How to Create a Successful Wildlife Garden

Transforming your yard into a wildlife garden can bring many hours of enjoyment to you and your family. It will add to the natural beauty that can be achieved with landscaping. Here are some tips to help you get started.

To attract wildlife to your garden, you will need to provide for their basic needs. This includes providing a source of food for the various types of animals you wish to attract. There will also need to be some type of water source. Or, possibly, more than one. You will also need to be sure there is adequate shelter of various types. Different types of wildlife, logically, need different types of shelter. Decide what types of wildlife you would like to attract to your garden and plan your plantings and landscaping accordingly.

Food should be provided in numerous varieties in your garden. This should include, seeds, nectar, and fruit that is provided by various plants. If you get a larger amount of one type of wildlife, and wish to encourage it to stay, you may need to provide supplemental food supplies in the form of feeders.

One source of food is trees in your yard or garden. Tree species that are preferred by many types of wildlife are beech, red and white oak, red maple, white pine, hemlock, red cedar, serviceberry, flowering dogwood, flowering crab, spruce, mulberry, Rissian olive, box elder, wild cherry, hawthorn, mountain ash and hackberry. It is not necessary to plant every type listed. Think about what the types of wildlife will need and choose a few types of trees that will provide several types of food sources.

Shrubs and vines are another source of food, especially the types that produce fruit. Favorites include blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, wild grape, honeysuckle, virburnum, nannyberry, gooseberry, highbrush cranberry, pyracantha, currant, bittersweet and red osier dogwood. Again, it is not necessary to plant one of each. Choose the varieties you will enjoy growing and that will fit in with your landscaping plans.

Another source of food can be provided using flowers and herbs. Flowers that are successful include bee balm, sunflower, poppy, aster, daisy, marigold, cosmos, verbena, and tithonia. These flowers will attract both birds and butterflies into your yard. The perennials should be allowed to form seedpods. Any faded blooms on the annuals should be removed to help new flowers develop. Herbs will also attract some wildlife. The most successful of these are yarrow, mint, chamomile, borage, chive, sweet basil, and lavender.

Two types of water sources will add to the atmosphere of your garden and also help attract wildlife. A birdbath can provide water for a drink for smaller animals. These need to be close enough to trees for the animals to make a quick getaway when predators appear. A pool will provide a home for frogs and turtles. There should be rocks in and around the pool for sunning on warm days.

Animals will also require some type of shelter. There are several ways to provide for this need. Trees and shrubs will provide birds and squirrels with nesting spots. You can also add artificial nesting spaces such as houses. This will increase the chances of birds making their homes in your yard.

If you have enough space, you might consider leaving a corner of your yard in a natural state. Letting native plants and wildflowers grow will also attract many types of wildlife. It can also provide refuge and nesting sites for birds who do not nest in trees.

Providing essentials for different types of wildlife can add an abundance of enjoyment to your yard. It will also add value to your home and provide a more beautiful environment for your family. Hopefully, these tips will help you construct a successful wildlife garden for you and your family to enjoy.