Captivating Containers with Native Plants

If you live in an apartment or townhouse with a balcony, patio, or very small yard, you may like to use your outdoor space to connect to the natural world around you. In order to attract and support native wildlife in these settings, a garden comprised largely of native plants in containers or small planting areas provides an attractive and simple solution. A surprising number of insects, birds and even small mammals are drawn to container and pocket gardens. The Audubon at Home program encourages you to beautify and increase the wildlife value of these small spaces. Although much of this content is directed to container gardening, patios and “pocket gardens” are merely larger extensions of the same concept, with the possible advantage of natural soils that need less additional replenishment. See pdf document.

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Birds, Plants and Garden Structure

Bird, Plants and Garden Structure (contributed by Leigh Pickering, ARMN) illustrates how different bird species use different layers to forage, nest, and shelter.  This is a guide to creating plant layers and vertical structure that provide shelter and habitat niches for diverse wildlife species.  It helps in thinking about how you can create habitat on your property that connects with other areas of habitat.  

Books on Gardening for Wildlife

These are some of our favorite books for learning about and being inspired by gardening with native plants and creating habitat for wildlife.

By Douglas W. Tallamy, Timber Press

• Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens

• Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts In Your Yard

• The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

• Nature's Best Hope (Young Readers' Edition): How You Can Save the World in Your Own Yard

By Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher, Timber Press

• Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change

By Rick Darke and Douglas W. Tallamy, Timber Press

• The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden

By Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, Timber Press

• Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for a Resilient Landscape

Please consider purchasing pre-owned books