From Backyard to Jungle

Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Gardening

Our writer tries to turn her patio into a certified wildlife habitat.

When I first moved into my townhouse in 2007, I loved its small, fenced patio. It was large enough to host an al fresco dinner for two and small enough to keep me from spending weekends mowing the lawn and pulling weeds.

A few months after I moved in, I discovered that the concrete jungle was depressing.

I bought a few pots and planted some flowers that helped brighten up the patio a little but something was still missing -- critters. There were no butterflies, birds, bees or frogs. Even the insects scurried across the patio in search of greener pastures. I wanted to provide those greener pastures.

A full-scale landscaping project wasn't an option. The wires buried under the river rocks made planting trees or digging a garden impossible and, with no lawnmower and three dogs, grass was a bad idea. A limited budget meant it had to be a DIY project. I decided that a container garden was the best choice.

I started researching the options and came across a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) program that allows outdoor spaces to become certified wildlife habitats. The program was launched in 1973 but has gained the most momentum in the past decade. David Mizejewski, a naturalist and NWF spokesperson, said the number of certified sites jumped from 26,000 to 130,000 in 2010.

"Part of the goal of the program is to create a movement; to give people a means of connecting with nature on a daily basis," Mizejewski explains. "There has been a huge spike in participation now that people are realizing it's possible to create natural spaces right outside their back doors."

It seemed like the perfect solution for me.




I loved the notion of providing habitats for wildlife and making the best choices for the environment all while I made the back patio a more beautiful place to hang out. The inner high-achiever in me loved the idea of being rewarded for the makeover.

Mizejewski assured me that it was possible to have a small space certified. I reviewed the requirements -- provide food, water, cover and a place for animals to raise babies all while using green gardening practices -- and set to work.

I tend to pick plants like a child picks candies -- racing through the garden center and exclaiming, "Oooh, I love that shade of pink!" and "These flowers look like old fashioned phonograph horns! I'll take two!" I had to be more careful this time because they needed to provide food for wildlife. Of course, I wanted them to be colorful, too. I picked butterfly bushes and lantana, which are sources of nectar. And, if the number of butterflies and bees circling the plants at the garden center were any indication, it wouldn't take long for critters to find the plants on my patio.

I immediately hung two birdhouses, a hummingbird feeder and two birdfeeders and installed a makeshift rain barrel to capture rainwater (I'd love a real rain barrel but the homeowners association wouldn't be pleased if I disconnected the downspouts!). Providing a water source was harder.

In a small space, a large fountain wasn't an option. I wasn't comfortable using a ton of power to keep fountain water re-circulating. At first, I didn't want a birdbath. Aren't birdbaths for old ladies with lots of cats? But then, scouring Internet craft sites for something small and colorful, I found a cute birdbath made from a teacup and saucer attached to a copper pole. I replicated the project at home, filling the saucer with water and the teacup with birdseed, and it's become a popular spot for the neighborhood birds to hang out.

Truth be told, it took a long time to find the right combination that would allow me to earn certification without looking like a jumbled mess. I did, after all, want to save enough space to be able to sit outside without bumping into bird feeders and fallen logs.

The effort was worth it.

Within a week, there was a bluebird nest in one of the birdhouses, a hummingbird perched on the red feeder, butterflies and bees fluttering on the plants and birds nibbling on seed while perched on the edge of the teacup feeders. After three years of looking outside and seeing a concrete wasteland, the patio felt like a mini Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom!

I jumped in excitement each time a new bird flew to the feeders. I called my partner at work to report on wildlife sightings. I kept the camera on the kitchen counter to capture the scene. The patio was alive!

I've even caught the dogs -- the same dogs that used to walk outside, do their business and come right back in -- hanging out on the patio, watching (and sometimes barking) at the birds, staring at the butterflies and avoiding the bees.

I started spending more time on the patio, too, making dinner on the barbeque, relaxing in the sun with a book or sitting under the umbrella and watching for birds. I even look forward to going outside in the evening to water the plants. Knowing that I have a handful of critters using the blossoms to fill their little bellies made all of the effort worthwhile.

Still have backyards on the brain?
Host a Backyard Harvest Party
Backyard Cottages: Affordable Housing Solution?

 

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