Wildlife gardening
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2008-06-02T13:56:28Z
Jack396
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/* Choice of plants */
[[Image:Joe_Pye_5426.JPG|thumb|Joe-Pye weed in flower]]
'''Wildlife gardening''' is a school of [[gardening]] that is aimed at creating an environment that is attractive to various forms of wildlife such as [[bird]]s, [[Amphibia|amphibians]], [[reptile]]s, [[insect]]s, [[mammal]]s and so on.
A wildlife garden (or wild garden) will usually contain a variety of [[habitat (ecology)|habitats]] that have either been deliberately created by the gardener (eg, [[pond]]s to attract [[frog]]s, [[newt]]s, [[toad]]s, [[dragonfly|dragonflies]]; [[nesting box]]es for birds and solitary [[bee]]s, [[hedgehog]]s or certain insects; [[log pile]]s to provide shelter for [[lizard]]s and [[slow worm]]s; planting beneficial insect attractant plants including [[wildflower]] meadows, etc), or allowed to self-establish by minimising maintenance and intervention.
Many [[organic gardening|organic gardener]]s are sympathetic to the philosophy of wildlife gardening, and will usually try to incorporate some aspects of the wild garden into their own plots in order to both act as a means of [[biological pest control]], as well as for its value in promoting [[biodiversity]] and generally benefitting the wider [[natural environment|environment]].
===Choice of plants===
Although some exotics may also be included, the wild garden will usually predominantly feature a variety of native species. Generally these will be a part of the pre-existing natural [[ecology]] of an area, but managed in a way that is enhanced rather than damaged by the process of [[cultivation]].
As in other forms of gardening, [[aesthetics]] plays a central role in deciding what is 'right', but constraints regarding issues such as [[seed provenance]] also apply.
Wild gardens are by definition examples of [[water-wise gardening]], as the natural species of any [[ecoregion]] or [[micro-climate]] are those optimal for local water supplies.
There are a few super-beneficial plants that bloom for a long time, and yield abundant nectar and pollen. These plants, such as the [[Joe-Pye weed]] at right, support a whole community of beneficial insects and small vertebrates.
[[Goldenrod]] is another example.
Essential to any true understanding of the wildlife gardening concept is an appreciation of the symbiotic relationships between plants and animals. This interdependence is the result of species evolving alongside of one another over millenia. When one wildlife gardens, one acts always in accordance with the idea of keeping plants that are native to the area preeminent in the garden. Exotics, though they may provide shelter or food, will not compete well with those plants the native animals have always depended upon.
==See also==
* [[Butterfly gardening]]
* [[Permaculture]]
==External links==
* [http://www.onearth.org/article/how-to-get-wild-in-your-garden/ OnEarth » Living Green » How to Get Wild in Your Garden]
* [http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/ National Wildlife Federation: Garden for wildlife (USA)]
* [http://www.wildaboutgardens.org/ Wild about Gardens (UK)]
* [http://www.wildscaping.com/index.htm Wildscaping (California)]
* [http://www.growingnative.com/ Growing Native (California)]
* [http://www.gardenwildlife.co.uk/ Garden Wildlife(UK)]
[[Category:Gardening]]
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