only a little one.”
Lucky for you, Pam, that the producer was obviously a gardener and the rat didn’t send her running! My luncheon guests, however, were not as amused at mine. I would LOVE to see an armadillo in my garden – are they particularly disruptive?
Great load of practical stuff here, but you are alsovery hot on the philosophy which you have to have to deal with some of it. Liked the bit about the bear sitting on your favourite peony!
Best
Robert
Rebecca, I appreciate your eco-system approach to this topic. I love seeing the red foxes in my garden, but a bear? Not so much. Actually, bear mitigation is a serious issue in many communities that are surprisingly near (or in) urban areas. A thoughtful balance, as you point out, is essential. Thanks for your insights!
Rebecca,
How true that we have to take the good with the bad when planting a habitat garden. We have a red-tailed hawk that visits our garden and while I haven’t seen any killing in person I do find the evidence laying around. The snowball effect you mention is very real. I find myself becoming more tolerant of the ‘bad’ as I see the ‘good’ popping up all over the place.
i love how you covered the WHOLE spectrum of wildlife in your post! the bear bookends are especially appreciated (chainsaw bear, REAL bear)! here’s to encouraging people to embrace the many lives that come to their properties, no matter how many legs, wings or teeth they may have… life surrounds us, especially in the garden.
So glad you got my bear ‘bookends’ approach! Thanks for your comments, Andrea!
What a fun, fun post! I love the way you describe attracting wildlife as a ground-up, snowball effect. That is so true and such an easy way to remember that insects are an important part of things too.
Your photos are gorgeous, as always, Rebecca.
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