Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
For me, half of the fun of having a garden is watching the critters that come to enjoy it. Here are some of the critters that have shown up in my garden (and my family's garden) in the last couple of years. Learn more about backyard habitat by reading these articles Food plants for caterpillars and butterflies How to Create Good Wildlife …
Continue Reading about Backyard Wildlife: The Critters in My Garden
If your garden includes sources of food throughout the year, water, a variety of structure (height and shape) that can be used for cover, and plenty of places for animals to create nests in to reproduce, it’s likely that you already have lots of wildlife in your yard. Wildlife requires 4 things to thrive Food Water Cover Places to …
Continue Reading about How to Create Good Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard
If you’d like to see more wildlife in your garden in winter, be sure to include plants that provide food and cover in the fall and winter. Some of these plants are evergreen, providing necessary cover, and some have fruits, seeds, or nuts that persist into winter. Here are some (mostly native) plant suggestions that can be used throughout much of …
Continue Reading about Plants that provide food and shelter in fall and winter for wildlife
Also known as Mexican bush sage, this salvia produces great fall color (purple and white) that attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It looks great mixed in with other flowers for interesting color combinations, or planted in a bunch to create a nice edge or border. How to Grow Mexican Salvia This plant thrives in full sun but …
Continue Reading about Mexican Salvia – Fall Blooming, Deer & Drought Resistant
Look no further if you're looking for a shrub that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies and produce very sweet-smelling, attractive flowers. Butterfly bush lives up to its name. When it is blooming, I see butterflies on it frequently. Hummingbirds seem to enjoy the nectar as well. Where to Plant a Butterfly Bush Butterfly bushes are …
Continue Reading about Butterfly Bush – Buddleia spp. (Buddleja)
This native plant has the coolest little red flowers that hummingbirds love. And they bloom in fall! Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) is native to the southern United States. It's hardy in USDA zones 7 through 11. It grows in both sun and part-shade, but plant it in more sun for the best flowers. It is a perennial, deciduous, shrub-like …
