Gardening Tips: Creating A Wildlife Garden

Many people opt for a natural garden because of the enjoyment derived from the various specimens of wildlife that visit. Another appreciated attribute is low maintenance. The less you maintain your garden, the greater diversity you encourage. These gardens work with, and benefit from, nature and wildlife. Other garden types can also benefit from nature and wildlife. Your garden soil, plants growing in it, and natural debris on its surface abound with a multitude of various organisms. Though some are invisible to the human eye they have a profound affect on the lives of plants and animals, large and small. They are an important part of the biological community, helping to provide food for animals and birds.
A wise gardener will support these microorganisms by providing them with plenty of organic matter to recycle. The caregiver of a natural garden is one such gardener, and understands the benefits of working side by side with nature. Whether a natural garden or not, there are good, viable reasons for encouraging certain specimens of wildlife to the garden. Toads and frogs help to control garden pests and ladybugs have voracious appetites when it comes to aphids. Worms help to aerate the soil, praying mantis seek out a variety of “bad insects,” and butterflies and bees help pollinate. But there are many other reasons to encourage wildlife interaction in the garden.
Besides being a delight to watch birds are useful in the yard and garden because they eat a large variety and quantity of insects. Swallows eat their weight in insects each day, including pesky mosquitoes. Robins, flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and woodpeckers are also primarily insect eaters. Even hummingbirds will occasionally supplement their diet of flower nectar with insects. In fact, birds are among the best natural means of keeping garden pests in check. In order to encourage birds to your yard and garden a few basic needs must be met: food, water, shelter, and a place to rear young. A wise gardener will provide an environment that will offer birds these basic needs.
Water should be made available during every season of the year. During winters in northern states or in the mountains, where hard freezes occur, a small immersed heater made for that purpose will keep a pond or birdbath from icing over. You can help insure that birds will visit often by providing bird feeders in and around your yard. To attract a wide variety of birds, offer
a variety of feeding stations and different types of food. If hawks are prevalent in your area, shelter these feeding stations with a wire roof. Birds will be better protected against predators, and you will still be able to see and enjoy them.