Gardens Gone Wild

July 27, 2012

I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately about gardening for wildlife. How fun would it be to look out and see birds, bees, and butterflies flitting around your back yard? Rabbits playing tag and chipmunks scurrying to and fro are entertaining for people (and pets) to watch. I’ve found that gardening for wildlife is really easy and low maintenance, too.

The first thing you need to know when planning a wildlife-friendly garden is to use plant species native to your area. Most wildlife prefers the familiar food sources to the unfamiliar, and some butterfly species are reliant on very specific types of plants. Another bonus to using native plants and shrubs is that they are more vigorous and less needy than many of the showier hybrids. A definite plus for this year’s dry weather.

A true wildlife garden should provide year-round food and shelter to a variety of animals, insects, and birds. You can bring wildlife right to your backyard with good food supplies, fresh water for drinking and bathing, shelter from predators, and a place to raise their young. You can even get your backyard wildlife habitat certified from the National Wildlife Federation. Just go to www.nwf.org for more information. The Missouri Department of Conservation also has some great information for creating wildlife habitats at www.mdc.mo.gov. You could also check out How to Create a Wildlife Garden by Christine Lavelle and other great books on wildlife gardens here at MCPL.

Heather C.
Lee's Summit Branch