But if you’ve ever experienced that sucking of the teeth and aghast looks that some gardeners do when talking about your wildlife garden, you totally understand this side of the equation. So I ask Are Wildlife Gardeners Real Gardeners?

What are the “Real Gardeners” meaning when they suck their teeth at us?

Sometimes they think that our gardens are nothing but an ugly overgrown mess, because our gardens have been stereotyped that way.

They don’t understand that if we chose to, we could design a completely formal garden using nothing but native plants. Or a cottage garden, a Japanese Garden, or any style of garden we choose.

They don’t seem to mind our quaint exclamations of joy when we find a new bird or butterfly in our garden, they can even sometimes handle the fact that we’re thrilled to find caterpillars munching away on our plants. Gasp!

They’re not quite sure about encouraging rabbits to make their homes in our garden, and they are very skeptical about our delight when we find a snake. Oh the horror!

So what is the problem?

It’s our choice of plants.

I mean native plants, EWWWW!

They’re ugly. They’re boring. They don’t have fancy cultivar names.

In fact, some “Real Gardeners” get quite worked up over the subject of native plants. They despise them. I’ve even seen a very well known garden writer completely trash an excellent book because in three pages of it’s total of 389 pages it talked about the value of native plants in our gardens.

They don’t know (or don’t want to know) that without native plants in our gardens we would not have the wildlife that we do.

We know that if we want to create welcoming habitats for wildlife in our gardens we have to increase the amount of native plants in our landscapes. No native plants means no insects, which means no baby birds, no caterpillars, and no wildlife.

They don’t understand why we don’t fall into a swoon when some fancy new peony is released to the market.

They don’t understand why we’re not racing out to the nursery to get the latest fancy cultivar into our gardens.

They don’t understand our frustration because some native plants are quite difficult to find for sale.

And they don’t understand that the entire reason we garden in the first place is for the wildlife. My garden is for the birds (and the bees, butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, toads, bats, snakes and other wildlife that makes its home in my garden).

Wildlife gardeners know that they have a responsibility to become the steward of their small piece of the planet and make decisions that will protect the environment, contribute to ecosystem services, and provide for wildlife.

We know that every choice we make in our gardens can either positively impact the world around us or create negative impacts such as the chemicals that run off from gardens that destroy soil organisms, pollute our streams, kill off wildlife, and poison our waters.

If we look all the way back in our history to the very first gardeners we see that the first man and woman were told to take care of their space and become stewards of the wildlife that lived there.

Since that time we as humans have done a very poor job of taking care of our planet. Wildlife gardeners are working to reverse that damage.

So are wildlife gardeners “Real Gardeners”? I say yes!!!

Note: I really don’t believe in the Us vs Them mentality. I think most of us make the best choices we know how to make. Lack of knowledge or commitment to positive change are things that can be overcome. It is up to each of us to help educate our friends and neighbors about the benefits of gardening for wildlife and making our world a better place. Many of you are actively involved in this education and I say Kudos to You!

Even though I live in the highly urban and over-developed city of Philadelphia, there is still a large selection of natural areas to visit right here in my city.

Last weekend I made one of my regular visits to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, located adjacent to the Philadelphia Airport. And even though this space is surrounded by oil tank farms, landfills, city development, highways, and the airport it’s easy to see why creating welcoming habitat for wildlife in our urban gardens is so important.

Planning a visit to your local natural areas can provide lots of inspiration for your own wildlife garden. You’ll get to see what native plants work best in your area, and get to observe the wildlife species that benefit from these plants. And you’ll get lots of ideas to add to your ecosystem garden….See the photos and read more of A Visit to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens

Urban Habitat at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful example of how habitat can be created even in urban areas.

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is located in Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania, about 1 mile from the Philadelphia International Airport. In fact standing on the road around the impoundment at the refuge is a good spot to watch planes taking off and landing at the airport, which doesn’t seem to be the best place for a wildlife refuge at all.

Signs of the urban nature of this wildlife refuge are everywhere. You can see the oil refinery tanks on the other side of Darby Creek from the impoundment road.

Gulf Oil donated a portion of this refuge to the city, but has maintained an oil pipeline that runs through the refuge.

As cities spread into suburbs and suburbs spread into farmland, we have destroyed a lot of habitat for wildlife in our insatiable appetite for yet another Walmart or housing development.

Within a 5 mile radius of my house there are 19 large shopping centers, each with several big box stores, groceries, and acre after acre of paved parking lots. Many of these are over 100 acres.

New housing developments are spring up all around and these always begin with the bulldozers wiping out every tree on the property.

It used to be said that a squirrel could leave any point on the east coast and journey to the Mississippi River and never touch the ground, travelling from tree to tree through the forests that used to cover this land.

Now that same squirrel could make the same trek and never climb a tree, journeying from parking lot to highway, to more pavement.

Our quest for constant development has left very little habitat for wildlife.

What can we do? Here are some ideas:

Conservation and preservation of natural habitats: Set aside areas for wildlife and their habitats to thrive, and protect these areas from development.

Green spaces and corridors: Create green spaces and corridors within urban areas to allow wildlife to move between habitats.

Sustainable development: Implement sustainable development practices that minimize the impact of housing development on wildlife and their habitats.

Education and awareness: Increase public awareness and education about the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats.

Collaboration: Work with developers, local governments, and conservation organizations to ensure that wildlife is considered in planning and development decisions.

Restoration: Restore degraded habitats and introduce native species to increase biodiversity and support wildlife populations.

Adoption of wildlife-friendly practices: Encourage the adoption of wildlife-friendly practices such as reducing pesticide use, installing bird-friendly windows, and creating nesting sites.

Several years ago, I posed the question at Ecosystem Gardening “Is Sustainability Only About Human Benefit?” I asked this question because advocates of bamboo as a sustainable flooring and other building materials seemed to blithely ignore the fact that bamboo is considered an invasive plant (a plant from a foreign location that is causing damage to natural ecosystems), and has degraded many natural ecosystems, making them less able to provide for the needs of wildlife.

In the comments people left at that post, and especially at the Facebook page I was basically painted as an ignorant fool for advocating for wildlife gardens. Humans are part of nature, therefore our actions are just as benign as the bird who poops out the seed of some invasive plant, allowing it to spread through another ecosystem was the essence of the argument against what I had said.

Yes, humans are part of nature. And we have repeatedly shown that we make very poor decisions that continue to cause great harm to our ecosystems, the wildlife that depend on them, and the health of our planet. We have a very poor track record in our selfish quest for more resources, more space, and more income from development. And yet we are loath to take any responsibility for the harm our actions have caused.

The good news is that we can remediate some of these negative impacts by adding more wildlife gardens and welcoming habitats for wildlife at our own properties.

One of my favorite things in the world to do is to visit other wildlife gardens. I love meeting other passionate wildlife gardeners and seeing what they have done to create welcoming wildlife habitats in their garden spaces.

And one of my all-time favorite wildlife gardens to visit was Irma McVey’s. I first met Irma at a wildlife garden workshop given by Pat Sutton. Every week for 8 weeks we met to learn about creating wildlife habitat gardens, attracting birds, butterflies, and other wildlife, and choosing the best plants to attract wildlife to our gardens.

Sadly, Irma McVey passed away about a year ago, and I was saddened not only by the loss of my friend, but also that this beautiful wildlife garden would pass into the hands of someone who would not appreciate this incredible wildlife habitat.

Shortly after Irma’s passing my mom became quite ill, and I needed to go to Florida to take care of her. I became my mom’s full-time caretaker, and hope that I was able to bring her some comfort and joy prior to her own passing.

After spending over two months caring for my mom and then settling her estate and planning her memorial service, I received a phone call from two very dear friends of mine who wanted to let me know that they had just finished the settlement process on Irma’s house!

Although Kathy and Hugh live in Maryland, they had been informed that this house was available in Cape May and after seeing it, they decided to make an offer. Kathy had done an internet search and discovered the articles I had written here about my visits to Irma’s wildlife garden as well as the memorial tribute I had written for her.

Imagine their surprise to discover this connection between me and this garden. And imagine my surprise to learn that my friends would now become the stewards of this important wildlife garden! Now this is an amazing example of a whole different kind of cycle of life — the passing of a wildlife garden from one caretaker to another.

Kathy Woods is passionate about wildlife. So passionate about their care and well-being that she has devoted herself to wildlife rescue and rehab at her Phoenix Wildlife Center. I can remember one time I visited her and Hugh that there was an injured Loon in the bathtub. From Eagles and hawks to songbirds, baby foxes, raccoons opossums, turtles, and so much more, Kathy works tirelessly to heal injured wildlife so that they can return to their life in the wild.

Hugh Simmons is an amazing birder and nature photographer who has been active in his local and regional Audubon societies for many years. And he recently joined the Board of Directors for the National Audubon Society.

I was so blessed to have met them both on my amazing trip to Veracruz to see the phenomenom of the River of Raptors, and we became fast friends.

This past weekend I spent a totally spontaneous time with them at their new home in Cape May, Irma McVey’s former wildlife garden, which is now Kathy and Hugh’s wildlife garden, and full of birds, butterflies, bees, and so much life.

I am so thrilled that they have made this garden their own! And I wish Kathy and Hugh very hearty congratulations on their recent wedding. It only took them 23 years

So, I’ve decided to focus on butterflies and hummingbirds. I’ll plant lots of butterfly host plants, especially milkweeds for Monarchs. I’ll add lots of native nectar plants to support adult butterflies from early spring through late fall.

The beauty of focusing on butterflies means that I’ll also be creating habitat for native bees and other pollinators.

And, with a plethora of caterpillars, I’ll also be inviting birds to come and visit. I’m so excited about getting started!

By creating a wildlife garden in your own small city space, you can bring the beauty of nature right to your doorstep.

First things first, choose the right plants. Not all plants are created equal when it comes to attracting wildlife. You’ll want to choose plants that will provide food, shelter and a place for wildlife to breed. Some great options include wildflowers, berry bushes, and herb gardens. Don’t forget to add a few bird feeders to the mix as well!

Next, create habitats for different types of wildlife. This can be as simple as adding a small pond for frogs, or a stack of logs for insects to breed in. If you’re short on space, consider using vertical gardening techniques like trellises or wall planters to create more habitats.

Now it’s time to get creative! Adding a few bird houses, a bee hotel, or even a butterfly house can provide additional habitats for different types of wildlife. These not only look great in your garden, but they also provide important shelter for our flying friends.

Finally, don’t forget to give your wildlife some privacy. You can do this by planting bushes and shrubs that create a natural barrier between your garden and the outside world. These plants will also provide additional habitats for insects and small animals.

So what’s a caring Ecosystem Gardener to do?

Well, one way is to train your birds by placing a shallow pan of warm water outside at the same time each day. Your resident Chickadees and other birds will learn to come at this schedule. You then bring the pan back inside when it freezes. Some very dedicated folks do this several times a day.

A step up from that is a solar-heated water dish, a plastic dish with a black lid and a small hole for sipping. The black color absorbs the heat of the sun and keeps the water from freezing, but only works until the temperature drops below 20 degrees.

I use a heated dog bowl, which I’ve filled with a layer of stones to keep the water shallow enough for the birds. It only turns on when the temperature is near freezing, and automatically shuts off when either all the contents evaporate or the temperature rises.

There is a wide assortment of heated bird baths to suit almost any style. These operate on the same principles as my dog bowl, only turning on when the temperature falls.

But in reading Laura Erickson’s new book, the Birdwatching Answer Book, I discovered that there is some concern that birds who bathe in these heated units may suffer from frozen feathers or loss of tail feathers when temperatures drop below 20 degrees. She recommends weaving a layer of sticks over the bath to allow birds to drink, but not to bathe.

“We have national and state parks, wildlife refuges, Nature Conservancy properties, and many others. Isn’t that enough?”

In a word, no. Many national and state lands are subject to “multiple use” clauses, which may include logging, recreation, ATV and snowmobile use, hunting and fishing, and minereal extraction, plus pesticide spraying, and herbicide spraying to control invasive species.

When I visit my local wildlife refuge (John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge), located in the shadow of the Philadelphia airport, I am struck by how much it is a lesson in what NOT to plant. It has become invaded by many alien plant species, which are outcompeting any natives, such as Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), Phragmites (Phragmites australis), Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum), Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), and Norway maple (Acer platanoides).

The refuge spends a significant amount of its annual budget attempting to eradicate and control these plants, and the next year they have to do it all over again. And this story is repeated on protected lands across the country. We have all these protected lands and yet many species are still declining.

As we have chopped natural areas into smaller and smaller pieces, there is simply not enough protected habitats, and they are not large enough, to support the full range of this country’s biodiversity.

This is where your garden comes in. Your garden can become a stepping stone between these protected areas. When you plant a wide variety of native plants, you are creating habitats for critters whose homes have been destroyed by our need for constant development and tinkering with Mother Nature.

Take a visit to your local national wildlife refuge, state park, wildlife management area, or Nature Conservancy property. How many invasive plants do you see? How many native plants do you see? How many roads have been cut through the area? Are you seeing a lot of wildlife?

If each of us takes personal responsibility for the health of the wildlife on our property, we can improve the health of our planet. Because habitat loss due to human action is the number one cause of wildlife declines, we can each choose to become stewards of our own land. We can choose to “give a little back to wildlife” by creating welcoming habitats for wildlife in our gardens.

In the Ecosystem Garden, plants are chosen, not as specimens, but for the role that they play in the ecosystem and the benefits they provide to wildlife and the protection of ecosystem services and biodiversity. Each of us is a steward of our land and the choices we make on our properties can either be helpful or harmful to that ecosystem. The goal of Ecosystem Gardening is to make the choices that are most beneficial to wildlife and to conservation of natural resources.

See:

Ecosystem Gardening: Give a Little Back to Wildlife

The language of Ecosystem Gardening: Being Specific

Four Steps to a Beautiful Wildlife Garden

These choices include recognition of the following areas:

Sustainable Landscaping

This may be one of the most over-used and misunderstood terms in common usage today. For our purposes, we mean reducing or eliminating the consumption of fossil fuels, eliminating the use of chemical toxins (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides), reducing the need for irrigation, managing rain water where it falls, using local and recycled materials, reducing soil erosion, managing leaves and other plant debris on-site, and choosing locally appropriate materials.

See:

Reduce Your Lawn and Create a Love Letter to Wildlife

Sustainable Landscaping for Gardeners

Why Lawns are not sustainable in Ecosystem Gardening

Justin Timberlake says golf CAN be green

Beware Greenwashing when it comes to your Ecosystem Garden

Soil Health and Conservation

Our standard development and construction practices destroy topsoil either by removal or compaction. Topsoil erosion is a serious problem and petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides and fertilizers kill all of the organisms that keep the soil healthy and productive. There is an old gardening maxim that states “feed the soil, not the plants,” which illuminates the priority of healthy soil.

See:

I am the Lorax: I Speak for the Leaves

Life in the Leaf Litter: Don’t Throw a Good Thing Away

Water Conservation in the Ecosystem Garden

In the U.S., 30% of potable water on the East Coast, and 60% on the West Coast is used for irrigation, mostly for lawn irrigation and agriculture. As many residents of southern California and Arizona already know, there is not enough clean water available in these areas for drinking and cooking, let alone watering the lawn. Continued unsustainable use of clean water is already causing serious problems in the southwest, and this pattern is only expected to worsen as time goes by.

See:

How to Install a Raingarden

Managing Rainwater in Your Ecosystem Garden

Ecosystem Gardening in Practice: Installing a Green Roof

Resources Guide Part 2: Water Conservation

Native Plants in the Wildlife Garden

The native insects, birds, and other animals of this country co-evolved with the native plants indigenous to this land. Many native insects are specialists whose lives are dependent on one or a very few species of native plants. Landscapers and nurseries for years have thrived on introducing their clients to the newest plants from abroad. A landscape devoid of native plants will also be devoid of native insects, and therefore birds and other animals as well. Many of these introduced plants have escaped the garden environment and are now wreaking havoc in natural areas. These invasive plants out-compete native plants for water and space and are overwhelming and shutting out native plants.

See:

Doug Tallamy: Native Plants Support Local Food Webs

What makes a plant invasive? The first lesson in what NOT to plant

Top 10 best woody plant for wildlife in your Ecosystem Garden

The importance and role of insects to the ecology of the wildlife garden

We are dependent on insects for many ecosystem services such as pollination, control of other pest insects, decomposition of wastes, and transforming the energy of plants into high-quality protein usable by other species for their growth and reproduction. Healthy populations of birds, amphibians, and small mammals are dependent upon healthy populations of native insects as their primary food source. The interaction between insects and plants is an amazing process. Some of these mutualisms have become so specialized that some insects are unable to survive without one particular plant (and vice versa).

See:

Ecosystem Gardening in Practice: How to install a dragonfly pond

Pollinators in the wildlife garden

The recent news about colony collapse disorder in honey bee populations has drawn additional attention to the pervasive decline of native pollinators. Without pollination, much of our food supply is in jeopardy. Private landowners can take many steps to provide for the needs of these pollinators, the planting of native plants being number one. Some of our native plants will become extinct without the pollination service of their co-evolved pollinator. Many flowering plant species are declining and this is in part due to declines in pollinator populations.

Butterfly Gardening

Many gardeners have become interested in butterfly gardens, but most of the literature available on this subject stresses nectar plants (many of them exotic) and not as much the fact that each species of butterfly is dependent on one species (or one family) of plant for use as a host on which to lay their eggs. Conservation must include knowledge of the entire life cycle of butterflies in order to provide for all of their needs and contribute to their survival.

See:

Butterfly gardening for Monarchs: Got Milkweed?

Bird Gardens

Many migratory birds are in trouble, due mostly to habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, both here and on their wintering grounds. In this country, we spend billions of dollars on bird feeders, bird houses, and bird seed, but this may be money misspent and detrimental , in that it contributes to the proliferation of species such as House Sparrows and European Starlings (both of which are introduced), and predators or parasites such as Blue Jays and Brown-headed Cowbirds (Blue Jays and Cowbirds are native species, but they are nest predators and parasites. Their populations have greatly increased due to deforestation and increasing “edge effects”; higher amounts of edge areas produce larger numbers of these birds, because the edge increases their access to nests of other birds, such as warblers, tanagers, and vireos), and the urban proliferation of mammal species such as Norway rats, raccoons and opossums. Most neotropical migratory birds are insectivores or frugivores and their needs would be better served by planting insect-attracting or fruit-producing native plants.

See:

One third of U.S. birds in danger: how your Conservation Garden can make a difference

Have a cup of coffee and help save bird habitat

Amphibians in the habitat garden

Amphibians, due to their life history traits of interaction with all parts of the environment, from fresh water through upland elements, seem to be early warning indicators of unhealthy ecosystems. Unfortunately, many species of amphibians, including frogs, toads and salamanders are in decline due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and destruction as well as poisoning, the effects of global climate change, and UVB radiation. With proper understanding of their total life cycle, private landowners can provide many elements necessary for amphibian survival.

See:

5 ways to help amphibians in your Ecosystem Garden

Mammals in the wildlife garden

While large mammals require much more space than may be available on private land, properly managed corridors may enable mammals to find safe passage from one reserve to another. Many smaller mammals are important links in the food web and provide many services as well. Proper attention to their needs is easily accomplished on smaller parcels of land. Some species of special concern are black-footed ferrets, many mice, flying squirrels, most species of bats, and prairie dogs.

Ecosystem Gardening involves awareness and integration of all of these issues and the desire to help wildlife by making our properties more hospitable to them. We can choose to become stewards of our land, managing it to increase biodiversity, contribute to ecosystem services, and conserve natural resources.

After spending the winter in its chrysalis, the Tiger Swallowtail butterflies emerge in the spring. The chrysalis looks like a rolled up brown leaf left dangling from a host plant tree. In some Southern states, you may see these butterflies year round.

In spring, the adult butterflies emerge, and the males will go patrolling for females. Eggs are laid on suitable host plants. It takes about 30 days to go from egg to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to adult.

Tiger Swallowtails are generalists, meaning the caterpillars are able to feed from a wide variety of host plants, including wild cherry, magnolia, birch, ash, cottonwood, and willow. Adding some of these native trees to your ecosystem garden will ensure that you will have the beauties close by.

Note that those pretty Japanese Cherries that are so famous in Washington DC and around the country are NOT host plants for this caterpillar. You must have a native cherry to appeal to these butterflies. The best way to determine this is by checking the USDA plants database or by contacting your local native plant society

If you live on the West Coast you will be seeing the Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus). And on the East Coast you’ll have the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glauca).

Adult Tiger Swallowtails will feed on nectar, so be sure to have a wide variety of nectar plants in your butterfly garden, including purple coneflower, buttonbush, pepperbush, and a large selection of native wildflowers.