4
Portables Work
If you are renting an
apartment your space may be
even more limited than the 1/8
acre of our design, but you can
still attract wildlife by using
“portable" landscaping.
Window boxes can overflow
with annual flowers that supply
nectar to butterflies and
hummingbirds. If you have a
balcony or patio, a half barrel
can be converted to a miniature
pond or fountain. There are
many plants, including dwarf
trees, that will happily grow in
containers. Some city dwellers
have even created beautiful
rooftop gardens.
Weight is a consideration on
balconies, but on the ground
floor you can make use of
vertical space. Long planters
stacked up behind one another
can create a wall of color. There
are flat-backed pots that can
be attached directly to existing
walls, and others designed to fit
Recommended Plants
The following suggested plants are a very small sampling of
possibilities. For additional suggestions, consult guidebooks,
a nature center or extension service, local nurseries, or the
Internet.
SMALL TREES
Serviceberry ..............................................
Amelanchier arvorea
Fringetree ..................................................
Chionanthus virginiana
Sweetbay magnolia .................................
Magnolia virginiana
Witchazel....................................................
Hamamelis virginiana
Junipers......................................................
Juniperus
SHRUBS
Virginia sweetspire ..................................
Itea virginica
Mountain laurel ........................................
Kalmia latifolia
Spicebush ..................................................
Lindera bensoin
Bayberry .....................................................
Myrica pensylvanica
Azaleas and rhododendrons
FLOWERS FOR HUMMINGBIRDS & BUTTERFLIES
Lantana ......................................................
Lantana camara
Pentas.........................................................
Pentas lanciolata
Cosmos.......................................................
Cosmos suphureus
Joe-Pye weed ............................................
Eupatorium spp
Purple coneflower.....................................
Echinacea purpurea
Black-eyed Susan ...................................
Rudbeckia
Butterfly weed..........................................
Asclepias tuberosa
Butterfly bush ..........................................
Buddleia
Cardinal flower ..........................................
Lobelia cardinalis
Bee balm.....................................................
Monarda didyma
Scarlet sage .............................................
Salvia coccinea
This article was written by
Maryland Master Wildlife Habitat
Naturalist Cathy Gilleland.
For more information or for the
name of a Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist in your area,
please contact:
WindStar Wildlife Institute
10072 Vista Court
Myersville, Maryland 21773
Phone: (301) 293-3351
E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org
http://www.windstar.org
WindStar Wildlife Institute is a
national, non-profit, conservation
organization whose mission is to
help individuals and families
establish or improve the wildlife
habitat on their properties.
over railings. Vines can climb
trellises, while seed and nectar
feeders can be hung from
almost anything.
Team With Neighbors
One of the best ways to
landscape for wildlife when your
space is limited is to team up
with neighbors. One person
might have a spot for a
container pond, another a
sunny deck for flowers, while
someone else could grow a
couple of dwarf trees in a small
patio yard. With cooperation,
the essentials for wildlife can be
provided by adjacent properties.
Adopt Common Areas
For larger gardening projects,
perhaps you could get
permission to landscape a
“common area," or a nearby
public space. Even a few feet
along a sidewalk can be filled
with life and color that will bring
pleasure to everyone.
