Having a yard that is friendly to wildlife does involve certain techniques and approaches to lawn care, some of them unconventional. The perfectly-groomed, square-cornered lawn with the carpet-like grass that never gets above 2 inches tall is not, unfortunately, the ideal environment for wildlife. So you may need to re-think things a bit to make your yard attractive to wildlife! Here are some tips.

What Kind of Wildlife?

First, identify what kind of wildlife you want in your yard. Bees? Deer? Birds? Making this decision early on will help you be able to be more focused in your yard care and design. Also, another first step you’ll want to take is determining what kind of wildlife is in your area. Then you can tailor your yard to fit the needs of local wildlife.

Let It Go

It’s been said that mowing, trimming, weed-killing, and other typical yard care regimens may actually repel most wildlife. If possible, let your yard or a part of your yard simply go to weeds. You could fence it off and label it “For the Birds” or some such if you are worried about what the neighbors will think. But many sources say that simply leaving an area of your yard alone and letting nature re-claim it can make a nice area for attracting birds, bees, and small animals.

Water

No matter what kind of wildlife you want to invite to your yard, water is important. Every living thing needs it and is attracted to it. Ground-dwelling animals like chipmunks enjoy water sources placed on the ground, whereas birds appreciate water sources a bit higher up (making it safer from predators).

Make sure the containers are heavy enough to accommodate an animal’s weight on the edge, and putting a rock in the center also helps to weight the container and to provide a safe “island” in case a small animal goes in too deep. Sources say water should be no more than about 2 inches deep, and that you should empty the water container daily and refill with fresh water.
   
Provide Food

There are several different ways to do this. You can hang out a traditional bird feeder, invest in deer feed, or plant fruiting shrubs or other plants that provide food for foraging animals. Some plants to consider are:

• Sunflowers (many birds like sunflower seeds)
• Flowering and fruiting shrubs, like cranberries, blueberries, elderberry, and raspberries will attract birds and small animals. They may even attract bears and deer.
• Flowering and fruiting trees such as dogwood, hawthorn, and conventional fruit trees such as pear and cherry attract birds.
• Flowers such as Echinacea (purple coneflower), thistle, and black-eyed Susan appeal to small, seed-eating birds like wild canaries and finches.

You might want to invest in a notebook to record what creatures visit your yard once you begin making it more wildlife-friendly.

Water is a precious resource. All living things need it, and in the summer it can become scarce. Gardens can use up a lot of water in the heat, especially if you’re growing fruits and vegetables. Here are some ideas on how you can save water in your garden this summer.

Rain Barrel

If you can invest in a rain barrel, it can end up saving you a lot of water. Rain barrels connect to your home’s downspout, filling more quickly than you might think! A rain barrel can provide hundreds of gallons of rain water that you can tap into when the rain is not so frequent. Plants also tend to thrive when given rain water.

Sunken Garden

A sunken garden is a garden that is set into the ground. Typically, a large area is dug out and the garden planted within the sunken area. Rain water collects in this natural reservoir rather than running off as it would in raised or sloped beds. (You can also put raised beds within the sunken garden.)

Drought-Resistant Plants

Consider replacing your conventional garden plants with drought-resistant ones. They require a lot less water to look attractive. Clover is a nice addition to a yard or garden. It takes little water and adds nitrogen to the soil. Both red and white clovers also attract bees.

Also, you might want to consider native plants in your garden. Natives have centuries of experience in surviving your local area’s weather conditions, and native plants tend to require much less watering and maintenance overall.

Soaker Hoses

Rather than using a sprinkler system, sources suggest soaker hoses for better water conservation. These porous hoses lie on the ground and are arranged around the plants’ bases.

Soaker hoses deliver a slow, steady supply of water directly to the roots rather than spraying water all over the leaves and surrounding area. This helps cut back on water loss due to evaporation, and it also tends to use less water since plants receive the water directly at the roots and get what they need sooner (less is wasted).

Mulch

Applying mulch to your garden helps retain moisture and keep plant roots cool.

Compost

Working a lot of compost into the garden’s soil helps improve the overall condition of the soil, which helps retain moisture and provide nutrients. Strong, well-fed plants tend to require a lot less water than those in poor soil.

Making your own compost can be an economical way to use kitchen scraps and yard waste, and it is a natural means of keeping your yard, garden, and plants healthy. If you’d like to get started composting, here are some simple guidelines.

How Much?

Before you begin, sit down and think about how much compost you need, how much kitchen and yard waste you generate, and what kind of space you have. Depending on these factors, you’ll need to decide whether or not you want to go with indoor or outdoor composting, whether or not you want to use worms, and whether or not you want a bin.

Indoor composting is recommended for people whose space is limited, such as those with small houses and yards or apartment dwellers.

Worms are often used in small, indoor compost systems.

For those with larger outdoor areas, compost bins can be built outdoors for little money and effort. You can also compost without a bin and simply make a pile in a sheltered corner of your yard.

Build the Bin

If you are going to compost indoors, you will need a container of some sort, and worms are considered essential for indoor composting. You can purchase a ready-made worm composting system, or you can make your own by poking holes in an opaque, plastic container and setting it on a drainage tray. The worms initially feed on wet, shredded newspaper; then you begin adding kitchen scraps and more newspaper. The worm bin should never be allowed to get below 55 degrees.

For an outdoor bin, a low-cost, easy method is to use wooden packing pallets. Most stores that receive shipments in these slatted containers are fine with people taking them (use packing pallets are usually discarded). You just need four of the pallets to make an open-topped square to hold your compost. You can wire or nail them together; just make sure one side is easily removed so you can access the compost.

Piles of Compost

If you don’t want to build a bin, you can just make a pile of yard and kitchen scraps. You will need to turn it often to keep its heaped shape, but this basic method can work. It seems to work best if the compost pile is against a house or other building.

Compost Care and Feeding

Excepting dairy products, fish and meat, you can put most kitchen scraps into your compost, including egg shells, tea leaves, and coffee grounds. Any organic matter from your yard can be added, such as hay, straw, cut grass, leaves, mulch, wood chips, and slender prunings from shrubs. You can also add a modest amount of shredded newspaper. Any paper, however, takes longer to decompose.

If you have chickens, the cleanings from their coop can be added to the compost. Chicken manure makes the compost rich and full of nutrients. However, the waste from other pets (dogs, cats, etc.) should not be added to compost.

Turn your compost once a month or so, stirring to aerate it and get the top layer down into the middle.

Water your compost briefly with a garden hose if the weather is very dry. Better yet, water it with rain water from a rain barrel.

There are many benefits associated with natural lawn care. Here are some of them.

Healthier

If you stop spraying your lawn with chemicals every season, your lawn will be free of these dubious substances. This may make your whole family healthier in the long run. It is probably healthier for the environment, too – lawns that are not doused with chemicals are lawns that do not shed these chemicals into the surrounding ecosystem and water supply each time it rains.

Also, caring for your lawn naturally usually results in lush, green grass that is healthier. Healthy grass absorbs more carbon dioxide from the air and puts out more oxygen.

Saves Water

If you engage in natural lawn care, you will probably set up a rain barrel to provide water for your lawn. Even if you don’t, you may find that you water a naturally-maintained yard less, because the grass is healthier, longer, and able to withstand dry conditions better.

Easier

As you engage in natural lawn care, you may find it’s a lot easier. There is less mowing involved, for one thing; natural lawns are generally allowed to grow to four inches or more. You can use your grass clippings as mulch, and you won’t have the added chore of pouring on synthetic fertilizer and pesticides.

Saves Money

Synthetic chemicals cost money. If you switch to natural lawn care, you will no longer be paying annually for chemical treatments and sprays.

Biodiversity

If you go “all the way” with your natural lawn care and decide to let nature take over, you will find “weeds” setting in. Many of these “weeds” are valuable plants that are important to the surrounding ecosystem. Some of them are edible or medicinal, too.

Beneficial Insects and Birds

A lawn that is cared for naturally will tend to attract wildlife, especially bees and birds. These important members of the ecosystem appreciate a sanctuary that is free from chemicals and where there is suitable habitat.

Pick appropriate plants. Not all plants are appropriate for the area you live in. While you might be able to control the temperature, humidity, and rain conditions inside your house, you can’t do it out in the garden. If you pick appropriate plants for your area, you may be able to avoid using fertilizers and saving on water too. Research, what plants are native to your surrounding areas and try planting them in your own garden. Wildflowers, are just that, they can pretty much be left alone and will thrive in most areas.

Pick natural repelling plants. You don’t need to rely on poisons to keep away garden ruining pests. Many plants produce chemicals that repel these animals naturally. By putting them in or around you garden, you can keep your garden safe with little effort and no chemicals. Plus, you can pick parts of these plants and use them to make products to keep them away from you too.

If you don’t want to plant natural repellents in your garden, you can use them to spray your plants without harming them or adding artificial chemicals to your garden. Many herbs like hot pepper, vanilla, and lavender can help repel insects from your garden.

Pull weeds. We’re all looking for a quick and easy way to safely get rid of weeds without chemicals, but the good old fashioned way is still very effective.  It you take time every day to pull the weeds you can find, you’ll only take a few minutes so it doesn’t seem like a lot of work.  You can even get the kids involved, just be sure to do it properly so you don’t spread the seeds around.  There are even some common weeds that are edible, just make sure there are no pesticides that could have gotten on them.

Crop rotation. Farmers all over the world use crop rotation to naturally fertilize plants. The concept is to change what crop you’re putting in a certain field each year. Plants use different nutrients and put other nutrients back into the soil. If you rotate crops that replace the nutrients the other plants use, you will have to fertilize the soil less. 

You can use this same concept in your garden by planting different plants every year, or just rotating where you put specific plants in the garden. 

So, you’ve made all these changes and are using a low-water, chemical free garden?  Well, you still haven’t done the most important thing: pass it on! One garden can make a dent, but more can make a bigger difference. Tell your friends, teach your kids, you can even visit their school and teach your kids friends! Every little bit helps make a better world.