Creating Wildlife Habitat Using Landscape Design
- Jonna Semke
- Nov 24
- 2 min read
I got into gardening with native plants when I realized a few things: we are losing native wildlife species quickly, and I didn't know there were native plants that could be used in the garden. Additionally, I couldn't find the ones I learned about. Today I'll write a bit about gardens supporting wildlife.
Since then, gardening with native plants has become a movement embraced by many gardeners and designers. I'm thrilled to see this change. Arthur Kruckeberg, a local scientist at the UW, published a book called 'Gardening with Native Plants in the Pacific Northwest,' which I first read nearly 30 years ago. My husband and I used that book, along with a few other pivotal works, as the basis for creating a garden to support wildlife.
Another scientist, entomologist Doug Tallamy, brought our attention to the huge loss of insects going on worldwide. He created a movement called The Homegrown National Park, advocating planting native plants to support insects, and that if people with a plot of land to nurture or a pot on a balcony banded together, we could help create a huge swath of land to help sustain native animals. Insects, for the most part, aren't sexy for most of us (sorry Arthur), but they feed those pretty birds we love to see.
It's not just the butterflies and birds, lovely as they are, but also native bees that nest in the ground, moths and bats that pollinate at night (and eat mosquitos!), and even moles that aerate the lawn and bring nutrients to the surface while pulling organic matter below. Who needs an aerator when we've got them already, and for free? Not just that, but other animals use those tunnels to hide in. In my backyard in Seattle proper, not too far from Northgate, I've seen Pacific chorus frogs, the occasional otter, beaver a few blocks away, a stag, and even a northern flying squirrel - yes, they are native to the PNW! Many people come to the PNW to see our wildlife, and we can have a park in our own backyard. So, throw down some rotting wood, keep the leaves, replace some, if not all of your lawn, add some native plants and a source of water, then step back, make some popcorn and watch the magic begin.
I'm so happy we are changing the way we look at beauty in the garden, and that a beautiful garden can also support the environment and wildlife. It's amazing at the changes taking place. When I'm feeling glum about environmental damage occurring, I feel heartened that so many people are working towards making this profound change.
If you want to increase the amount of wildlife in your garden, please contact us for a garden design that will attract and support our wonderful birds, bees, butterflies and we'd love to help.
Jonna
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