WATER
Fresh water is a must for thirsty wildlife. Place your birdbath in shade or semi-shade so it doesn’t overheat, and change the water daily to discourage bacteria growth.
Better yet, install a backyard pond. Kits make this once-laborious task a simple weekend project, if you’re willing to roil up your sleeves and get sweaty.
Butterflies don’t drink from pools of water, so provide H2O for them by filling a shallow pan with fine gravel, and filling that with enough water to just keep it wet. Prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your yard, by changing birdbath water daily, and adding an aerator or stream to your pond ¬– skeeter larvae can only survive in still water.
SHELTER
Grow a variety of grasses, plants, bushes and groundcover to ensure shelter for various winged and four- and six-legged critters.<
Carve out niches by stacking landscape rocks so small “caverns” remain on the bottom – small bug-eating garter snakes, toads or other creatures will seek shelter here.
Another way to build an easy shelter for toads is to take a terra cotta flowerpot saucer and chip out a mouse hole-sized gap along the rim, and leave it on the ground in a flowerbed. You could also raise one side up on a stone, to provide an entry point. Install bird, bat- and butterfly houses out of the wind, on the side of your house or garage.
There are a number of ways to enjoy your yard, but creating a wildlife refuge is one of the best because it allows you to reconnect with nature, and welcome colourful birds, butterflies and other living “decorations” much prettier than their store-bought resin replicas!
Read more in Homes and Gardens
You might also enjoy:
Twitter
Facebook
Youtube
RSS
2 Comments
Hi, I just bought the September 2008 issue of Style at Home, and I already LOVE it! My boyfriend and I have just purchased our first house (together as a couple) and I have big ideas on how to make it ours. The house was built in approximately 1920 (?) and it has a lot of character and warmth to it. One big thing is to change the kitchen a bit (not structurally yet) but with some new paint, door knobs, painted counter tops and love I know it will be great. The next big idea is the Dining/Livingroom and making it work better together, yet be seperate to one another. My BIG outdoor project will be putting in a beautiful English style garden that will allow all forms of life to put it to use, and will allow us to enjoy the colours and smells it will bring to our backyard. I can hardly wait until I can get to designing, digging and planting my own little paradise. Thank you for your magazine and website....I know that you will give a lot of great ideas and information. I just hope my boyfriend doesn't get sick of all my ideas and projects (a.k.a. honey do list) Thanks again Catherine Allison
@Catherine - I just moved into my boyfriend's house. It used the be the local general store and was built in 1942. We have a huge backyard, but he had basically zero landscaping, which means it was a blank slate for me to work with. Already put in quite a number of gardens, also English style, and we are working on an outdoor kitchen/patio/dining room. I've been getting Style At Home for years. It is a fantastic mag for ideas. Elizabeth http://www.urbanpantherslair.com