Attracting wildlife to your garden can be exciting, pleasurable, and beneficial.

 

In order for you to enjoy a blue bird sitting on a small group of viburnums, you must provide them with adequate shelter and food, as well as a pesticide-free (organic) space.

 

In order to pollinate your garden, you need to help the local wildlife populations by providing pollen and nectar sources all-season long.

 

There are many ways to provide food and shelter for the inhabitants of your area, but most have specific criteria for living and thriving, much like plants do.

 

 

How do I attract birds to my garden?

 

Provide Food

• Different types of seed attract certain birds so make sure you learn what kinds of birds you want to attract

 

• A healthy lawn that is rich in organic material will provide worms a great place to live

 

• Providing berries such as Viburnum berries or other native shrubs with berries will promote birds to frequent your landscape

 

• By providing a bird feeder you can attract a plethora of birds to your garden

                                                                         

Provide Shelter   

• Bird houses work great, but the size of the bird house will determine the kind of bird staying as residence

 

• Chickadees tend to frequent small-holed bird houses because they are small themselves and like the protection against predators

 

• Large conifers such as Blue Spruce and Serviceberry can provide an excellent house for birds like Morning Doves or Mocking Birds

 

 

How Do I Attract Hummingbirds to My Garden?

 

Hummingbirds are specifically attracted to bright colors such as red, yellow, and orange so keep that in mind.

 

Add A Feeder

• If you choose to use Hummingbird feeders, remember to change the feed every 3-4 days.

 

• The sugars in the water can be more harmful than good if neglected.

 

• If you see black dots in the nectar feed, it could be mold, replace immediately.

                                                                         

Provide Plants

• Plant bushes, shrubs, trees or flowers with tubular blooms liek the ones shown below

 

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)	Deciduous Azaleas (Azalea X 'Millenium')	Weigela (Weigela florida 'Alexandra')
Bee Balm (Mondarda)	Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns')	Liatris (Liatris spicata 'Blazing Star')

                                                                          

How Do I Attract Butterflies to My Garden?

 

           

 Provide food and places for the butterflies to rest.

 

Butterflies prefer flowers with long, narrow tubes which hold nectar at the bottom. Butterfly Bush or Honeysuckle are two great plants to attract butterflies. At night when the temperature eventually gets cooler, butterflies will rest on rocks to warm up in the following morning.

 

 

 

 

 

How Do I Attract Bees to My Garden?

 

 

Provide bees with trees or shrubs to make hives, or a source of clean water.

 

Most bees are attracted to any flowering plant. Provide different plants with different blooming periods. This will allow the bees to have a constant food source.

 

 

 

 

How Do I Attract other Wildlife like Frogs, Toads, and Beneficial Insects?

 

By providing other functions in your garden such as:

 

Ponds

 

• Ponds will attract amphibious and other wildlife
• Use plenty of non-invasive water plants as a source of food and shelter for wildlife creatures
• Ponds should have shallow margins, deep areas, and gradual sloping sides

 

 

Decaying Wood

 

• By offering just a few logs to naturally decay in your garden, wildlife will enjoy the food source from the insects who break down the wood
• The decaying wood also brings a rustic look to your garden as an aesthetic bonus

 

 

Rock Piles

 

• Rock piles or pockets in stone walls will attract frogs or toads
• Rock piles provide shelter for frogs and toads in those nooks and crannies
• Giving them a place to stay will encourage them to take residence in your garden