Garden for Wildlife: Food

Gardening for wildlife is a popular choice in gardening today. This method of gardening focuses on providing the elements that local wildlife need to survive and thrive, often in suburban and urban environments where the wildlife might otherwise struggle. A wildlife habitat provides food, water, and shelter for animals, along with using sustainable gardening practices to protect the quality of those things.

Today, we’ll take a look at the food options provided in MOSI BioWork’s Butterfly Garden and Historic Tree Grove. In upcoming posts, we’ll cover the water and shelter we provide as well. You can do these things in your own yard too, and even certify your wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

The NWF recommends including at least three of the following in a wildlife habitat: Seeds from a plant • Berries • Nectar • Foliage/Twigs • Nuts • Fruits • Sap • Pollen • Suet • Bird Feeder • Squirrel Feeder • Hummingbird Feeder • Butterfly Feeder

Here in the gardens, we provide many of these. For birds, we have a bird feeder, along with a bird garden planted nearby with millet and sunflower. Many of the shrubs in the garden provide berries, including Simpson Stopper, hollies, Beautyberry, duranta, Red Bay, pokeweed, and so much more.

We also (obviously) have plenty of food for butterflies. Our nectar plants dominate the garden, with salvia, penta, lantana, firebush, ironweed, and many more in abundance. Our butterflies have plenty of choice, with some nectar plants in full sun and others in full shade – some butterflies actually prefer that. Many nectar plants also provide pollen for bees and other pollinators too.

We also have plenty of food for squirrels and other mammals. Our favorite resident squirrel loves to sit in the winged elm near the lab door, nibbling twigs and throwing the remnants down at us. The squirrels also love the nuts from live oaks and other nut producing trees.

Insect-eaters are welcome too. Our gardens bring plenty of insects, including grasshoppers and ladybugs, which are food for birds and others. The smaller insects like mosquitoes are food for larger insects like dragonflies.

A good wildlife garden includes food for as many types of wildife as possible. We’re always looking for new ways to provide food for the animals and insects that visit BioWorks throughout the year.