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© WindStar Wildlife Institute
Landscaping a Small
Yard For Wildlife
Perhaps you’ve purchased a home which enjoys
only a traditional mowed lawn and clipped
evergreens. It looks nice enough, but you’re
interested in gardening, feeding the birds, and
making your yard a welcome spot for a variety of
wildlife. Where do you start.
T
rying to attack the whole
project at once is a sure way
to become discouraged and
make expensive mistakes. Take
some time to study your
property, think about what
wildlife you want to attract,
and what personal interests
you want to nurture.
Find out where your property
lies on the USDA Hardiness
Zone maps printed in most
plant catalogues, or available
through your county
Cooperative Extension Service
office. What kind of soil do you
have, how much sun reaches
your yard, what amount of rain
falls in your area, and what
structures are alreaady in
place.
Native Is Best
A word about “native" plants.
Wildlife evolved with plants
through the centuries, so a lot
of native vegetation is uniquely
suited to meet the needs of
specific wildlife. In addition,
native plants tend to thrive in
their natural habitat, be less
prone to disease, and less in
need of chemical treatments.
WindStar Wildlife Institute
emphasizes the merits of
native plants, but we realize
that there are sometimes other
considerations. Although
nurseries are beginning to carry
more native plants, they can be
hard to locate for purchase.
Those that flower may not be
as “flashy" as some of the
developed cultivars. They may
not bloom for as long a time, or
may have an unstructured
growth habit. Some “exotics"
(plants which originated in
other parts of the world) are
