Keirstyn Eric of Brampton, Ont.
Keirstyn sent in a slew of gorgeous photos of the Region of Peel’s Teaching Garden at the Brampton Community Recycling Centre.
Bird house and bath for feathered friends
High bush Cranberry
Phlox
Prairie Coneflower
Posted in Backyard Habitat Certification Program | Tagged bird bath, bird house, certified garden tour, high bush cranberry, phlox, prairie coneflower | Leave a Comment »
I saw these garden stakes over at Apartment Therapy and thought they were a hoot. Buy them here.
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Debbie and Claude Pageau’s winged wonderland in Timberlea, Nova Scotia
Three years ago, Debbie and Claude revamped their boring backyard, with only a grassy lawn to its name, into a thriving garden. The couple designed their yard with their winged friends in mind. “I have a birdbath and also saucers of water for sparrows and juncos. Mourning doves love the white millet,” says Debbie. Kudos to Debbie and Claude for making the best of a clean slate!
Phlox, white and purple echinacea and hunter roses flag a bird bath.
A female pileated woodpecker shows her baby how to search for tasty bugs.
A painted lady butterfly settles on white hydrangea
Goldfinches, young and old, adore the niger feeder
Grackles cruise the lawn
A black duck makes a cameo appearance
Posted in Backyard Habitat Certification Program, Plants, wildlife | Tagged bird bath, black duck, certified garden, echinacea, goldfinch, grackles, hunter roses, hydrangea, painted lady butterfly, phlox, pileated woodpecker | Leave a Comment »
I started my work at the Canadian Wildlife Federation in late March. We had an overwhelming winter in Ottawa this year with snow in the forecast nearly every day. Sometimes we’d get a couple of centimetres, sometimes a whalloping snow storm. Blech. I’d started to grow so accustomed to a mass of powdery snow stretching over the federation’s terrain that I never suspected glorious flora hid underneath it, waiting for its chance to blossom. Take a gander at what’s blooming in our garden this week!
Barren Ground Strawberry
Pasque Flower
Bellwort
Bluets
Virginia Bluebells
Mitrewort
Wild Geranium
Wild Ginger Flower (on the ground)
Posted in Plants | Tagged Barren Ground Strawberry, Bellwort, Bluets, Canadian Wildlife Federation, CWF, Mitrewort, Pasque Flower, Virginia Bluebells, Wild Geranium | Leave a Comment »
Diane’s Wildlife Haven in Walsingham, Ontario
To kick off our Certified Garden Tours, we give you Diane Salter’s garden in Walsingham, Ontario. Enjoy the view!
Diane’s pond is the perfect spot for birds and critters alike to grab a sip or take a dip
Butterfly Weed
An Eastern Foxsnake makes itself at home on Diane’s front deck
Grey Headed Coneflowers standing tall
A Yellow-Spotted Salamander sneaks by a window well
An American Lady butterfly nabs some nectar from a Purple Coneflower
Posted in Backyard Habitat Certification Program, Plants, wildlife | Tagged butterfly weed, eastern foxsnake, grey headed coneflower, monarch butterfly, pond, purple coneflower, yellow-spotted salamander | Leave a Comment »
The Canadian Wildlife Federation launched the Backyard Habitat Certification Program in 2000 hoping to prompt Canadians to garden responsibly. If your garden is wildlife friendly, pesticide free and filled with native plants, why not make it official and certify your garden with us? If you want to learn more about how to create an oasis for wildlife in your backyard, visit Wild About Gardening for tips on how to make your garden grow for critters and humans alike to enjoy. Go ahead. Flaunt your green thumb.
Photo by Sarah Coulber
Posted in Backyard Habitat Certification Program | Tagged Backyard Habitat Certification Program, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Wild About Gardening | Leave a Comment »
Looking to create a monarch butterfly oasis in your backyard? Think milkweeds. This budding plant fends off hungry bugs and birds with a poison called cardiacglycosides. And since it doesn’t affect monarch butterflies and larvae, predators that try to snack on these majestic creatures become sick and learn to steer clear of them altogether.
If you live in eastern Canada, Ontario or Quebec, plant Common or Swamp Milkweed. For westerners, Green Milkweed is perfect for Manitoba’s climate, while Show or Low Milkweed grows best in Alberta. Whatever you do, avoid the use of herbicides at all costs as they wipe out milkweed and other sources of nectar for monarchs thereby threatening their food source.
Look for the first wave of monarchs to arrive in your backyard Canada in early June.
Photo by MrClean1982 on Flickr
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Winter is a good time to verify whether you’ve met the year-round needs of wildlife. Are there birds visiting your garden? Do they have a place to seek shelter in cold weather? If your garden is looking a bit barren, you might want to consider adding an evergreen this spring. Evergreen trees and shrubs offer year-round protection from inclement weather and also provide places to hide from predators. They also add some interesting colour to the omnipresent blanket of white in winter landscapes. There are four main things to consider when planning out your garden: food, water, space and shelter.
Food: Make sure you plant species that meet the dietary needs of local wildlife. You’ll attract a variety of animals whose needs aren’t met by seed feeders and you’ll add more colour to your garden!
Water: Water is a very important element and easy to provide for wildlife. Simply put out a bowl of water on a stump when the temperature is above freezing, or create a pond. Whatever you do will be appreciated!
Space: Wildlife see your garden in 3-D. They are attracted to different shapes and varying heights. Add lots of layers, including shrubs, trees and perennials, to increase the wildlife traffic through your garden.
Shelter: Give little critters some place to hide out from predators or keep warm during the winter months.
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What is a native plant? Simply put, they are plants that were here before the European settlement. They are great for wildlife-friendly gardening! Native plants are used to local conditions and because of this they will thrive (without the need for harmful pesticides!) and are better suited to meet the needs of wildlife. Some wildlife species are actually entirely dependent on the availability of certain native plants. Spruces, harebells and ferns oh my!
Read more about these and other native plants: http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/features/section5/index.asp
Find a good source for native plants near you. Visit http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/gab/section3/index.htm
Check out the native plant encyclopedia http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/growing/section4/index.htm
Click below to listen to some great advice from Maria MacRae, Manager of Backyard Habitat!
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the cold outside has me dreaming of warmer days and envisioning the green under the snow that is waiting to pop out at the first sign of spring! I bet my excitement for spring is only eclipsed by that of the many creatures that feed, live and frolic in my garden.
Remember: As much as you are helping out wildlife by providing food sources for them, they are also helping you by keeping insect pests away. Ladybugs, tiger beetles and other little critters keep your plants healthy because they eat the eggs of other insects and, as a result, keeping your garden safe! Toads, snakes, dragonflies and many more animals are your allies! Keep them happy. Read more:
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/attracting/section5/index.htm
Listen to Maria, Manager of Backyard Habitat, give some great advice! Benefits to your Garden from wildlife
Posted in Get Growing | Tagged Gardening, wildlife | Leave a Comment »
Gardening Gab 