Garden for Wildlife
Gardening for wildlife results in outdoor spaces that not only look beautiful but also create important habitat for bees, butterflies, and birds. Just think about how much biodiversity we could support if we all added some habitat for wildlife to our yards!
If you do garden for wildlife, please consider certifying your wildlife habitat. Most certification programs (such as those noted below) offer signs that you can display as a testament to what you’ve created. These signs help generate conversation, curiosity, and may even inspire your neighbors to a install their own wildlife gardens!
Feel free to contact Anne Readel if you’d like to discuss potential options for your home. The Shorewood Hills Garden Club is also a wonderful resource.
Pollinator Gardens
Pollinators have been facing declines, in part, due to habitat loss. However, you can help pollinators by adding plants to your yard that are rich in nectar and pollen and provide food for caterpillars. Here are some pointers for creating a pollinator garden at your home:
Native Plants. Choose plants native to Wisconsin and matched to your site conditions. Native plants tend to produce more food resources than non-native plants and they will flourish without the need for fertilizers and pesticides.
Diversity. This is key to providing a pollinator garden. A diversity of plants should be selected that will bloom from April through September to ensure food resources are available throughout the growing season.
Avoid Modern Hybrids. Plants that have been manipulated for larger blooms or different colors may have reduced ability to produce nectar and pollen.
Host Plants. Food for adult pollinators is only one step. Make sure that you also include plants that act as vital food sources for caterpillars. For example, monarch butterfly caterpillars only eat milkweed!
The Xerces Society has published a list of native Great Lakes-region plants that are highly attractive to pollinators and are suited for planting in gardens.
Prairie Nursery and Prairie Moon Nursery are also great online sources for purchasing native, pollinator-friendly plants and seeds. Their websites allow you to search for plants based on soil type, sun exposure, soil moisture, bloom time, and a variety of other traits.
Want to get started but still feel overwhelmed (after all, we aren’t all Master Gardeners!)? Luckily, the above nurseries also offer pre-planned gardens that does the heavy lifting of plant selection for you. Once they arrive at your door, all you need to do is get them in the ground!
Monarch Waystation
Monarch butterflies are some of the most well-known butterflies in North America. Incredibly, they migrate up to 3,000 miles each year between Mexico and North America. Sadly, their populations are in decline and only a small fraction remain. To help these beloved butterflies, consider planting a Monarch Waystation!
Monarch Waystations are gardens that provide milkweed host plants that monarchs feed on as caterpillars and nectar plants that they feed on as adults. Garden sites should be relatively sunny, include at least 10 milkweed plants of at least 2 species, and a variety of nectar plants that bloom from April through September.
Interested but not sure how to start? Prairie Nursery (Westfield, WI) sells a variety of Monarch Favorite plants via mail order and even pre-planned Monarch Gardens. If you go the pre-planned garden route, you may want to purchase extra milkweed plants (so you get at least 10 plants of 2 species).
Monarch Waystations in the Village:
Main pathway in Post Farm Park
Hummingbird Gardens
Many of us love seeing the ruby-throated hummingbirds return to Shorewood Hills each spring. If you want to attract more of these beautiful birds to your yard without putting out nectar feeders, add some of their favorite nectar flowers to your yard. Not sure which plants attract humming birds? The UW Master Gardener Program has published an article on the best annual and perennial plants for attracting hummingbirds to your garden. Prairie Nursery offers pre-planned hummingbird gardens for moist or dry soil in full sun.
Other Sustainable Practices
Planting a garden for wildlife is just one important step. Here are some additional eco-friendly gardening practices to integrate at your home:
Leave your leaves to provide nesting habitat for bees and foraging habitat for birds.
Avoid using pesticides and herbicides that can hurt or kill bees, butterflies, and birds.
Plant native trees and shrubs to provide food and shelter for wildlife.
Add a water source (such as a bird bath or small pond) to attract birds to your yard.
Install bird feeders but make sure to keep them stocked and clean.