Welcome wildlife
Suburban gardens in neighborhoods like Spring Glen are rich in ecology with an immense amount of biodiversity. Why would someone want to garden with biodiversity in mind? Diverse plant communities support a variety of life forms which can improve soil health, increase pollination, and encourage plant resistance to pests and diseases.
Plant in succession and with a wide plant palette. Choose plants suitable to your site and habitat. A variety of densely planted annuals, bi-annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs that bloom from early spring to late fall feeds garden insects and birds. Variety of flower shapes and color is key when choosing plants. Umbellifers provide a landing pad for pollinators and those that travel a distance like the monarch butterfly.
Wildlife (and all life) needs water. This can be a small pond or a container. I use a container saucer with a stone. This is the best addition to my garden. The bird bath is in a visible location and the activity is very entertaining. Changing the water everyday keeps the bird bath clean and free of disease and mosquitos.
Provide shelter. This can include a hedgerow of shrubs, woodpiles, dead hedges made from sticks and branches. These piles which can be quite decorative provide shelter for birds and insects. Leave vegetation standing in your flower border in the fall. The stems and seed heads can provide shelter and food for insects and birds throughout the winter. The standing vegetation also provides some winter interest and structure. Porous stones with holes and cracks (stone wall or steps) can be another source of shelter for small wildlife, nesting bees and wasps, for example. Let plants grow through the nooks and cracks of stones and rocks. A Gabion wall looks great and creates little crannies for wildlife. Long grass or meadow wildflowers next to short grass, or long grass around the edges of your property can also be a shelter.
Fergus Garrett of Great Dixter Garden in Sussex (UK) has spoken about gardening with a “soft touch”. Wildlife depends on safety for survival. Ramp up the biodiversity in the garden and the need for spraying chemicals minimizes. As I am typing this, the resident fox just crosses across the backyard. Gardens enrich us as much as the wildlife, let’s be good stewards.
