Megan
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Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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I've just gotten in touch with a local native plant nursery and am excited to start looking at what I can plant! I have a friend who shares some of these low-maintenance native gardening goals so we're planning to split some orders (better deals on blueberry plants if you buy 5, etc.) I'm hoping to plant lots of berries and fruits that birds and pollinators will enjoy--beach plums, blueberries, viburnums are all strong contenders. I also want some evergreen shrubs, so I've been looking at inkberry holly, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel for the shadier portions of my front yard. It's hard to be patient! To slow myself down, I'm planning to see what I'm most drawn to from my list when I visit the nursery in person, ask some questions, and then start with 1-2 bigger shrubs that can anchor that area. I've also seen some great variety packs of native plants that are tailored to specific growing conditions, so I might try some of those to lean on what experts have already figured out for me!
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I enjoyed mapping out my space, and found some neat tools for modeling which areas get the most sun. It was really helpful to learn about the squeeze test--I thought soil testing needed to be a lot more involved, so it's a relief to have an easier starting point! I also tested some soil samples with a bit of baking soda and vinegar and learned that our soil is probably slightly acidic. Now I feel like I'm on the way to understanding what to plant. I'm planning to start naturescaping in our front yard because it's smaller and not too overwhelming, but will have a big visual impact. That's also where we have most of our feeders right now so I'd like to include a wider variety of plants for birds to visit, and I'm hoping our neighbors will be able to enjoy them as well!
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Though we don't have a lot of vegetation (yet!), our three large trees provide a lot of interest for the birds in our yard. We also have a "scruffy" backyard with some taller grasses and weeds, which seem to be popular with the carolina wrens and other small birds that hide in them! What we definitely need is more varied food and shelter. I'm looking forward to planting more flowers for seeds and nectar, planting some shrubs for fruits and berries and to allow more hiding and nesting locations, and growing our brush pile to make a bug hotel / bird buffet!
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I just moved into a new place in central Massachusetts with about a quarter acre surrounded by other houses. My favorite thing so far is how many birds we've had come to our bird feeders: tufted titmice, house finches, nuthatches, bluebirds, chickadees, goldfinches, and woodpeckers! Adding a finch feeder and suet feeder to the tray feeder I started with has made a big difference! Our newest visitor is a northern flicker who has been coming to my suet feeder. The thing I'd most like to change is that we don't have much vegetation yet. We have three big trees that our birds gravitate to, and we've embraced our messy/leafy yard, but I'd like to do more planting so we have more natural food sources and plant diversity. I also would love to establish a small pond for wildlife and set up an outdoor seating area for the warmer months so I can sit and enjoy watching our visitors!
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)