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 Making your garden wildlife-friendly starts with
knowing what will attract birds, insects, and animals to your yard.
Wildlife needs water, a food source, shelter, and space. Small
changes in your garden habitat can make a big difference to the
wildlife you wish to attract.
One way to attract wildlife to your garden is to add a water source,
like a birdbath. To maintain a healthy environment for your
wildlife, be sure to clean your birdbath two to three times per
week. It’s important to thoroughly rinse away all cleaning products
from the birdbath before refilling it with clean water and allowing
animals to use it again. Birdbaths are not the only option, though.
A water source can be as simple as a rock with a depression that
holds water.
Another thing to consider for a wildlife-friendly garden is a food
source. When it is time for fall clean up, consider leaving seed
heads on perennial plants, which can be a food source for birds.
Leaf litter and hollow stems can provide overwintering sites for
many beneficial insects and pollinators. Plants that flower early
offer a food source for those insects as they become active in the
spring. Make sure that your garden includes a variety of plants, so
that there are blooms from early spring to late fall. Increase the
variety of butterflies by providing food for their larvae. Plants
from the carrot and aster families are great options. Plant extra
dill or parsley, and you may see more swallowtail butterflies in
your garden.
It’s important to remember that as you provide an attractive habitat
for wildlife, pests may also find your garden. Not to fear, though!
Insect predators and parasites, attracted to the variety you’ve
created, will move in and help control those pests. [to top of second
column] |
Insect-eating birds will find their way to your
garden if their preferred food becomes more abundant. Some organic
farms even include birds as part of their pest management plan. Keep
in mind that there will be a lag time between the pests showing up
and the beneficial creatures doing their job to decrease the
population. Just be patient and trust that they will take care of
those pests for you in due time. Shelter is
the third important component of a wildlife-friendly garden. Provide
shrubs and trees that vary in height for housing all types of
animals. Consider creating a toad house by turning over a terra
cotta pot and propping up one side to create an entrance. Toads are
another creature that will help control insect pests.
Finally, sit back and enjoy the wildlife that is visiting your
garden. Recording your observations in a nature journal is a fun way
to spend time in your garden with the added bonus of helping you
track how your garden and its wildlife inhabitants change from year
to year.
Additional articles like this are available in University of
Illinois Extension Gardener’s Corner Spring edition at
https://extension. illinois.edu/ global/ gardeners-corner
Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle, University of Illinois Extension
horticulture educator serves Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell
Counties. Find more information online at
https://extension.
illinois. edu/ fmpt. [By
Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle, University of Illinois Extension
horticulture educator
Photos by Anita Wilkinson, Extension communication coordinator] |
