CREATE WILDLIFE HABITAT
Want to attract more birds and butterflies to your yard? You probably already have a start to a great wildlife habitat just because you live in this neighborhood, which is full of mature trees and shrubs, as well as many native plants along the Prairie Path. But to attract more wildlife you should know that they need: - Food
- Water
- Cover
- Places to raise young
Food: The best food for wildlife is native Illinois plants. Our wildlife and plants adapted together throughout hundreds of years to support each other. Some native plants go to flower or seed right when a bird or butterfly needs them most. Likewise, some plants flower and go to seed at a time when certain butterflies and birds are plentiful so they will pollinate plants or spread their seeds. When I started using native plants and shrubs in my landscaping seven years ago, I noticed a marked increase in the amount of wildlife in my yard. (See links for places to purchase native plants.) Water: Provide water at varying heights and in different amounts. Some birds like robins love a deep bird bath and will splash around openly, while other small birds need shallower baths and prefer a water source located in a more concealed area. My pond has really attracted wildlife because it has one side that is graded so little birds can splash at the edges and larger birds (yes even a hawk) can wade in deeper. Cover/Places to raise young: Fortunately, if you are providing a diverse amount of food in the form of shrubs and native plants, you are creating cover and places to raise young. Frogs and toads love to hide in moist shady woodland areas (I've seen them in water in my planter saucers), but will also sun on rocks. Butterflies need certain host plants to lay eggs and birds need a variety of types of shrubs or trees in which to live/raise young. For more info on creating wildlife habitat, go to www.nwf.org. |
TO MOW OR GROW
Whether you're a new homeowner or you've been in your place for 20 years - it sure feels good to have that piece of land - your home, your yard. You may have even chosen your home because of the natural surroundings - hoping to view wildlife in your down time. However, while you're relaxing at home sweet home, the wildlife around you has lost some of its home due to development and displacement. Don't worry - you can do something about it! While lawn does provide a nice place to relax and play, it offers very little to wildlife in the way of food or habitat. In addition, lawn fertilizers spread onto lawns often ended up running off into our local creeks, ponds, lakes and rivers - and yes, even our drinking water. Lawn mower pollution also compounds the environmental problems created by lawn. One hour of lawn mowing exhaust pollution is equal to three hours of car exhaust pollution. And to keep lawns, a native grass of Europe, green, we have to water it during those hot, dry months - costing time, energy and valuable water. Are there areas of your lawn you're not using? Often the front lawn serves as nothing more than a green expanse to be mowed. Maybe you've got a corner or a ditch that is a challenge to mow. Instead, consider planting wildlife habitat - flowers, grasses, and bushes that create food and cover that will attract those birds and butterflies you love to watch. You can make your habitat as structured and formal - or unstructured like my prairie - as you want. Wildlife doesn't care how it looks - our local fauna is just happy to find food and a place to rest or raise young. Native Illinois plants offer the most attractive food for local wildlife, since they both have adapted thoughout hundreds of years together. For more information about creating wildlife habitat or native plants, see my favorite links, or go to www.nwf.org or www.for-wild.org. |
GET STARTED THIS MONTH
Here are some ideas to help you layout your wildlife habitat: - Take the first steps in designing your habitat - map out your yard, mark where water flows or pools (patches beneath downspouts are perfect for a water garden), delineate paths where people tend to walk, mark off shady, sunny or part-sun areas, note what the views are like from windows from inside your house and the sight lines.
- Research native plants - selecting the right plant for the right area is key to success. Be sure to match a plants needs and growth habit with the area in which you plan to plant. Don't try to force a plant to grow in an area it's not meant for - it'll be unhappy and so will you!
- Buy some native plants - go to www.possibilityplace.com and check out their online catalogue which lists forbs, grasses, shrubs and trees or www.prairienursery.com and order their great catalogue. It's an excellent resource for seeing what native forbs and grasses look like and it has a detailed chart about each plant's sun and water requirements as well as height, bloom color and bloom time.
- Add a water feature or two - buy a bird bath or instead maybe place a ground level saucer in one corner (just use a plant saucer with a rock in it to keep it in place)and a regular height birdbath you can see from inside your house.
Learn how to create wildlife habitat
BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR...
Fall color: Sumacs, ashes, chokeberries and virginia creeper Migrating birds: warblers, thrushes, grosbeaks.
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PLANT OF THE MONTH: RED CHOKEBERRY
One of the things I love about red chokeberry is that it is one of the earliest plants to start turning a beautiful fall color - in September! These small bushes like full sun and medium to wet soil. They'll reward you with pretty, sweet-smelling white flowers in May and bright red berries in fall and winter. The berries stay on through March, when robins devour them, so they look bright red against the winter snow.
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