Posted on 11/18/2023 6:28:34 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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Designing Your Wildlife Garden
Reclaiming wildlife habitat yard by yard is a vital step anyone can take just outside their door. Re-establishing native plant communities and protecting the local watershed with sustainable gardening practices is what gardening for wildlife is all about.
Here are some simple ways you can provide the essential habitat components of food, water, cover, and places to raise young while designing a garden space that appeals to your aesthetics and enhances the natural landscape.
Decide on the type of habitat garden based on your region.
There many options, such as bird-, bee-, and butterfly-friendly gardens, rain gardens and water gardens, meadow or prairie gardens, etc. Existing trees and plantings in your yard may help dictate what native plants will do well.
Observe the amount of sun and shade your intended garden habitat receives during the day. For example, any area that gets six or more hours of sunlight will thrive with sun-loving plants. Areas that tend to collect water or stay moist will be suitable for more wetland plants.
Prepare your site for planting.
Clear new planting site of all turf grass and weeds, unless your soil is too compacted to plant in—natives do not need much soil amendment. In fact, soil that is too rich and loamy results in very tall plants that can flop over.
Decide on a focal point for each garden bed or section of your yard.
These can be natural, like an anchoring shrub, tree, or hollow log. Human touches, like a birdbath, fountain, bench, or sculpture can add interest and draw people in to the landscape.
Balance the “natural look” with some definition.
Well-designed borders, paths, hedges, plant islands, and fencing frame the features of the garden and provide a neat appearance that your neighbors will appreciate.
Select plants that provide year-round diversity.
Wildlife need food, water, cover, and places to raise young with flowers, shrubs, trees, and grasses all year. To understand the benefits of these read about Plant for Diversity, then explore the types of plants and wildlife native to your area by entering your zip code in the Native Plant Finder.
Plant similar species of plants in groupings.
You will get larger color and textural impact, and eye-catching patterns throughout the garden bed or landscape. This technique also draws the eye into the garden and the close plantings will prevent weed groups and minimize the need for excess mulching.
Provide a backdrop of texture and structure.
Evergreens, native grasses, or taller plants will help frame smaller plants.
Sustain your wildlife garden and the ecosystem with Sustainable Practices.
Maintaining your landscape in a sustainable,
environmentally-friendly way ensures that the soil, air, and water that native wildlife (and people) rely upon stay clean and healthy.
Practice neighbor-friendly gardening.
Explain to your neighbors the intent and design of your garden and yard that may not conform to common garden or neighborhood association expectations.
Celebrate by certifying and displaying a sign!
Show why you have designed your yard intentionally to help wildlife and encourage them to do the same.
https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Create/At-Home
Much success to you and yours. May the hunt be fruitful.
This is a neat theme and one I am fully in to. When we bought this house 10 years ago, it had so many mature trees and a ravine with a small creek in the way back. I learned that I could register it as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, which I’ve done. We have a beautiful little sign that marks it.
We live in a semi rural neighborhood, so it looks like any suburban neighborhood from the front, but the backyard is very full of animal life. We see deer, raccoons, possums, skunks, groundhogs, foxes, and bunnies on a pretty regular basis, all from the family room and sunroom that face the wooded backyard. What a treat!
So the natural habitat is the type of gardening I do the most of. I love native wildflowers, and there’s a lot to learn about those. Some of them are very very pretty.
Gardening for wildlife? Sometimes it seems like that’s all we do here. I think the rabbits, deer, and birds harvest more of everything than we get.
Don’t wear your reindeer hat.....,..,
Mostly what they shoot is the breeze..........
Well, if you cook it right, the breeze can be delicious
Low carb,............
We have all the ‘natives’ for our area - already here! Of course we’ve ‘upped our game’ on the Milkweed for Monarchs and such. I think I’m going to ‘sacrifice’ a second of my raised beds for a ‘Pollinator Patch’ of perennials and annuals.
Here are a few links to ‘Native Plant Finders’ which will show you what to plant for your growing zone:
https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder
https://www.audubon.org/native-plants
Note: Some ‘natives’ can be aggressive and take over such as Monarda (Bee Balm) and anything even remotely ‘mint’ family-related, (Catmint/Nepita) so choose carefully! Everyday Daisies will happily take over the countryside if allowed. ;)
Lol, seems that way. “Feed pour local wildlife, plant a garden”
Here’s a helpful article from Miracle Gro on planting a raised bed Pollinator Garden. Having pollinators around helps with better vegetable pollination and production.
But, you all knew that. ;)
https://miraclegro.com/en-us/projects-planning/create-a-raised-bed-pollinator-garden.html
No raised bed to spare? Plant a pot for pollinators.
Thanks, Pete!
Getting rid of invasives is also a good idea. It takes a lot of work, but it well worth it.
Then it’s easier to replace with native plants.
No R.B, no antlers, but orange is a good fashion choice for hunting clothing. (Be aware that you should not wash hunting clothes with fabric softener because it makes you more visible to the deer! (Gives you some sort of funky shimmering Aura that shouts "Hunter!")
Serve with braised red cabbage and sour cream and a liter of Pilsner.
Hirschgulasch (German-Style Venison Stew with Red Wine)
-1 lb. venison shoulder, trimmed and cubed
-4 small onions, halved and cut into thin wedges
-4 shallots, cut into wedges
-1 Tbsp. flour
-3/4 bottle (450 ml) red wine (I used a light tempranillo)
-1 c. dark beef broth
-1 tsp. beef bullion (staying true to Thomas’ recipe)
-dash each paprika and cayenne
-a few sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed
-1 tsp. fresh minced rosemary
-1-2 cloves garlic, minced
-8 juniper berries
-8 peppercorns
-2 bay leaves
-1 Tbsp. lingonberry jam (or whole cranberry sauce), plus more for serving
-salt and pepper, to taste
-vegetable oil
1. In a large, heavy pot, heat a few Tbsp. vegetable oil until very hot.
2. Dry venison cubes on all sides with a towel. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Sear in batches in the hot oil to brown and develop a nice crust all over. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the onions and shallots to the pot, adding more oil as necessary. When they begin to turn golden brown, sprinkle with the 1 Tbsp. flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook 1-2 min. to allow the flour to color. (At this point, you could also add the garlic. I forgot and added it later).
4. Deglaze the pan with red wine, stirring up the browned bits with the wooden spoon. Return the meat to the pot. Add the beef broth and bullion. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low.
5. Stir in the thyme, rosemary, cayenne, paprika, juniper berries, peppercorns, bay leaves, and garlic (if you haven’t yet). Add 1 Tbsp. lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce.
6. Cover the pot with a sheet of foil and top off with the lid, creating a good seal. Simmer on low approx. 1 hr. (longer if you use a tougher cut), stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender.
6. Cover the pot with a sheet of foil and top off with the lid, creating a good seal. Simmer on low approx. 1 hr. (longer if you use a tougher cut), stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender.
7. Thicken as needed with a slurry of flour and cold water (starting with 1 Tbsp. flour) before serving.
Enjoy over Spaetzle or mashed potatoes with a glass of the remaining red wine.
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