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AboutContactNorth Coast Gardening - Gardening in the Pacific NorthwestHow to Create an NWF-Certified Wildlife HabitatApril 21, 2017 by Genevieve 3 Comments The National Wildlife Federation has a really effective educational program that allows people to certify a home, school, church, or business garden as a wildlife habitat garden. Why is this educational? Because in the process of certification, you learn a lot about how to create a mini ecosystem in your garden. Then, once you re certified, everyone who sees your sign asks about it, and its a great way to start conversations with people who are interested in habitat gardening, but might not know where to start.Many people do the wildlife habitat garden certification process with their kids or with neighboring children, and do a few gardening or habitat-related projects to prepare for certifying, like create a toad abode or a butterfly puddling area. Older kids can help by creating intricate log or stone piles (some insane inspiration here), or by making a bee house.Another reason people certify their wildlife habitat garden is if they often have guests to the garden and think it would be a fun way of starting conversations about native plants or other things people can do in their garden to support wildlife.Still other people are new to gardening and find the wildlife habitat garden certification process a fun goal. Creating each of the required attributes for certification puts you in touch with so many natural processes, that it really increases enjoyment of your garden and being outside and health care. If you feel like life is passing you by too quickly, and you want to slow down and smell the flowers more often, certification is a great excuse to do just that.If you live in Humboldt County Arcata, Eureka, McKinleyville, and surrounding areas and think you might need help, I am one of only 12 landscapers across the US ever recognized as an approved landscaper by the National Wildlife Federation, and I d be happy to help you either as a landscape designer to help create an overall plan for a new garden space, or in my role as a landscape contractor to help you renovate an existing garden and maintain it organically and safely for wildlife visitors. Or, if you want to do it yourself, read on for the elements you ll need to create an NWF-Certified Habitat Garden.Food sources (3 needed for certification):Plant-based food: seeds, nuts, berries, pollen, fruit, foliage and twigs, nectar and sap are all good sources of plant-based food. Since birds and bugs are used to the balanced nutrition found from natural sources, this is the best way of feeding wildlife, and requires the least from you in terms of ongoing maintenance. Native plants are most likely to feed the wildlife living in your area, so if you re unsure of what to plant, you can be sure natives will be a hit.Supplemental feeders: birdseed, squirrel food, suet cakes (you can make your own), butterfly and hummingbird feeders are all good ways of supplementing whats growing in the garden, particularly if your garden is still too young to provide abundant natural food. Feeders are also a good way of bringing wildlife to a specific spot if you like to take photos of them.pharmacyWater sources (1 needed):Water can be extraordinarily difficult for wildlife to find at certain times of the year, and anytime you provide water, you re sure to see insects, birds, and amphibians flock to it.Ponds, little streams, and rain gardens can attract frogs and toads as well as dragonfly larvae and birds. In creating these kinds of water elements, be sure to have at least one side with a shallow beach so some kinds of creature can ease into the water or step in to bathe easily.Birdbaths, shallow dishes, or butterfly puddling areas are simple  to create and needn t take much time or money. Shallow dishes can be a great spot for birds to bathe and honeybees to drink (set a few rough-textured stones of varying sizes inside so honeybees can drink without falling in), while butterfly puddling areas, basically a shallow tray with some sand and stones set inside, can be a great place for them to pick up minerals and nutrients while drinking.Places for cover (2 needed):Wildlife need shelter from harsh weather conditions, and places to hide from predators and to stalk prey from. You can help by providing a variety of types of cover.Wooded areas, bramble patches, dense shrubs and thickets, and evergreens can be places for birds and small mammals to hide.Groundcovers, brush/ log piles, meadows or prairie areas (even small ones), and rock piles can provide cover to salamanders and newts, insects that are great food for birds and amphibians, and small snakes and lizards.Little caves, burrows, and roosting boxes can provide cover for birds, mammals, and bats.Nature gives us many medicines for any diseases, including impotence, but do not forget about medicines such as Viagra. You will get the best effect from a combination of healthy lifestyles, gifts of nature and garden and medicines for erectile dysfunctionWater gardens and ponds can provide cover for a variety of amphibians and dragonfly larvae.Places to raise young (2 needed):Birds and bugs often have interesting and elaborate courtship behavior, and they need a protected space to mate, bear and raise their young. Have you ever seen a baby bird stumbling around like the office drunk after the Christmas party? You see why we need to give them a little room! Babies are pretty vulnerable.Mature trees, dead trees (with little rotten places to burrow), and dense shrubs and thickets can be great for birds and small mammals as well as some insects and amphibians. (See some options here for North Coast/ Humboldt County, CA natives)Burrows and caves are wonderful homes for small mammals.Meadows/ prairie can be great for small snakes and lizards.Nesting boxes for birds can be very helpful, and can provide a fun viewing experience, as long as you site it far enough away that predators cant get to it, and view from afar so you dont disturb the occupants.Wetland and water gardens or ponds help amphibians and dragonflies to raise young.Host plants for caterpillars, usually native perennials, can be invaluable for butterflies and moths. Many species of butterfly and moth can only lay eggs on a specific type of plant, so by planting the plants native to your region, you can help keep entire species of butterfly and moth alive.Sustainable gardening practices:After you re certified, you ll start to see a real balance in your garden, and you ll want to help protect the wildlife you ve worked so hard to attract and support. Using sustainable gardening practices is an ongoing effort, but you may find you want to:Use mulch to preserve water (but leave a few patches of bare soil for the peaceful solitary bees that like to hide underground).Plant water-conserving and native plants that are well-adapted to your garden and need little supplemental care. They ll still need deep watering for the first few summers to get established, but once mature, they should be happy with less water than roses, dahlias, and other traditional flower garden plants.Reduce and eliminate pesticide use. Even organic pesticides can have harmful effects on the ecosystem you re creating, and a balanced, healthy garden should not need any spraying. Consider replacing disease-ridden plants with something that needs less fussing with, and be sure to buy neonic-free plants.Getting certified is easyCertification is on the honor system, is inexpensive, and is a simple matter of filling out a form. If you certify online, you can also include personal statements and digital photos of your garden, which the National Wildlife Federation can use to help inspire others to become involved in creating a habitat garden as well.Further reading:Gardening with a Good Neighbor Policy NWF.orgCreating a Certified Habitat HGTVA landscape designer s approach to designing with native plants for wildlifeMeet with a Humboldt County landscaper to help create a Certified Wildlife Habitat GardenFiled Under: Wildlife and Birds Pruning Ornamental Grasses: The Ultimate GuideDecember 26, 2016 by Genevieve 17 Comments When it comes to pruning ornamental grasses, even an ordinarily confident gardener can feel some confusion. Each type of grass has different requirements, which makes it hard because there's not one rule of thumb which fits all. While some varieties [Continue reading]Filed Under: How to Prune Tagged With: Ornamental Grasses, Pruning, Summer, WinterHow to Make Your Own Christmas WreathDecember 10, 2016 by Genevieve 47 Comments Now that Thanksgiving is properly over, we can start thinking about Christmas without everybody groaning. This is especially good news to me, since I love whistling Christmas carols year-round. Finally! The one month of the year I can whistle my [Continue reading]Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: How-ToWhat Birds Need in Winter: Creating a Year-Round Habitat GardenDecember 2, 2016 by Genevieve 4 Comments When attracting birds to the garden, we often think of setting out some bird feeders and maybe a bird bath. But like us, wild birds need a variety of things to thrive, and especially in inclement weather. As we lose many of our natural lands to [Continue reading]Filed Under: Designer Tips, Wildlife and Birds Tagged With: Attracting Birds, WildlifeUsing Succulents to Evoke Water: The Water-Saving Garden BookFebruary 29, 2016 by Genevieve 88 Comments Lawn Gone! author Pam Penick has a new book out, The Water-Saving Garden, about – you guessed it – designing gorgeous, colorful landscapes that don’t rely on water to look good. Though I've read a couple of garden books on saving water in the past, [Continue reading]Filed Under: Books and Tools How to Prune Evergreen Perennials: Lady s Mantle, Hellebores and moreJanuary 10, 2016 by Genevieve 2 Comments For most flowering perennials, autumn’s brown foliage and obvious dieback make it clear you can prune without harm, but evergreen perennials pose a special dilemma: trim now, or hold off till spring? Turns out, there are good reasons to leave [Continue reading]Filed Under: How to Prune Tagged With: Garden Maintenance, Pruning, Spring, WinterMedieval Medlars: Get to Know and Grow this Unusual FruitJanuary 8, 2016 by Genevieve 5 Comments Guest post by Stella Otto, author of The Backyard Orchardist and the The Backyard Berry Book.What is this odd fruit, the medlar, mentioned often by Shakespeare and Chaucer? What is it that prompted Don Quixote and Sancho Panza to "stretch [Continue reading]Filed Under: Garden Fresh Flavors Photographing the Leaves of Fall: with Saxon Holt (Book Giveaway!!)September 14, 2015 by Saxon 40 Comments If you've been reading North Coast Gardening for any amount of time, you've heard me rave about the photography of Saxon Holt. He's a garden photographer whose work has totally changed how I approach taking pictures, not only of plants and gardens [Continue reading]Filed Under: Gardening Miscellany Summer Recipe: Roasted Corn with Cilantro Chili SaltAugust 7, 2015 by Debbie 6 Comments What’s the best part of a summer cookout? Anything cooked on the grill of course! Who says that only proteins get prime real estate on the grates? Grilling vegetables infuses a wonderful smoky, charred taste that’s hard to replicate on the stove. One [Continue reading]Filed Under: Garden Fresh Flavors Tagged With: RecipesAttracting Birds to the Pacific Northwest GardenJune 30, 2015 by Linda 5 Comments Watching birds swoop and listening to them sing are some of the many joys of gardening.  But hanging up a few feeders isn't enough to create a true backyard habitat for birds; inviting them to come and “stay a spell” takes careful consideration of [Continue reading]Filed Under: Garden Design, Wildlife and Birds Tagged With: Attracting Birds, WildlifeThe Many Faces of Coreopsis: New Varieties to LoveJune 23, 2015 by Linda 12 Comments Coreopsis is a staple of the traditional flower garden because it’s long-blooming, easy to grow, and the profuse little daisy-like flowers can cheer up anyone if they’re having a bad day. Yet most people haven’t looked beyond the old-school varieties [Continue reading]Filed Under: Plant Profiles Tagged With: Deer-Resistant, Plant Profiles, Summer, What to Plant?12340Next Page Follow: Favorite Tools: Amazon.com Widgets Amazon.com WidgetsTopics: Books and Tools Book Reviews Tool Reviews

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