LANDSCAPES Providing habitat for wildlife in your own yard

Wild creatures will flock to your yard if you provide food, water and shelter.
By DENISE DRAKE
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Bill Krysak knows his true neighbors don't live in the house next door.
They're in his back yard, nesting high up in the trees and burrowing deep in the ground.
They spin their webs in the shadows of his roof and lurk in the corners of his wood pile.
Occasionally they pop in for a drink of water.
A fan of the outdoors, Krysak, 47, built his back yard for animals.
Today, it's a certified National Wildlife Habitat.
"It's an opportunity to share my yard with animals who were there before we came," Krysak said.
"They're our natural neighbors."
Despite the common misconception, there's more to gardening than just plants.
Take a look around your yard.
Chances are you can spot a bird or a squirrel. If you look even closer, you might discover a ladybug or lizard.
The garden naturally attracts critters that would otherwise take refuge in the woods. But it takes a special effort to make those animals feel welcome enough to visit on a regular basis.
"When you make your home a wildlife refuge, you encourage more activity," Krysak said.
Making their presence known
Average gardeners might know they have a chipmunk by the holes they see in their yard, he said. Those who plant for wildlife may actually get to see the chipmunk.
"You make wildlife feel safe enough to run around your yard while you're out there," he said. "That's the real treat of gardening."
With winter upon us, now is the perfect time to turn your landscape into a habitat for wildlife.
Here are some key elements to guide you:
FOOD
Make your back yard an all-you-can-eat buffet of nuts and berries.
Native plants are ideal because they're low-maintenance and hardy.
Hollies, in particular, produce thick clusters of red and yellow berries in the winter -- just when food is getting scarce.
"Birds love them," said Helen Phillips, a landscaper in Pine Mountain, Ga.
"They don't eat them right at first, but when all the other food is gone in January and February they turn to them."
Plus, when they aren't blooming in the spring and summer, they're a nice evergreen shelter.
"They work great up against the back of the yard as a wind screen," Phillips said.
Fruit trees
The Krysaks planted a fig tree, which produces enough fruit for them and the birds to eat.
Other good fruit-bearing trees are the persimmon, crab apple, paw paw and plum, Phillips said.
For a ground cover, the Partridge berry produces a tiny red berry that turkeys and other ground eaters love to nibble on.
Perennials, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and sunflowers, are also good food sources.
These summer bloomers not only produce attractive color, but when dry, provide seeds.
"Don't deadhead them in the fall," Phillips said. "Just let the blooms dry out."
Some perennials, such as goldenrod, even attract beneficial insects, such as the praying mantis, which eats aphids and mealy bugs.
"It creates a symbiotic relationship," Phillips said. "By planting for wildlife, they take care of what you would have to treat with pesticides."
WATER
Everyone needs a drink every now and then.
Although not everyone can have a river running through the back yard, you can add a variety of water features.
The Krysaks initially built a pond to be a water source for birds.
Through the years, though, it's attracted amphibians, dragonflies, even ducks.
"I looked outside one day and saw a mother duck leading a row of ducklings," Krysak said. "They just waddled around in it." They even treated themselves to a snack.
"When I went out again, all the tadpoles were gone," he laughed.
When building a water feature, Phillips said, it's best to choose one with running water.
Stagnant water can be a haven for breeding mosquitos. It can also freeze in the wintertime, making it useless for birds.
"If you have a bird feeder or a dish of water, you need to check it often to make sure it isn't frozen," Phillips said. "Break up the ice and add more water."
SHELTER
Lots of creatures don't need four walls and a roof to make a home.
Evergreen bushes such as magnolias, cedars and pine trees provide year-round nest-building material for birds.
Woodpeckers also burrow their homes into the trunk.
But trees and shrubs aren't the only places to provide shelter.
Many animals take refuge in the crooks of old wood piles and mounds of dead leaves.
Creatures such as squirrels, opossums, raccoons and chipmunks hide in these shelters, and some lizards and snakes even make it their home.
"Many reptiles are beneficial," Phillips said. "Many of them eat insects."
To keep the back yard more aesthetically appealing, place woodpiles away from the house.
You can also place the wood into a clever arrangement.
"Stack one layer side by side, then the next layer in the opposite direction," Phillips said.
Krysak said he places cords on top of one another throughout the year.
"It just adds to the activity we have in the yard," he said. "I'm helping to achieve a balance with nature."