2017 April - Gardening with Wildlife

2017 April - Gardening with Wildlife

* Notes From the Old Ottawa South Garden Club By Colin Ashford

On a rather damp evening following the first really warm day of the year, Master Gardener Rebecca Last gave a thoughtful and extensive presentation entitled “Gardening with Wildlife” to the Old Ottawa South Garden Club.  Rebecca has been gardening on-and-off since she was eight.  Her small suburban garden is certified by the Canadian Wildlife Federation as a wildlife habitat.

Rebecca noted that the main advantages of attracting wildlife to an urban garden are: contribution to protection of species (many that under threat from modern agricultural practices); improved pest-control; education; entertainment; and a better connection to nature.  However there are cons: the necessity for “systems thinking”; a slightly messier aesthetic; and you don’t get to choose who visits!

Rebecca continued with the three key elements of a wildlife-friendly garden: organic, low-impact gardening (composting, companion planting, water harvesting, and integrated pest management); systems thinking (seasonal and multi-year succession, stacking, and design elements); and key design-elements (continuous blooming, intense planting, and water features).  Rebecca recommended a sharing approach to pest management: although caterpillars may feed on some of your plants, many will change into beautiful butterflies.

Nevertheless, she did mention the not-to-be-tolerated rogue’s gallery including the red lily beetle, the emerald ash borer, and the hated Japanese beetle—all to be squashed without compunction.  Rebecca then moved on to discussing plant selection and emphasized selection for continuous blooming throughout the season, dense planting to provide food and shelter for wildlife, and avoiding double-bloom cultivars (whose nectars are hard to access).  She also noted that trees such as linden, basswood, and bur oak can provide food for insects and birds, as do shrubs such as dogwood, chokecherry, and serviceberry.  She also recommended a number of herbaceous plants that are good for attracting insects, birds (and even some that are good for attracting mammals); the list includes: asters (especially native species); sunflowers; winter savory; purple coneflowers (native single blooms); and goldenrod.

Attracting birds into an urban garden requires different feeders for different kinds of birds: suet feeders to attract woodpeckers; platform feeders to attract ground-feeding birds; cylindrical feeders stocked with niger or thistle seeds to attract smaller birds such as finches; and, of course, specialized humming-bird feeders. Water (especially the sound of running water) is important in attracting insects, birds, and amphibians.  An artificial waterfall with steps so birds can take a splash bath is ideal, but a static birdbath can work as well—but do keep it clean.  Rebecca then spoke about shelter for wildlife: bee houses to attract mason bees and solitary bees; and well-designed bird boxes that can be cleaned out each fall.

Rebecca concluded her talk with pointers to useful resources such as the Canadian Wildlife Federation and their backyard certification scheme; Monarch Watch and their Monarch Waystation program; and, of course, Master Gardeners of Ottawa.

The next meeting of the Old Ottawa South Garden Club will be on Monday 8 May at the Firehall when Master Gardener Judith Cox will try to persuade us that Flowers and Veggies Do Mix. On Saturday, May 13th at 10 am in Brewer Park, the Old Ottawa South Garden Club will have a plant exchange and sale.