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A Plant's HomeA Bird's HomeA Homesteader's Home

Landscaping a SmallYard For Wildlife

Perhaps you’ve purchased a home which enjoysonly a traditional mowed lawn and clipped

evergreens. It looks nice enough, but you’reinterested in gardening, feeding the birds, and

making your yard a welcome spot for a variety of

wildlife. Where do you start.

Trying to attack the wholeproject at once is a sure way

to become discouraged andmake expensive mistakes. Takesome time to study yourproperty, think about whatwildlife you want to attract,and what personal interestsyou want to nurture.

Find out where your propertylies on the USDA HardinessZone maps printed in mostplant catalogues, or availablethrough your countyCooperative Extension Serviceoffice. What kind of soil do youhave, how much sun reachesyour yard, what amount of rainfalls in your area, and whatstructures are alreaady inplace.

Native Is BestA word about “native" plants.

Wildlife evolved with plantsthrough the centuries, so a lotof native vegetation is uniquelysuited to meet the needs ofspecific wildlife. In addition,native plants tend to thrive intheir natural habitat, be lessprone to disease, and less inneed of chemical treatments.

WindStar Wildlife Instituteemphasizes the merits ofnative plants, but we realizethat there are sometimes otherconsiderations. Althoughnurseries are beginning to carrymore native plants, they can behard to locate for purchase.

Those that flower may not beas “flashy" as some of thedeveloped cultivars. They maynot bloom for as long a time, ormay have an unstructuredgrowth habit. Some “exotics"(plants which originated inother parts of the world) are

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bound to appeal to you, andmany will also appeal to wildlife.

For example, birds love theberries of Japanese holly, andbutterflies can’t resist thenectar of the Oriental butterflybush. Just be careful not tointroduce exotic plants whichare invasive and have atendency to crowd out thenatives.

1/4 Acre PlanThis brochure contains a

wildlife-friendly, landscapedesign for a 1/4-acre yard. It willgive you a starting point, butyou are encouraged to adapt itto your own vision. As we gothrough the various elements ofthe plan, we’ll point out whyeach is important, and consideralternatives that can fill thesame purpose. We have chosenprimarily native plants. A trip toyour local library or plantnursery will provide many moresuggestions.

When you are ready to chooseyour plants, it’s often best tostart with trees. Their cost willvary according to their size atthe time of purchase. Oncethey’re in place, you don’t wantto have to move them, so thinkcarefully before getting out theshovel.

Is the tree appropriate for thesoil conditions and amount ofsunlight. Have you planned forit’s mature size. Will it crowdyour house or other trees, oreventually shade that spotwhere you had hoped to put aflower garden. Is it evergreen ordeciduous (losing its leaves inthe fall), and how will thataffect whatever is nearby. Areyou interested in flowers, fall

color, or the consistency ofevergreens.

In our 1/4-acre plan, thelower right corner shows awindbreak of Colorado bluespruce. Used properly, anevergreen windbreak can fulfillmany functions. It will screenoff an undesirable view and/orgive you privacy throughoutthe year.

Spruce is a FavoriteBirds and small mammals love

the spruce for food, nesting,and winter shelter, especially ifthe branches are allowed togrow to the ground. Ifpositioned correctly (usually tothe north), they will indeedbreak the path of the wind andkeep your home warmer inwinter. For visual interest, it’sespecially nice to combine

1/4 Acre Habitat Design

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evergreens of various heights,colors, and textures. Don’t limityourself to pines and otherconifers. There are a number ofbroadleaf evergreens that areworth including in your plan.

Along the lower left side ofthe drawing are three peachtrees. Fruit trees benefit bothpeople and wildlife, and you canchoose from a wide range ofheights and types of fruit. Alsoconsider the color of theflowers, whether or not the fruitwill be eaten or just decorative,the need for chemicaltreatments, the length of timeit will take to bear fruit, andwhether it needs another of thesame species nearby to ensurefertilization.

Crab Apple Best For WildlifeMost native trees, such as

the crab apple at the top of theyard, bear fruit that is moresuitable for wildlife than forhuman consumption. The willowoak, also in the upper section, isan oak, not a willow. Manyspecies of wildlife enjoy nuttrees, and acorns are a specialfavorite. Be sure to considerthe mature size of any nut tree,and be careful about plantingblack walnuts because theyrelease a substance that istoxic to many other plants.

The sugar maple and dogwoodin the central part of the yardare both versatile. The dogwoodhas lovely spring blossoms, andbirds will feast on its autumn

berries. The maple producesseeds that are eaten by severalspecies, and turns strikingcolors in the fall. Since both aredeciduous, they will shade thehouse in the heat of thesummer, but not block thewarming sun in the winter. Onceagain, think about the maturesize and whether or not anytree will block a favorite viewfrom the house.

The flower gardens don’t havespecific plants indicated, butthere are many selections thatwill appeal to both butterfliesand hummingbirds. Choose acolor scheme that appeals toyou and group plants to createblocks of color.

Some suggestions for thisarea include:

s Lantana (Lantana camara)

s Pentas (Pentas lanciolata)

s Cosmos(Cosmos sulphureus)

s Joe-Pye weed(Eupatorium spp.)

s Purple coneflower(Echinacea purpurea)

s New England aster(Aster spp.)

s Black-eyed Susan(Rudbeckia spp.)

s Butterfly weed(Asclepias tuberosa)

s Butterfly bush (Buddleia)

s Buttonbush(Dephalanthus occidentalis)

s Cardinal flower(Lobelia cardinalis)

Name Scientific Name Height Benefits For Wildlife

American Holly Ilex opaca 40' Red berries; slow growing

Bayberry Myrica pensylvanica 8-10' Berries (male and female)

Creeping Holly Grape Mahonia repens 2-3' Berries

Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis 40-70'

Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana 30-50' Blue berries

Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus 80' Seeds, sap, cover; fast growing

Juniper Juniperus Short Many varieties

Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia 7-15' Nectar

Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium 6-8' Blue berries

Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera 5-20' Berries (male and female)

Recommended Deciduous Trees and Shrubs

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s Bee balm (Monarda didyma)

s Scarlet Sage(Salvia coccinea)

There are many kinds ofshrubs illustrated throughoutthe yard, and variety is one ofthe most importantconsiderations whenlandscaping for wildlife.

By offering a wide selectionof flowers, fruits, and heightsof plants, you will appeal tothe greatest number ofdifferent species.

Fruiting shrubs near thewindbreak include inkberry (Ilexglabra), bayberry (Myricapensylvanica), rugosa rose(Rosa rugosa), and blueberry(Vaccinium corymbosum). All ofthese are native and favoritesof birds and other small wildlife.

Some are duplicated in theupper planting areas, along withshrubs planted for their nectar,including spicebush (Linderabenzoin) and sweet pepperbush(Clethra alnifolia). Thespicebush has berries for birds,and the white flowers of thesweet pepperbush will attractbutterflies. The red twigdogwood (Cornus siberica), whilenot native, provides wonderfulred color in winter and birdsenjoy its autumn berries.

Group PlantingsTo Increase Appeal

In most cases, groupings oftrees and plants will be morepleasing to the eye and moreappealing to wildlife thanindividual specimens standingalone in a sea of lawn. Mowedgrass is nice for people, and youmay want to maintain an area

of lawn near the house, but itoffers little for wildlife, requireseffort and money to maintain,wastes water, and encouragesthe use of polluting chemicals.

Less lawn is better for bothyou and the environment. For alow-growing alternative tograss, consider the many kindsof ground covers available, suchas cotoneaster and creepingjunipers. If you have cornersthat can be left taller, manynative grasses provide shelterand seeds for birds.

Man-made structures canadd decorative accents to thegarden and at the same timecontribute to your wildlifehabitat. In this design, trellises,arbors, and lattice screenssupport vines which bearflowers for nectar, berries forbirds, or provide nesting sites.

Bittersweet (Celastrusorbiculata, an exotic that maybecome invasive), climbing rose,clematis (native version isligusticifolia), and trumpetcreeper (Bignonia capreolata)are shown in the plan. Otherchoices include Virginia creeper(Parthenocissus quinquefolia),yellow jasmine (Gelsemiumsempervirens), coralhoneysuckle (Lonicerasempervirens), and grapes.

Nesting boxes placed aroundthe property will encouragebirds to raise families in yourhabitat. Additions like a dustand grit area for birds or a mudpuddle for butterflies may notsound charming to humans, butthe wildlife will come in evengreater numbers.

Feeders are an obviousaddition, and water is essential

for all wildlife. You may not haveroom for a pond, but a birdbathor fountain will see lots ofactivity. It should be kept cleanand be placed within 5' of a treeor shrub to allow escape frompredators.

Benches and paths throughthe garden let you wander andrest to enjoy your creation.

The WindStar WildlifeInstitute publication, How ToCreate A Wildlife Habitat PlanFor Your Property offers astep-by-step guide. Some othertitles in this series which mightbe of help to you include:

s Butterfly Gardening;

s Landscaping for Birds;

s Essential Elements of aWildlife Habitat;

s Homes for Backyard Birds;

s Creating a WildflowerMeadow; and

s Creating a Wildlife HabitatPlan.

This article was written byMaryland Master Wildlife Habitat

Naturalist Cathy Gilleland.

For more information or for thename of a Master Wildlife Habitat

Naturalist in your area, pleasecontact:

WindStar Wildlife Institute

E-mail: wildlife@windstar.orghttp://www.windstar.org

WindStar Wildlife Institute is anational, non-profit, conservationorganization whose mission is to

help individuals and familiesestablish or improve the wildlife

habitat on their properties.