“When one tugs at a single thing in Nature,
he finds it hitched to the rest of the Universe.”
J. Muir
I’ve recently been invited to join a group of gardeners on a new adventure at beautifulwildlifegarden.com, a site dedicated to “re-defining beautiful” in the garden. Why would a vegetable gardener join a wildlife garden group? If you’ve ever grown vegetables and fruits you already know the answer… you rarely have one without the other! The truth is no matter what we grow we are all in some way, be it large or small, building an eco-system that will support some sort of wildlife in our yard. Not only is that beautiful, it’s an incredible opportunity to observe and learn!
When we started planting years ago, our one ‘rule’ was the plants we chose should feed nature or ourselves. We began with herbs and wildflowers, native 
berry shrubs and brambles, a few heirloom vegetables and one fruit tree. We’ve since added more trees and shrubs…one very invasive vine (nobody’s perfect!)… and have expanded our vegetable garden to include the whole yard. As our plantings have grown so has the amount of wildlife we’ve seen: raccoons, hawks, deer, skunks, woodchucks, rabbits, frogs and toads, a fox, possums and a wide variety of birds, bees and insects. What we’ve learned is priceless. Everything is related and everything plays a role in growing our organic garden.
Of course deer eating the corn and rabbits munching the lettuces immediately comes to mind, and yes, on occasion it happens but not nearly as often as you may think. We share a delicate give and take with our wildlife friends. Deer bed down in the winter garden and leave fertilizer for the spring beds, birds eat the beetles and other pests that bother young seedlings, possums eat the moles and voles and frogs and toads devour insects all summer. In return for nectar, bees and butterflies pollinate crops and flowers and increase our garden harvest. All the while the wildlife is eating, hiding and multiplying in the native trees and shrubs we’ve grown for them. Nature has a balance and it works, naturally and beautifully to maintain itself.
Join us and share the beauty of your wildlife garden!
Lisa I am so excited about this project, and so thrilled that you are a part of it! I just love that you say “you can’t have one without the other” and have made so many adaptations to share your space with wildlife.
A wonderful cause! What fun for you.
It’s been a fun journey watching our gardens grow and change. Thank you so much for your kind words, Carole!
I think it’s a wonderful idea! So many gardeners have different varieties of wildlife, it’s nice to have a place to come together and share it! I hope you will, too!
This is a great subject. I stay in the city, so there are no animals I can attract in my garden, but the bird life is abundant, and I usually plant with this in mind.
That’s the beauty of gardening, everyone can attract wildlife…birds and butterflies are among the easiest and most cheerful garden friends! Congratulations!
This is a wonderful project. Gardening for nature and self goes hand-in-hand! I have been gardening since I was a child, and evolving! I, too, have planted an invasive or two, only to get a clue, and eventually, get them out. And gardening for insects (not just the pretty ones)… although milkweed in my veggie garden was not in the plan!
Some lessons are learned the hard way…UGH wisteria was mine! I’m thrilled to know so many wonderful garden friends that embrace not only plants and flowers but the wildlife that comes with them. It’s always changing, we’re always learning…a wonderful journey! I hope you will share yours with us!
What a fun project for you…it is always wonderful to participate in something that you have so much passion for. We look forward to seeing what comes from it. I think every organic gardener gardens for wildlife, in a way, both for ourselves and out of consideration for those people, animals, and insects around ous.
It is, thank you! I agree, trina I think it’s impossible to grow an organic garden and not become very connected with the wildlife that’s attracted. In very quick time we become wildlife gardeners hoping to provide shelter and safe haven for beautiful and amazing creatures. I hope you’ll share your experience with everyone, too!