Creating a wildlife-friendly landscape can be rewarding on many levels! It can bring nature close to your home, support local ecosystems, and also increase the value of your property. However, we often see homeowners struggle with wildlife-friendly landscaping. Even after spending a small fortune on their landscape, the birds and butterflies just don’t seem to find the space inviting enough.
The problem is with the approach. If you want to attract birds, butterflies and other friendly wildlife to your backyard, then you need to do a few things right. Here, we will look at some of the important tips from some of the leading wildlife-friendly landscaping contractors.
5 Tips from Wildlife-friendly Landscaping Contractors to Attract Birds and Butterflies
Here are some of the useful tips that you should follow when it comes to wildlife landscaping to attract birds and butterflies and transform your backyard into an oasis of biodiversity.
1. Always Plant Native Species
We have often seen homeowners plant exotic species in their backyard. While they might be good for aesthetics, they might not seem that inviting for local wildlife. Instead, try to get native plants which have evolved alongside local wildlife, so they are more comfortable around them and hence, are attracted towards them.
For example, monarch butterflies are fond of milkweed. On the other hand, berry shrubs like elderberries and service berries provide food for birds throughout the year.
2. Provide a Water Source
This is kind of like a no-brainer. Freshwater sources are crucial for attracting birds and butterflies.
Butterflies require shallow sources for hydration. Birds, on the other hand, need water for drinking and bathing.
With the help of your trusted landscaping contractors, you can install a birdbath, a small pond, or just a shallow dish with water and stones for providing a safe drinking spot for them.
However, the challenge is to keep the water clean and fresh. In hot water, stagnant water can be the place for mosquito breeding. You can add a small fountain or dripper. This will serve two purposes – one, it is to keep the water moving and two, birds will be attracted by the sound of running water.
3. Try to Offer a Variety of Food Sources
The availability of a diverse diet is a major draw of different species of birds and butterflies.
If you ask specialist wildlife-friendly landscaping experts, they will probably recommend that you plan nectar-rich flowers and shrubs that produce berries.
Apart from that it is also a smart idea to supplement that with bird feeders. Try to keep them stocked with sunflower seeds, suet, or nyjer seeds. This is a neat little trick to attract beautiful songbirds to your backyard.
If you are fond of butterflies, you can create fruit feeders made from overripe bananas, oranges or melons to attract species like swallowtails and fritillaries. But when you are setting them up, make sure to put them in a clean and sheltered area to keep predators at bay.
4. Design a Layered Landscape
You can work with a specialist wildlife-friendly landscaping contractor to design a layered landscape. This way, you will be replicating natural ecosystems which will increase the chance of having a diverse fauna in your own backyard.
Make sure that includes a mix of tall trees, understory shrubs, perennials, and ground cover plants. This will not only enhance the overall look of your yard, but also build various habitats for different kinds of butterflies and birds.
For example, oak trees produce acorns for birds and mammals, while flowering vines like trumpet creeper attract hummingbirds. A well-structured landscape, created with the help of experts in wildlife-friendly landscaping, will make sure that different species have places to forage, nest, and hide throughout the year.
5. Keep a Seasonal Approach
To bring a variety of birds and butterflies to your yard, it is important to have a seasonal approach. Therefore, to keep them coming year round, choose plans that bloom in different seasons.
Early bloomers like crocus and lilac will attract pollinators in spring. Similarly, late bloomers like asters and sedum provide nectar into the fall.
What about winters? You should leave seed heads on flowers like coneflowers and sunflowers through the season as that provides food for birds. It is also advised to keep some leaf litter on the ground to attract insects, which in turn will attract the birds.
