Attract, protect them by delaying perennial cutback till spring BACKYARD WILDLIFE

By June Nolasco

OSU Ext. master gardener volunteer

A backyard needs to be alive to feel closer to the nature and to truly enjoy its beauty. Only a backyard that is home to beautiful plants and other living creatures, including a number of bugs, small mammals, birds, reptiles, bees, butterflies and other wildlife species is in harmony with nature.

The bugs, frogs, bats, squirrels and other visitors to your yard should not be driven away, but attracted to the yard. They make the yard feel alive and help keep it beautiful.

Creation of a wildlife-friendly backyard greatly contributes to the preservation of local wildlife because it offers a retreat to species who have lost their natural habitat due to human actions.

The key to a wildlife-friendly garden is simple – to provide food, water, nesting and shelter.

FOOD: Native flowers, vines, trees and shrubs attract wildlife. Most native plants provide nectar, seeds, fruit, berries, nuts, leaves, twigs, buds, flowers, sap, cones, and other plant materials that feed large and small wildlife. Plant a diverse mixture of vegetation with different bloom and seed times. Animals will be less likely to raid your flower garden on a full stomach from other food sources.

Put off the autumn cutback of perennials until early spring. Wildlife will love the seed heads and hiding places. When native food sources become scarce in winter, a feeder with sunflower seeds, niger seed, proso millets, cracked corn, peanuts, whole ears of corn, and suet can be used to supplement native foods.

WATER: Providing a bird bath and a saucer of water at ground level to drink, bathe and cool off, will attract birds and small wildlife. Change the water daily in summer and scrub with a brush and mild soap weekly to remove algae. Place them 10 feet from dense shrubs or other cover that predators might use. You can provide water in winter by using a submersible heater.

NESTING AND SHELTER: Wildlife need places to hide to feel safe from people, predators and inclement weather. They also need a place to raise their young. Trees, evergreens, shrubs, thickets, brush piles, rock walls, wood piles, or just one log on the ground will provide these places. Man-made houses for birds, bats, butterflies, bees and toads can also be used.

Finally, it is crucial to avoid chemical products because they are highly toxic to both the animals and humans.

Now you can sit back and enjoy all the wildlife activity that you have been missing.

For tips on enhancing your backyard to enjoy wildlife, go to go.osu.edu/enhancement