HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-04-15, Page 47Cutting grass is for the birds
If you are the owner of a home which has a
large yard, you are fortunate indeed.
You may not think "fortunate" is quite the
right word though, as you push the lawn
mower once more across that green
expanse.
However, with a little planning and some
special plantings from your local nursery.
you will not only decrease the amount of
grass which seems to endlessly need cut-
ting, you'll attract birds and perhaps
butterflies.
"You must agree, sitting and watching
birds and butterflies beats grass cutting as a
backyard pastime" says Biologist Alan
Watson at the University of Guelph's
Arboretum.
To help you in your pursuit of backyard
bliss, it is important to consider what
aspects of plants will attract birds.
These include cover, food. and nesting
material.
The cover can be important from the
standpoint of safe places for birds to nest
( robins and cardinals will nest in thick
vines); to offering areas where birds can
roost at night or escape the neighbor's cat.
With respect to food, it is necessary to
plan to have fruits and seeds becoming
available over a period of time, rather than
just in the fall.
For example, serviceberry (Amelanchier
sp.) yields bird -attracting fruit in June;
raspberries (Rubus sp.) are ready in July
and elderberries produce fruit in late
August or early September.
that you are after; butterflies can be at-
tracted to your yard if you plant flowers
such as foxglove (Digitalis sp.).
Recently, to initiate a plan for a backyard
wildlife habitat collection at the University
of Guelph's. Arboretum. we held a design
competition.
The winner, Katherine Dunster, has in-
cluded in her plan titled. "Gardens for All",
a number of plants. ranging from trees :find
shrubs to herbaceous material which fulfill
the requirements of cover, food and nesting
material.
Some of these include: Snowy Mountain
Ash (Sgrbus decora ); Red Jade Crabapple
Malus "Red Jade") ; Elderberry (Sam-
bucus canadensis); Highbush Cranberry.
Viburnum trilobum NOT Viburnum opulus,
the.European Highbush Cranberry: it has
fruit that is so sour, no self-respecting bird
will eo near it) ; Autumn Olive ) Elaeagnus
umbellata 1; Hazelnut I Corylus
americana ); Gray Dogwood Cornus
racemosa 1; Red raspberry Rubus
strigosus i the birds will share these with
you) ; Downy Serviceberry .) Amelanchier
laevis) and Staghorn Sumac ( Rhustyphina ).
Use ground in shady areas
When planning your landscape, consider
using ground covers in those areas where
grass is difficult to grow — areas that are
heavily shaded or steeply sloped.
"Ground cover are available in a variety
of colors and textures and many bear
flowers and fruit," dys Horticulturist Anna
Ballantyne of the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food's Consumer Informa-
tion Centre in Toronto.
When choosing a ground cover. keep in
mind the fact that many ground covers re-
quire at least a season -and -a -half before
they become established.
During this initial period. it is important
to keep the area free of weeds by hoeing or
hand weeding.
For banks or sloping areas, choose plants
that grow close to the ground and root easi-
ly; the mat of roots that forms helps control
erosion along banks and sloping areas.
Ground covers perform best in fertile,
well -drained soil.
And since ground covers are permanent
plantings, it is advisable to prepare the soil
.before planting.
Ground covers generally fall into three
categories: herbaceous perennials.•annuals
and woody ground covers.
Examples of perennial ground covers
are: Bugleweed +Ajuga reptans 1, Crown
vetch ( Coronilla varia ). Candytuft i Iberis
sempervirens 1 and Mosspink Phlox i Phlox
subulata 1.
Annual ground covers include: begonia.
impatiens, petunia, portulaca and sweet
alyssum.
Some woody ground covers' are:
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ),
Skogholm Cotoneaster ) Cotoneaster dam-
meri "skogholm" ), Bigleaf Wintercreeper
(Euonymus fortunei vegetus), English and
Baltic Ivy (Hedera helix and H. Helix
baltica1, Juniper Glauca (Juniperus
horizontalis-var. "Glauca") and Periwinkle
(Vinca minor).
This is only a partial list of the wide range
of ground covers that are available to the
homeowner. Check with your garden centre
for more information.
Page 21
These trees and shrubs are readily
available at most nurseries and some, such
as the Sumac, Crabapple and Mountain Ash,
will also add winter interest to your garden
with their colored fruit.
You might have more success attracting
wildlife if you can persuade your neighbors
to do some planting of their own.
"And that shouldn't be too difficult once
they see that you are spending less time cut-
ting your grass, and more. time enjoying
your yard," Watson said.
Wait until they see your underplantings
1 heracous plants under the trees and
shrubs) of Cardinal Flower + Lobelia car-
dinalis) ) the hummingbirds will be lining
up) ; Borage ( Borage officinalis ), Globe
Thistle ( Echinopssphaerocephalus l ; But-
terflyweed ( Asclepias tuberosa) : and Glory,
of the Snow Chinodoxa luciliae ).
To attract butterflies, you must include•
food plants for their caterpillars: birch oak.
willow, ash, spice bush. wild grape, and
roses yes. you want some caterpillars on
your roses — the fruit of Rosa multiflora
also feed Mockingbirds and Thrushes) .
Of course, many of the flowers in your
underplantings will provide nectar Mt- these
larvae after they become adults.
Dunster's plan for the Aboretum's
Backyard Wildlife Habitat Demonstration -is
on display at the J.C. Taylor Nature Centre
at the University of Guelph.
"We are hoping that a sponsor can be
found to implement her plan and thereby
allow people to see its award-winning
features and apply them at home."
In the meantime, pick up a catalogue at
your local nursery, design an outline of your
yard and start on your own plans.
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