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Wildlife in the garden... Most of us understand intuitively that having birds, animals, and insects in our gardens is a good thing. Sure, there are those for whom every other living thing is a threat...something to discourage. Our enjoyment of our gardens, however, is improved immeasurably when we invite birds and butterflies, frogs and salamanders, and yes, the odd furry creature, to join us in our backyards. The only thing better than a beautiful garden is one that is fully alive and operating as its own little ecosystem. From time to time you'll see stories about what can happen in the blog on this page (sign up for the RSS feed to be notified of updates!). Encouraging wildlife to visit couldn't be easier. Gardens are INFINITELY better than lawns (the dreaded monoculture--about as diverse as a field of corn) at attracting an ever changing array of guests. Build it and they will come. You needn't be a purist about using native plants either--it's diversity that counts. The animals will sort out the rest. An added benefit to welcoming your neighbors: natural pest control. Doing it right will encourage good guys to hang around and take on the bad guys. This makes your job easier...sit back and watch the unpaid help work. A couple of big tips to get you started? Leave a weedy corner, and don't be too clean. What gardener among us would have a problem with LESS work? Leaving a weedy corner means having a spot for insects, including butterflies, to do their thing. Many have specific plants on which their larvae feed. Pull them out of your garden and...no butterflies. Leave them alone in an out of the way spot and the larvae can feed, pupate, and metamorphosize into butterflies to grace the flowers in your beds. Do you assiduously scrape your garden clean every spring? Don't. Besides saving work, the leaf litter is home to many insects and small animals that help your garden ecosystem function to its fullest. Granted you don't want so much duff to accumulate that you encourage disease, but leaving some leaf litter on the ground helps keep a natural balance. Return to BotanicalGardening.com home... |
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_____________________________ Copyright
2006- 2007 by Carlo A. Balistrieri. |
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