NWF's Gardening For Wildlife Guide!

These days most people landscape their yard according to whatever is available at their local Home Depot or Lowe's plant department... some people go to their local nursery too but don't realize they are buying all exotic plants which contribute to an imbalance in our ecosystem. Even in an urban area we can cater our gardens to feed, house and promote wildlife by taking some simple steps that just so happen to make your gardens beautiful too! The trick is to buy native plants for your garden and use sustainable food growing practices to reduce damage to the earth - native plants from your region already naturally thrive in the area making it resistant to drought, more hardy, and they tend to not wilt and die as often as store bought exotics (meaning you waste less $$$). Not to mention those exotic will attract exotic bugs - leading an uneducated gardener to grab insecticides to solve the problem, causing a further problem with their soil quality and thus beginning the endless cycle of sick plants being sprayed with chemicals.

Here is the National Wildlife Federation's Guide to Native Gardening (when you get your garden really going good you can have your property certified as a wildlife habitat!!!)

Provide Food for Wildlife

Everyone needs to eat! Planting native forbs, shrubs and trees is the easiest way to provide the foliage, nectar, pollen, berries, seeds and nuts that many species of wildlife require to survive and thrive. You can also incorporate supplemental feeders and food sources.

Supply Water for Wildlife

Wildlife need clean water sources for many purposes, including drinking, bathing and reproduction. Water sources may include natural features such as ponds, lakes, rivers, springs, oceans and wetlands; or human-made features such as bird baths, puddling areas for butterflies, installed ponds or rain gardens.

Create Cover for Wildlife

Wildlife require places to hide in order to feel safe from people, predators and inclement weather. Use things like native vegetation, shrubs, thickets and brush piles or even dead trees.

Give Wildlife a Place to Raise Their Young

Wildlife need a sheltered place to raise their offspring. Many places for cover can double as locations where wildlife can raise young, from wildflower meadows and bushes where many butterflies and moths lay their eggs, or caves where bats roost and form colonies.

Let Your Garden Go Green

How you maintain your garden or landscape can have an important effect on the health of the soil, air, water and habitat for native wildlife--as well as the human community nearby. Reducing chemical use, composting, mulching and reducing turf grass in your yard are important steps to gardening greener.

Ready...Set...Certify!

Once you have provided these essential elements to make a healthy and sustainable wildlife habitat, join the thousands of wildlife enthusiasts across the country who have earned the distinction of being part of NWF's Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program.

***The above guide was written by the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION***

• Read MORE about creating your own wildlife garden HERE.
• To find out what plants are native in your area, go HERE.

FYI: I have gotten 2 properties certified and helped get two others certified also by neighbors in Western North Carolina... looking forward to doing another! Super fun and super earthy project for anyone who loves nature. Yay! :)

XOXOXoxoo

Exotic Plants Indoors, Go Native Outdoors!

There are some exotic plants which are really beneficial for indoor air (like English Ivy or Mother's Tongue), meaning they are best kept contained indoors in a pot and not allowed to spread in nature. Most of the plants pushed on us by big corporate nurseries are plants that are not only invasive, genetically modified, and heavily chem sprayed, but are also damaging to the delicate ecosystem of your region. It's hard to resist them too since their flowers are soooo beautiful - the toxic hormones, fertilizers and pesticides make them look all perfect in the store, attracting us like a bee to a clover. But this year start something new gardening with flora native to your area - many of which are also medicinal & edible plus will thrive & propagate far better because they are in their natural climate!

Go here to the National Wildlife Federation's website where ya' can find out which top ten native plants are good for gardening in your area. Ask your nursery to carry plants native to your location and check at your local farmers market for vendors who sell natives (which is where I have found most of mine).

Grass

The history of the lawn is not exactly something to be proud of, not only that but it's history also sketches out a clear picture of how useless the grassy area around your house was meant to be. Back in the day the French Aristocrats decided it would be a grand show of wealth to have pasture that wasn't for animals to graze on - somewhat of a middle finger to the poor. Over time the lawn in America has become the symbol of stable suburban culture, the person who lets their lawn go wild is not only treated like a neighborhood nuisance but can be fined large amounts of money for not mowing- even during a drought! Programs such as Food Not Lawns and the NWF's backyard habitat encourage people with all types of "yards" (from urban to rural) to make your lawn one that grows food for your family or for the wildlife in your area. The idea that some places prohibit the use of one's purchased land from being useful is the stuff of petty & paranoid vanity, since many of the most gorgeous gardens in the world are ones established to be natural habitats growing native flora - like Botanical Gardens & National Forests.

If like me, you are renting property you may have a little less control over what becomes of the lawn around you, but when life sends you mowed grass, rake some hay! On the rare occasion my landlady gets out to mow (because of high gas prices) I go out and gather the dried cut grass in baskets. This makes the best mulch for potted plants, keeping them moist and the decaying grass helps renew the soil.

If you own your property consider using a tiller instead of a lawn mower next time - you'll never have to buy gasoline to mow again, you can put in all native plants, food, clover and other useful resources, you will have the most unique yard with the most butterflies around and help give the ozone layer a breather!

NWF: Spotlight On Bobcats

Check out the new NWF's nature magazine spotlight on bobcats! This picture was too mesmerizing to not share... I wish these guys lived in my back yard and would be my BFF! I want to cuddle with them.