With all the work that comes with maintaining a garden, there is nothing more satisfying then seeing a hummingbird sipping nectar from your bee balm or having robins follow your footsteps looking for worms after cultivating soil.
Our gardens allow us to interact with nature and give us a better appreciation for the flora and fauna that come to visit.
Here are several suggestions on how to attract and maintain wildlife in your garden:
– Trees provide shelter and nesting areas for birds.
– Native trees attract dozens of native pollinators in the spring, more so than exotic species.
– Shrubs or hedging also provide great shelter for birds or rabbits.
– Plant perennials that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
– Use trellises provide windbreaks (if yard is in an open area).
– Long grass areas are required by butterflies to lay eggs, only mowing parts of the lawn once a month can also greatly reduce maintenance costs.
– Provide bird feeders – seed for song birds, Syrup mix for hummingbirds
– Bird baths – allow birds to hydrate in the summer and cool off
– Stay as organic as possible – using your own compost and natural fertilizers will encourage development of soil organisms and in turn attract natural predators such as beetles, birds, amphibians etc.
### Top Butterfly Plants
*Please click on pictures above to view slideshow.*
**Butterfly Bush – *Buddleia* sp.**
– These shrubs blooms mid to late summer and attract various species of moths and butterflies including the Monarch.
**Salvia – *Salvia* sp**.
These perennial plants come in a wide range of colours such as white, pink and purple. Many cultivars will re-bloom if spent blooms are pruned away.
**Lavender – *Lavandula* sp.**
Lavender provides nectar for butterflies and are strong scented. Their blue colour tones are highly visible throughout the garden.
### Top Hummingbird Plants
*Please click on pictures above to view slideshow.*
**Bee Balm – *Monarda* sp.**
Bee balm look great if massed in perennial borders, hummingbirds love the nectar from these strongly scented plants.
**Foxglove – *Digitalis* sp.**
This classic perennial has bold flower spikes and blooms in mid-summer. This flower is also a favourite of honeybees.
**Honeysuckle – *Lonicera* sp.**
Honeysuckles come in shrub or vine form, their blooms can be sweet scented and bloom for long periods in the landscape.
If you would like to share your favourite butterfly or hummingbird plants, please email us or post a message on our Facebook page.
Cheers,
Andrea
*Post contributed by Andrea Weddum, Landscape Designer*
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