By Joel M Lerner, Washington Post
A natural garden can create a home for birds, butterflies, bees, chipmunks, rabbits, turtles, frogs, snakes, bats and more - all while requiring less pruning and preening. But it takes the right flora to get the fauna to appear.
When creating a natural garden, keep in mind the three requirements for all animals: food, water and shelter. A shrub or tree can provide shelter for offspring.
A pool with a shallow area is good for toads and turtles, while puddles on flat rocks give butterflies a chance to relax and have a drink. Chipmunks like tunnels, birds like safe nesting places, snakes like rocks (remember that as you lift one), and a host of wildlife will live in hollow logs and brush piles.
Here are some guidelines to make your property attractive to wildlife:
- Plant a variety of shrubs, grasses, flowers and trees that provide nectar, nuts, seeds and berries.
- Provide water. If you don't have room for a pond, a birdbath will do. Leave open space around it so birds can see predators coming and fly away.
- Reduce lawn space. Lawns are largely useless to wildlife - there's no food, no place to hide and no shelter.
- Provide a variety of materials useful to birds building nests, including thin twigs, short lengths of thread, feathers, dryer lint, short strips of fabric or dog hair.
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