Image from Ecosystem Gardening
1. Build a brush pile. Start with some larger logs, then pile on smaller branches. (This, however, can also attract rats and other unwanteds).
Image from Garden without doors
2. Make or buy a toad house. Don't throw away your chipped terracotta flower pots. Place a chipped flower pot upside-down (with a hole large enough for a toad to enter), or prop the edge of the flowerpot up on a stone.
3. Place dog fur, cat fur, bunny fur, feathers and even your own hair clippings outside for birds to use in their nests. You can place the hair/fur in a net bag, or lay it out on bushes.
4. Lay off the pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. Look into natural and organic remedies for lawn and garden problems.
5. Install a birdbath. Change the water every two to three days in warm weather, and in cold months, if the water has frozen, pour over a bit of hot water until it is melted. Don't warm up the water too much, however; birds might be tempted to bathe and then end up freezing to death!
6. Put up a bat house to encourage the presence of these shy animals. Bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour. Plus they’re just really cute.
7. Plant native species that produce yummy edibles for wildlife. Consult a local garden center for plants native to your area.
8. Reduce the size of your lawn. Grass lawns do very little for wildlife; try ground-covers or wildflowers instead.
9. Keep dead trees around. Resist the urge to remove them for aesthetic reasons—they make good animal habitats and bird perches!
10. Grow native flowering plants to encourage butterflies, and place flat basking stones in sunny locations for them to warm their wings on.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment