Wildlife Gardens
Creating a Wildlife Garden
Part of creating a water conscious and eco-friendly landscape may include the decision to make your backyard a wild-life safe haven. By planting certain plants and creating a landscape flow, you can have local wildlife making themselves at home in your landscape. For animal lovers and homeowners with an open yard plan this may be just the right plan to turn your backyard into your perfect getaway. From local deer to finches and rabbits you can have a beautiful lawn complete with your favorite critters.
Wildlife gardens can be targeted at any animal or big you’d like. Often times butterfly gardens are very popular.
Food in Your Sacramento Landscaping
If you want to attract wildlife, the first thing you will have to do is provide a food source. Butterflies and bunnies alike are driven to survive and unless you landscape promotes their health you will be left in the dust. Furthermore, not just any plant counts as food. You will need to consider what is animal friendly. Some plants protect themselves by being dangerous for animals.
If you are unsure of what to plant visit this site for more food source advice for animals:
https://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Create-a-Habitat/Provide-Food-for-Wildlife.aspx
Water Sustains Wildlife
Next you will want to include some natural water sources. This could include bird baths, a built in pond, water fountains, and built in streams. What makes these practices so eco-friendly is that you can use your run off water to provide water for wildlife. In drought years like this one, you will find that it is very beneficial to sustaining the local wildlife in a drought year.
Shelter from Predators
Shrubs and bushes are key to provide safe havens for ground animals like rabbits. These give them small homes and also, they naturally fertilize your landscape. For birds, try repurposing old junk into beautiful bird houses and hanging them high in trees so that local birds can raise their young. Look out for our local yellow finch in the area.
View this site for some excellent bird house tutorials: http://www.pinterest.com/june13/bird-houses/
