Nothing qualifies me to speak about biology or botany. But as a gardener, a person who spends a great deal of time outdoors, I observe the habits of birds and bugs and amphibious creatures.
My theory about gardening is to leave what grows naturally around the edge of the property and introduce perennial gardens within the lawn. This cuts down on the amount of land which needs to be mowed, adds color and interest through the introduction of plants, and leaves a little natural food and cover for the birds, insects and other creatures.
Our house on MDI contains both perennial gardens and raised beds for vegetables, constructed in areas which were previously lawn. I used to scalp the grass and add compost and dirt to make the gardens. Now I find that it is easer to place layers of newspaper over the grass, add coarse compost material that hasn’t yet broken down, then cover the patch with a mix of compost, loam and peat.
Over the years we’ve added shrubs including native viburnum and high bush blueberry bushes. The front lawn slopes away from the driveway and is bisected by a drainage ditch. It has been my habit for the last 4-5 years to leave a foot-wide swath of whatever wild plants spring up on either side of the ditch.
In the early fall, birds feed on the seeds of curly dock (Rumex crispus), an unattractive plant (see photo). Having observed that feeding pattern, I always leave curly dock in the weed strip. Since Goldfinches love thistle seeds I no longer remove thistle from the yard.
We’ve always had hummingbirds but this year they seem prolific. This week while picking wild blackberries I heard that familiar Brrtt-purr of a hummingbird and watched as it fed off a plant which up until now I’ve always weeded since I considered it a nuisance. I’ve been unable to identify the weed. It can reach 3 to 5 feet tall, has a transparent stalk and a carrot-color small flower (see photo). This plant is very easy to pull out of the ground. Today I realized what an important plant this must be for the hummingbirds at this time of year. There aren’t many flowers blooming this late in the season. This year in particular, perennials have bloomed and gone by at least 2 weeks earlier than normal. Could the presence of hummers be attributable to this weed?
One day this spring, our dog barked incessantly and with some alarm until we came to the deck to see what she had discovered. Sitting under the steps was a creature with which Goldy, a city dog, was completely unfamiliar: a toad. This toad was the size of my fist. It sat with great dignity and patience as Goldy darted first toward and then away from the marooned amphibian. The toad offered no resistance when I gently collected it into my joined hands and carried it to the lower garden, outside the dog’s fenced yard. Within a few days, the same toad or its twin turned up under the stairs. Once more I ferried the toad to the safety of the lower garden near the ditch, hoping that the moisture there would sustain the little creature’s needs.
If you wish to encourage birds and amphibians in your yard, read the book called Noah’s Garden: restoring the ecology of our own back yards by Sara Stein.
The author landscaped her newly-purchased rural property by removing the native shrubs and weeds and replacing them with nursery-raised ornamental shrubs and bushes. Too late, she realized that despite living in the country, there were no birds or animals on her property. Her pond was devoid of life. She came to the realization that the plants and trees found naturally on her property were precisely what the birds, insects and wildlife needed to survive and flourish. She began to reverse her landscape mistakes and restore her property to its natural state.
Birds, insects and amphibians will live in yards if we show some restraint when removing shrubs or weeds which occur naturally. Leave a little wild area along the periphery of the yard or in a location which is easy to mow around. The mystery weeds, goldenrod, wild aster, curly dock and their wild neighbors are natural bird feeders.
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