Your Second Home Landscape Planting For Wildlife

WHEN I GREW UP in the rural south of England, every farm field was bordered by a spinney, a wide hedge line of trees and undergrowth, with a footpath through the center. Those long corridors were a haven to a wide variety of birds, squirrels and rabbits. Foxes would occasionally be encountered strolling the hidden footpath, keeping an eye out for anything edible. After dark, owls could be heard hooting in the trees. The spinney was alive with the movement of benign creatures, and the air filled with birdsong. It was not only a magical place for a child, it has proven to be an important habitat for the numerous species of animals and insects that resided there, protected from the intense human activity of towns and farms.
There are good reasons to consider the happiness and welfare of wildlife in our gardens. On a personal level, it certainly enhances our enjoyment to hear the birds and crickets sing, and it educates and cheers the children, especially those who usually live in the cities. In addition, each step we take helps to ensure the survival of animals and insects upon which our ecosystem relies. Even around your vacation home, creating habitat suitable for both humans and wildlife isn’t difficult, it just takes a thoughtful approach.

The three main requirements are water, food and shelter. Water is the easiest, for what could be simpler than setting up a birdbath? Do keep in mind that birdbaths should be no deeper than 2”, with gently sloping sides so the birds can wade in. They should be set up in an open area, but with perching sites close by. You may want to set up an additional birdbath at ground level, one that is reachable by chipmunks and other small animals.

Having a variety of food plants in the garden is the best way to ensure that you get a positive embarrassment of wildlife viewing. When choosing what to plant, try incorporating a variety of native species into your landscape, which are not only preferred for wildlife, they are generally easier for us humans to tend. Plant mixed shrubs or hedges rather than fencing your property, and choose shrubs and trees that provide fruit or seed for birds. Pinecone seeds are favorites of nuthatches and pine grosbeaks. Beechnuts and acorns are feasted upon by many animals, including wild turkeys. Staghorn Sumac attracts bluebirds, hermit thrushes and flickers.

The availability of fruits will, of course, please animals mightily. Blueberries, grapes, cherries, elderberries and raspberries are a guaranteed draw. Our native shadblow (Amelanchier) is a huge hit with birds all season long, from the time the cedar waxwings arrive to eat the flowers, until the catbirds and orioles come to polish off the berries.

Hummingbirds will be pleased to find nectar-bearing plants such as Beebalm, Penstemon, Columbine, Coralbells, Phlox and Honeysuckle.

Safe sheltering and nesting is the third component needed. Many little creatures will feel too vulnerable to predation to venture onto a wide close-cropped lawn, but will live and thrive in a thicket on your property. Leave a corner of the yard undeveloped, and let the vines and undergrowth stand. Rather than disposing of tree trimmings, leave a brush pile or two in a quiet corner to give cover. If your landscape is broad and open, try planting several shrubby islands which the animals can use to cross the area in safety. Leave some areas of grass unmown, as there are several birds that need to nest in tall grasses. Wait until late summer to mow, after the baby birds have fledged.

When selecting trees and shrubs, include some thickly branched species that create secure nesting sites. Dense shrubs suitable for both hedging and birds include Hornbeam, Forsythia, Privet, Dwarf Crabapples, Yew, White Cedar, Boxwood, Dogwoods and Hemlocks. Allowing a dead tree to stand, if a safe distance from the house, not only gives homes to birds and squirrels, but will attract woodpeckers.

Avoid the use of chemicals in the garden. If your lawn is tended by lawn-care professionals, ask them to refrain from or restrict the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, many of which are implicated in health issues not only for wildlife, but for pets and people too. In most of the northeast, lawns do not need fertilizer, and the overuse of chemical formulations leads to pollution and algae blooms in the waterways.

Let’s not forget the insects, an essential part of the nature friendly landscape. They too should be accommodated, for they feed many animals and birds, may develop into beautiful butterflies, or be indispensable pollinators for our garden and crop plants.

Butterflies need not only nectar-producing plants, they need plants to feed on while still in the larval stage. Without milkweed leaves for the caterpillars to eat, for example, we will not see many Monarch butterflies coasting along the late summer breezes. Develop a wildflower area to support birds and butterflies. Consider replacing part of the lawn with a wildflower meadow stocked with hardy perennials like Yarrow, Aster, Coreopsis, Coneflower, Gayfeather, Beebalm, Goldenrod, Veronica and Rudbeckia. For summer-long color add annual flowers such as Cosmos, Sunflower, Bachelor Button and Zinnia.

The zapping summer sound of bug lights may give us a certain grim satisfaction, but in reality they’re not all they’re cracked up to be.
Not only do they attract more insects into our yards, but they have been proven to kill far more beneficial insects than the troublesome ones.Ward them off with citronella candles instead.
Speaking of insects, bats are very good at keeping down the numbers of mosquitoes and black flies. In the roof of our old house, a sizeable colony of bats has been in residence for decades, and many people have remarked on the scarcity of bothersome insects in our garden. You can bring them into your neighborhood by setting up bat houses, which can easily be obtained or built, and set up on poles at the edge of the garden.

Fostering birds and animals add to our enjoyment, and help to preserve our special places. Even a small backyard can be important in the larger scheme of things, and will be appreciated. By taking the needs of wildlife into consideration, we make our homes a place that we can look upon as an oasis, and look forward to returning to year after year.

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