Last year I made some trellises that made a small area larger, and work as a natural barrier. And I get to enjoy them this year as well. I'm looking for similar ideas that will help gardens long term.
Today I was reading about making a simple habitat that welcomes toads/frogs to munch on snails and other insects. I've read and seen videos of people doing things such as simply turning a clay pot on it's side slightly buried alongside a clay plate filled with water, or even burying a bucket adding some sand and rocks so the frogs can easily get out etc. My own experience has proven that frogs will even lay eggs in a 5 gallon bucket in the yard with water in it, not even buried (I have no idea both on how they got in or out, or even realized that water was in there).
Does anyone else know of similar structures that naturally attract beneficial creatures to the garden?
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webmaster
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Choice of flowers is important. We planted various flowers that bloom at different times and that are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds all season long.
We have small trees that serve as privacy barriers in front of our windows where robins return to nest every year. It's a treat to look out our window and there, just mere feet from the window, is a robin sitting on eggs.
I don't do anything special for the toads but they always appear on rainy summer evenings. I suspect that the flowers and other edibles feed the insects which lay grubs and nymphs that turn into insects that the frogs come to feast on.
We have small trees that serve as privacy barriers in front of our windows where robins return to nest every year. It's a treat to look out our window and there, just mere feet from the window, is a robin sitting on eggs.
I don't do anything special for the toads but they always appear on rainy summer evenings. I suspect that the flowers and other edibles feed the insects which lay grubs and nymphs that turn into insects that the frogs come to feast on.
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applestar
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It kind of goes without saying that use of any -cides ...herbicides, pesticides, etc. should be minimized to avoided. More food there are, more attractive your garden would be for the beneficials. This sometimes means allowing a certain amount of pest population build-up without wiping them out to attract the predators.
For vegetarians, species of host plants matched to species you are trying to attract. (I’m thinking in terms of caterpillars for butterflies you would like to see frequenting your garden, as well as the nectar plants for the adults.)
As you already experienced, water sources presented appropriately/suitably for the type of beneficials are top of the list. That means deeper waters, still waters, moving waters, sunny and shaded, as well as shallower depths and puddles, down to damp mud. Sound of moving water — overhead sprinklers, drippers, and ultimately waterfalls — attracts various desirable critters.
A patch of wildflowers and overgrown shrubbery are also attractive and necessary. I see greater numbers of praying mantis and spiders in those areas. If you work at removing undesirable weeds and replacing with desirable food source plants,the area will become more of a garden than a weedy corner.
More desirable habitat your garden becomes, more critters will gather, but this also means undesirables, too. For me, going going-ho with building a pond with a fountain ended up attracting raccoons. But I’m still going to build a waterfall.
For vegetarians, species of host plants matched to species you are trying to attract. (I’m thinking in terms of caterpillars for butterflies you would like to see frequenting your garden, as well as the nectar plants for the adults.)
As you already experienced, water sources presented appropriately/suitably for the type of beneficials are top of the list. That means deeper waters, still waters, moving waters, sunny and shaded, as well as shallower depths and puddles, down to damp mud. Sound of moving water — overhead sprinklers, drippers, and ultimately waterfalls — attracts various desirable critters.
A patch of wildflowers and overgrown shrubbery are also attractive and necessary. I see greater numbers of praying mantis and spiders in those areas. If you work at removing undesirable weeds and replacing with desirable food source plants,the area will become more of a garden than a weedy corner.
More desirable habitat your garden becomes, more critters will gather, but this also means undesirables, too. For me, going going-ho with building a pond with a fountain ended up attracting raccoons. But I’m still going to build a waterfall.
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SQWIB
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There is always a trade off, especially with ponds. A water supply will attract everything out there, even the neighbors kids lol.
Bogs can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes same as standing water. But for every problem there is a solution, but that solution may bring in other problems.
The simple act of mulching brings in cats, hugelkultur beds may bring in mice, compost bins may bring in all kinds of critters,
My point is, you need to find a balance and any change you make, watch carefully and determine if it's a good change or bad change or you need to modify it.
While raccoons can be an issue like in apples case, they will dig up and eat grubs, but they also like to fish, pick your poison lol.
For everything I have done in my yard I had to keep modifying over the years, for the ponds I added mosquito fish and plants that attract beneficial insects, I am still working on the Heron problem.
I have added bat houses to try an keep the mosquito population down, some folks love to forget they have a pool for years on end!
I started insitu composting for kitchen waste to keep the mice population at a minimum, well, they all moved into the house this winter anyhow.
I have been battling ants the last two seasons, last season was horrific, ants can be beneficial but can quickly decimate plants with their aphid pals, and getting anteaters is out of the question.
And for every thing you implement there will be folks on both sides of the fence giving you their advice whether it be regurgitated internet research or from experience, like the simple fact of leaving your flower and plant stems for spring cleanup instead of fall cleanup, some say it harbors diseases and bad insects over the winter, others say its provides shelter for beneficials over the winter. You need to find what works for you in your area and your conditions.
Bogs can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes same as standing water. But for every problem there is a solution, but that solution may bring in other problems.
The simple act of mulching brings in cats, hugelkultur beds may bring in mice, compost bins may bring in all kinds of critters,
My point is, you need to find a balance and any change you make, watch carefully and determine if it's a good change or bad change or you need to modify it.
While raccoons can be an issue like in apples case, they will dig up and eat grubs, but they also like to fish, pick your poison lol.
For everything I have done in my yard I had to keep modifying over the years, for the ponds I added mosquito fish and plants that attract beneficial insects, I am still working on the Heron problem.
I have added bat houses to try an keep the mosquito population down, some folks love to forget they have a pool for years on end!
I started insitu composting for kitchen waste to keep the mice population at a minimum, well, they all moved into the house this winter anyhow.
I have been battling ants the last two seasons, last season was horrific, ants can be beneficial but can quickly decimate plants with their aphid pals, and getting anteaters is out of the question.
And for every thing you implement there will be folks on both sides of the fence giving you their advice whether it be regurgitated internet research or from experience, like the simple fact of leaving your flower and plant stems for spring cleanup instead of fall cleanup, some say it harbors diseases and bad insects over the winter, others say its provides shelter for beneficials over the winter. You need to find what works for you in your area and your conditions.
I don't build structures so much as have diversity in the landscape and limit pesticide use to times when there are no better choices besides getting rid of the plant.
I actually don't like the birds coming to the yard. They nest in my walls and eat the fruit and flowers (they are especially fond of orchids). The cattle egret does eat insects in the grass, but is also fond of lizards.
The native Hawaiian Hoary bat is an insectivorous species but is rarely seen, especially near urban environments. There are no other bats that I know of.
I am able to have something in bloom for most of the year so I can maintain a fairly steady population of predators year round.
I have been able to keep the cabbage butterfly at bay and only once did a single moth find my plants. I got rid of the butterfly bush and that stopped other butterflies from coming around.
Bees visit the shrubs and trees regularly and I do keep alyssum as a border plant. It attracts many beneficial insects. I have let the cilantro bloom so it is being visited now. I will have to get rid of it soon though.
I actually don't like the birds coming to the yard. They nest in my walls and eat the fruit and flowers (they are especially fond of orchids). The cattle egret does eat insects in the grass, but is also fond of lizards.
The native Hawaiian Hoary bat is an insectivorous species but is rarely seen, especially near urban environments. There are no other bats that I know of.
I am able to have something in bloom for most of the year so I can maintain a fairly steady population of predators year round.
I have been able to keep the cabbage butterfly at bay and only once did a single moth find my plants. I got rid of the butterfly bush and that stopped other butterflies from coming around.
Bees visit the shrubs and trees regularly and I do keep alyssum as a border plant. It attracts many beneficial insects. I have let the cilantro bloom so it is being visited now. I will have to get rid of it soon though.
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rainbowgardener
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