tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post2653642127682604821..comments2024-03-27T10:07:19.098-06:00Comments on The Home Bug Garden: Curb Appeal, Co-existence & The Wildlife GardenHomeBugGardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845748276844681280noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-53382037594937202852010-01-05T18:17:54.300-07:002010-01-05T18:17:54.300-07:00Hi Ted - Yeah, it's hard not to use the word &...Hi Ted - Yeah, it's hard not to use the word 'native' - seems to subsume a lot of how we (mis?)-think about things natural (another problem n-word). My current bias is towards 'functional plants' and against pretty for pretty's sake.<br /><br />Your lot sounds dreamy (and Zone 6, sigh) and should be years of fun planting it out. If you haven't seen William Cullina's "Wildflowers, A Guide to Growing and Propagating Native Flowers of North America" (details are in the sidebar), then I would highly recommend it - lots of detail on propagation too. Among the shade books that I have consumed, I found Larry Hodgson's "Making the Most of Shade" the most informative and useful (but then he had gardened in Zone 3 and includes lots of plants that can survive here).<br /><br />My wife just found the first proturan I've seen here in Alberta - I can't find any records for the Province, so this could be an alien. Certainly looks like it came from Mars.HomeBugGardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11845748276844681280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-71528608066258241842010-01-03T21:36:33.069-07:002010-01-03T21:36:33.069-07:00Our house sits in a large acreage forest - most of...Our house sits in a large acreage forest - most of my yard is lightly shaded by tall, native (sorry!) oaks and hickories that were retained from the forest in which the house was built. The ground underneath the trees in a 1/4 acre patch in front of the house was planted in grass to create a lawn, but even though it's not heavily shaded it takes a lot of maintenance to make the grass thrive - I'm not into that, and I generally detest lawns anyway. I'm gradually reducing the lawn area to irregular bands between "islands" of trees grouped together with raised soil beds underneath into which I'm planting woodland-type shrubs and perennials. I prefer but am not limiting myself to native (there's that word again) species, but I would like to maximize the wildlife (i.e., insects) benefit in whatever I do choose. Progress is slow as I'm on a budget, but I've got all the beds created. I'm now trying to settle on shrubs that will add structure and, if possible, attract pollinators. This post and your followup comments have helped organize my thinking.Ted C. MacRaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07468976060347412389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-47739121456367716232010-01-03T09:31:04.340-07:002010-01-03T09:31:04.340-07:00Hi Ted - My first point is rather MacArthurian (bi...Hi Ted - My first point is rather MacArthurian (birdy), but valid for insects too. I should point out, however, that the more trees and shrubs you plant, the more you will need to explore shade gardening.HomeBugGardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11845748276844681280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-16123323415293561222010-01-02T22:11:23.055-07:002010-01-02T22:11:23.055-07:00Dave, I'm equally impressed by your insightful...Dave, I'm equally impressed by your insightful response to The Garden Ms. S. Very useful advice to follow, even down here in Zone 5b/6a :)Ted C. MacRaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07468976060347412389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-33201438640211468662009-12-29T10:54:33.393-07:002009-12-29T10:54:33.393-07:00Thank you for taking the time to provide such a th...Thank you for taking the time to provide such a thoughtful response. I shall keep this information as a reference as we continue with the planning for our gardens. Much appreciated!<br /><br />As always, I look forward to your future posts. Cheers.Northern Beauty Seekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-62323369352855991012009-12-29T10:11:28.535-07:002009-12-29T10:11:28.535-07:00Unlike ‘native’, ‘altruism’does have some precise ...Unlike ‘native’, ‘altruism’does have some precise scientific definitions and these include the necessity that the altruist bears a cost for any benefits they might give to another. Since I garden first and foremost for myself, and any benefits to wildlife usually come at no additional cost, I don’t think it would be accurate to claim that I am an altruistic gardener. I love biological diversity and I garden to maximize my enjoyment of it. So, I’m really a selfish gardener.<br /><br />I’ve been studying insects and other arthropods for about 40 years, so I know their importance in maintaining functioning ecosystems. Birds don’t grow on trees – they grow on insects their parents feed them. In Edmonton, if you don’t have insects, you don’t have songbirds. House Sparrows are exceptions, they prefer plant matter and can probably get by without insects, but the rest depend on invertebrates (e.g. insects, spiders, snails, worms) to raise their young and for much of their adult food. No matter how much seeds and suet you put out to help them overwinter, songbirds will still need insects and the like in the spring to feed their young. Ditto for toads, frogs, salamanders, and even most small mammals.<br /><br />I’m not attracted to symmetry in a garden or to compositions that seem too formal or stiff. But that is me – I like the seeming irregularity and informality of natural settings. But, formal gardens do not have to be incompatible with wildlife gardening. The ingredients can be the same – just put together differently. I’ll try to expand on this idea in subsequent postings, but as a quick first stab, here’s a first go:<br /><br />1. Structural diversity. There are many reasons to dislike lawns, but one that is high on my list is that their uniform height and species composition provide limited habitats for animals. The more layers of plants your garden has, the more homes and resting places it provides for animals. Trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants of varying height all make a yard attractive to wildlife. Also, grasses are wind pollinated, so they are useless for feeding pollinators.<br /><br />2. Plant diversity. A diversity of plants provides for a diversity of insects. If you are trying to encourage pollinators, for example, you need to provide a continuity of blooms across their entire foraging period. Insect herbivores tend to be on the host-specific side, so in general, the more plant species you have, the more insect species you will have.<br /><br />3. Water. Our small pond / bubbler has an affect on wildlife all out of proportion to its size. Backyard bird species number has quadrupled since it was lawn – mostly from migrants that stop for a drink and a bath – and a rest in the shrubs and small trees. Others have discovered the bounty of snails. The number of dragonfly / damselfly species has increased tremendously too.<br /><br />4. Nesting spots. Planting flowers isn’t enough for pollinators: bees, for example, also need a place to nest. This may be as simple as a shrub with hollow twigs, a clump of bunchgrass, or a patch of bare ground. Cavity nests help bumblebees, mason bees, and hunting wasps. Chickadees, nuthatches, tree swallows, bluebirds and others also benefit from cavity/box nests – but you have to be sure that they are inappropriate for pests like the House Sparrow.<br /><br />5. Appropriate pesticide use. If you spray your garden everyday, then wildlife won’t thrive (although you may have more undesirable insects – parasites and predators tend to be susceptible to chemicals, while pests are often resistant). But, pesticides used properly can contribute to a successful wildlife garden. It isn’t the chemicals that are bad, but how they are misused.HomeBugGardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11845748276844681280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-48850116527362341622009-12-28T23:12:26.184-07:002009-12-28T23:12:26.184-07:00This was a very interesting post. It really touche...This was a very interesting post. It really touches on a topic that I am giving a lot of thought to these days. <br /><br />My Dad has long since done away with his front garden, but I suspect that’s mostly because the back was full and he needed more space for plants. You seem to have a more altruistic purpose in your approach. <br /><br />If I am following correctly, your purpose is to encourage wildlife diversity in your yard, to approximate an ecosystem that sustains and nourishes the native pollinators and other local wildlife.<br /><br />As I am developing my own sense of gardening style, I wonder if form and function can find a happy meeting point. I am drawn to an architectural, more formally shaped design for the garden, while at the same time, I want it to be a healthy place for local pollinators, toads, birds etc. (I’ll pass on the local coyotes as they seem to be thriving without me). My bare minimum scenario is that the garden be neutral and not contribute any unhealthiness to our neighbourhood environment. <br /><br />What would you suggest as some of the key requirements for a garden that is an inviting and healthy place for the local fauna? I welcome any advice. <br /><br />Perhaps I can find that meeting point that satisfies both my favoured form and desired function.Northern Beauty Seekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07805215769692200647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-68708728457706253972009-12-28T11:27:31.663-07:002009-12-28T11:27:31.663-07:00Can't help thinking about this post of yours! ...Can't help thinking about this post of yours! <br /><br />Much of what you felt when you first began converting your garden happened to me as well. It was a scrawny eyesore to begin with (when the cursing happened) but there were still some people who seemed to understand what I was about. The first complements came from Europeans - they grasped what drove me and they understood that gardens took time to mature. Many Canadians are still naive about the diversity of gardens (and gardening for diversity!). As our garden matured and the planting density increased,the 'structure' became more noticeable and it began to get more compliments. I felt more confidence that what I was doing was right, even when people misunderstood the purpose. It was never meant to be a garden for straw-capped matrons to sip tea and eat cucumber sandwiches in(even though that has happened). I used to feel a bit embarrassed by the eccentric garden but now I feel sure enough about it. We may not be leading a desirable and necessary trend in gardening, but we should be!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-61504622011775938992009-12-27T20:10:19.367-07:002009-12-27T20:10:19.367-07:00Hi Ted,
The Oxford English Dictionary is full of ...Hi Ted,<br /><br />The Oxford English Dictionary is full of surprises and finding out that ‘native’ originated as a word for a slave was a bit of a shock. So was finding out that Nazi Germany had a strong and nasty ‘native plant’ movement. Doug Tallamy in his book “Bringing Nature Home” has the best treatment that I have read of the importance of gardening with plants that support indigenous insects and so on through the foodweb to the less charismatic megafauna (birds etc.). However, he stepped in the ‘native’ mess too, by subtitling his book ‘How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens’ and he’s told me that he wished he’d never used the word. I’ll deal with this in some future post, once I’ve figured out what I really feel. In the meanwhile, I’m trying to avoid my mind falling into the pitfall of the ‘native-alien’ false dichotomy. <br /><br />PS – Really enjoyed your Christmas post – this was the first time I’d seen it.HomeBugGardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11845748276844681280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-75488109229396015552009-12-27T19:19:10.423-07:002009-12-27T19:19:10.423-07:00It hadn't before occurred to me to question wh...It hadn't before occurred to me to question what "native" really means in terms of local horticulture. I think these days I'm just happy to see people planting something that has any wildlife value at all and won't be invasive, much less something that is truely endemic to the area.<br /><br />Very interesting piece.Ted C. MacRaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07468976060347412389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-75126152093243396032009-12-26T10:05:42.961-07:002009-12-26T10:05:42.961-07:00Well, no one has cursed my garden, but then I look...Well, no one has cursed my garden, but then I look a lot more curmudgeonly than you and might chase them down the street with a spade if they did.<br /><br />My impression is that most city people have a NIMBY attitude towards conservation. Not too hard to understand: polar bears are cute, but who wants one eating you and your pets? Besides, people really do have a strong need to conform and to enforce conformity. Front Yards in Bloom is a good example - there's no 'eccentric' category and their 'natural' gardens tend to be very formal expressions. People that feel the need to be surrounded by nature tend to move to the country (but then tend to turn their yards into something more comfortable like a city lot).<br /><br />The importance of urban gardens as refugia has gotten very little scientific study until recently, and no press that I have seen. We can hope that will change and that the way we garden will inspire others to follow suite. Maybe the upcoming ban on weed & feed will lead to less lawns and more diversity.HomeBugGardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11845748276844681280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024382604105375596.post-292140444171227052009-12-26T00:18:52.379-07:002009-12-26T00:18:52.379-07:00I have also had a range of reactions to our front ...I have also had a range of reactions to our front garden - from curses to an almost tearful appreciation (this from a young girl and her grandfather who came to tell me how much it reminded them of her deceased grandmother's garden). I make no claims for the beauty of our front garden, but it is diverse in plants, lively in life and ever-changing. What annoys me most is the majority who walk by without even a glance - those who seem to have no interest in what the garden represents in an urban area. If that sort of indifference and lack of curiosity is typical of the population than what hope have we in the long run of conserving our wild places?<br /><br />I hope you and Heather had a good Christmas!<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16260404687111601814noreply@blogger.com