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GARDENING FOR WILDIFE
Although you might not think of common wild animals like opossums, cottontails, bluejays and robins as "threatened," these animals are increasingly finding life more difficult as the areas they've called home gradually make way for housing subdivisions and malls rising from seas of pavement. Even though these species of animals are not in immediate danger of becoming extinct, the individuals are coming into conflict with humans with much higher frequency. Less visible but just as important are the insects, who are misunderstood, underappreciated and also in danger from habitat loss and pesticide use.
Gardens that are designed sustainably with an eye toward creating balanced ecosystems are the wave of the future. Outdated landscapes consisting of a few sharply shaved shrubs surrounded by a sea of green lawn are soon to be relegated to the old landscape history books as a dark ages period in landscape design. New millenium gardens are visually dynamic and teaming with species diversity. Today's gardener is more than just a petunia planter. Today's gardener is a habitat manager, student of nature and all around conservationist!
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How to turn your garden into precious wildlife habitat —
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Gardening is for the Birds
Flowers aren't the only things that add color to our landscapes. Birds are like animated blooms, flying from place to place throughout the garden. Plants that attract and feed them are easy to find in all sizes and shapes. Even the smallest balcony can offer potted flowers and grasses to delight the birds.
And don't forget to throw out those nasty pesticides — bugs are bird food! Allowed to find a balance, you'll find nature takes care of itself. You'll be healthier, too!
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Don’t Forget the Mammals
Don't be afraid to invite mammals into your garden. They can be enticed without causing nuisance when they are provided with useful plants which can provide both a direct food source and also attract insects and amphibians that are another additional source of nourishment. The more natural foods you can provide for your squirrels, for example, the less likely they are to raid your begonia planters on
your patio — frankly, they'd rather be eating acorns!
Give ‘em Shelter
Food isn't all they need! Like us, animals need a place to call home. Allowing a corner of your landscape to be a little scrubby is a great way to give something back to the wildlings who are trying to call someplace home, while also giving yourself a break from pruning, raking and manicuring! Cottontails just need a quiet little place to make their nest in the ground, and the birds and squirrels need real estate in the tree tops to raise their young.
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Create a Water Source
Wildlife-friendly gardens provide much needed moisture for a healthy eco-system. High maintenance water features aren't for everyone, but a shallow depression in a corner of your yard can make an excellent substitute. It will provide habitat for a wide range of creatures, from amphibians to mammals to birds, and when planted with the right plants, also creates a wonderfully low-maintenance but beautiful landscape focal point.
Drought Tolerant Plants Conserve Resources
Eco-friendly gardens are beautiful while they conserve natural resources. There are many plants that require very little to grow into fantastic, colorful specimens. Native prairie plants are a great place to start, but hybrids of these natives as well as imports from arid regions of the globe also add to the wide palette available to gardeners today.
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Identify Insects and Pinpoint Problems
Accept a certain amount of imperfection in your landscape plants. Holes in foliage indicate that insects are enjoying a healthy meal, converting the sun's energy stored in the plants to a form useful to other members of the food web, namely those who eat the insects themselves! If an imbalance threatens the survival of a plant, research who is causing the damage and what safe chemcial product can be used to bring the situation back into balance. Eradication need not be the goal. Start with the weblink at right for identification, then choose products from the organic product list on this website.
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| How to choose the right plants — |
Nectar feeders (both birds and insects) as well as seed eating and omnivorous birds and mammals find sustenance from flowering plants.
The following short lists feature species which are functional while adding beauty to your landscape. Of course, you can't go wrong choosing species from our native plant selection. |
Annuals
Ageratum, Globe amaranth, Amaranthus, Asclepias curassivica, Canna, Cleome, Cosmos, Dill, Fennel, Four c'clocks, Gaillardia, Hollyhock, Marigold, Nicotiana, Parsely, Petunia, Salvia, Sunflower, Zinnia
Perennials
Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa, A. syriacus, A. incarnata), Aster, Cardinal Flower (perennial lobelia), chives, columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, E. pallida, E. paradoxa), Coreopsis, dandelions, goldenrod, Helianthus (perennial sunflower), Liatrus (Kansas gayfeather), lily, Monarda (Bee balm), mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Penstemon, plantain, Ratibida (Mexican hat coneflower), roses (rugosa, Prairie rose, Swamp rose, Wood's rose), Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan), Salvia (Pitcher sage), Silphium (Compass plant), mints
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Trees
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oak
willow
cherry, plum
birch
poplar, cottonwood
crabapple
maple, box elder
elm
pine
hickory
hawthorn
spruce
ash
basswood, linden
filbert, hazelnut
walnut, butternut
beech
chestnut
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Quercus
Salix
Prunus
Betula
Populus
Malus
Acer
Ulmus
Pinus
Carya
Crataegus
Picea
Fraxinus
Tilia
Corylus
Juglans
Fagus
Castanea
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517
456
448
413
368
311
285
213
203
200
159
156
150
150
131
130
126
125
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Trees provide many helpful things to wild animals - everything from summer and winter foods to shelter and nesting materials.
The table at left shows trees that support huge numbers of Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths), according to Douglas Tallamy from his book Bringing Nature Home.
Other Native Trees
Eastern red cedar, hackberry, mulberry, Catalpa, redbud, sycamore. pawpaw, persimmon
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Excellent (mostly native) shrubs for nectar feeders
buttonsbush, Virginia sweetspire, clethra (sweetshrub), spicebush, New Jersey tea, willow, blueberry, chokecherry, sumac
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Grasses offer shelter and a food source for small mammals and songbirds.
Both native and ornamental grasses
are good choices.
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The Best Plants to Grow Are Natives
Try to use as many native plants in your landscape as possible, as these are the only plants that can sustain insect populations in your garden. Without insects, nothing else can live in your landscape. |
Perennial Grasses
Big blue stem, little blue stem, blue grama grass, fountain grass, sideoats grama grass, Indian grass, feather reed grass, prairie dropseed and maiden grasses are but a few of the wonderful grasses available.
Try a native buffalo grass turf instead of bluegrass for your lawn and green your entire property by creating a super low-maintenance, water conserving sustainable residential landscape. |
Plants of special interest to Hummingbirds
Nicotiana, hollyhock, Salvia coccinia, scarler runner bean, zinnia, dahlia, torch tithonia, Fuchsia, geranium, snapdragon, petunia, canna lily, Verbena, Clematis, trumpet vine, honeysuckle, Japanese flowering quince, Weigela, butterfly bush, beautybush, mimosa, American linden, hawthorn, locust, , red buckeye, horsechestnut, Catalpa, cardinal flower, columbine, coral bells, daylillies, foxglove, larkspur, sweet William, phlox, Dianthus, sage, Scabiosa, Crocosmia, Hibiscus, Turk's cap lily, penstemmon, royal catchfly, skullcap |
| How to help wild animals who come into harms way — |
Click here to learn more
about what you should do
if you find an injured
or orphaned wild creature …
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Any cold, starving, sick or injured baby or adult needs immediate help. Place in a cardboard box lined with cloth and cover with a lid. Avoid extremes of temperature, handling and noise.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED OR WATER ANY ANIMAL UNLESS DIRECTED TO DO SO BY A VET OR REHABILITATOR
Use caution when handling any wild animal. USE GLOVES. Their normal defense when cornered is to bite or scratch.
NEVER ATTEMPT TO HANDLE SKUNKS OR RACCOONS! They are dangerous and can carry rabies and dangerous parasites.
Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Operation WildLife is located in Linwood, KS, just east of Lawrence. Northeast Kansas Wildlife Rescue is located in Topeka. Both organizations have trained volunteers in northeast Kansas, and can assist you with any wildlife situation.
REMEMBER, THE GOAL OF WILDLIFE REHABILITATION IS TO RETURN HEALTHY ANIMALS TO THE WILD.
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