After signing up for inaturalist and taking interest in nature, I decided I wanted to improve my garden.
I have a front and a back garden, both with a few moringa trees and aloe vera planted in them. I want to invite cool insects and birds to these areas but without harming my existing moringa trees too much.
First I started by improving/fertilizing the soil. Next up I read that I should plant wild plants. But I am not sure where to get them from. Should I just pick up wild plants from my area and replant them in the garden? I am not sure. In any case Iâve observed most of the wild plants close to me so if I should pick any of them up let me know.
I also read that rocks and old branches are great places for insects to inhabit so I will leave some of those in.
People will be more likely to be able to provide helpful advice if you indicate where you are located and what your goals are besides attracting wildlife. Both wildlife and wildflowers are likely to arrive on their own if they are given an opportunity, so you may wish to consider what types of wildlife specifically you want to create habitat for and use this to determine what changes you make. There may be additional considerations dictated by the local environment (e.g., if you are in an area that is subject to drought, you probably want to consider gardening techniques that require low water usage).
A general rule is: create a variety of types of habitats (e.g., bushes, trees, open areas, water if possible) and leave dead seed heads, branches etc. for a while instead of immediately removing them to look âtidyâ, as these are useful for both insects and small rodents/lizards etc. If you have a lawn, find out when the best times to mow (or refrain from mowing) are, as this will vary depending on climate.
Fertilizing may or may not benefit the species you wish to attract. Overfertilization can result in dominance of certain plants to the detriment of others. Many plants thrive on poor conditions and may even require less rich soil.
Are you allowed to take plants from the wild ? Here, we would need a permit first. Do you have a dedicated nursery which supplies locally indigenous plants - I have 3 lined up to plant in my garden today ;~)
Since our fynbos grows in sand - fertilising is a problem. Advice to fertilise is if you want to grow commonorgarden flower bling - targeted at human eye candy, but ditching nectar and pollen and fruit for wildlife. Insects need plants for larvae, and birds need insects and fruit. Depends which what you would like to invite.
Thanks for the info, I am in tunisia, the meditterean. We have been through a 4 year drought but this year has been exceptionally rainy even comparing to pre-drought years.
I never knew that over fertilization is a thing, thatâs useful to know
My garden is more like several rectangles of dirt surrounded by cement rather than one big lawn (ama not American style) Iâll take a picture when I am home later
Plants might not have to come from the wild. Native plants can be found at plant nurseries or sometimes from online ordering. Here in the USA, often botanical gardens and/or nature areas will have annual sales for native plants.
Itâs generally not a good idea to dig up and move wild plants, as you risk killing them. Especially do not attempt to transplant anything rare!
Itâs usually not harmful to take a few seeds from the wild, as long as you leave plenty. (Note that even that is still illegal in certain parks and preserves, though.)
Whether you collect seed from the wild or purchase seed or plants from a reputable supplier, itâs important to choose native wild plants. Many âwildâ plants in most regions are actually non-native species that have been introduced to the area by humans in the past, and may not be of much use to native insects or birds.
Here in the US, national and state parks have very strict rules about who is allowed to collect, and for what purpose. Permits are required for most research that involves plants or animals, even if the organism is not being taken from the area. For seed collection, most visitors are not going to have any idea about whatâs rare or not, what kind of conditions the seeds require to germinate, what the seedlings need to survive, and so on. Putting seed collection off-limits is the easiest way to make certain that populations can maintain sustainable levels. Since many overwintering birds depend on seeds and fruit, requiring permits for collection protects them as well.
Local parks arenât quite as harsh about the prohibitions, but youâre less likely to find truly native species in them. Municipal parks tend to be managed for human recreation and aesthetics, so theyâre mostly planted in showier cultivars and ânative-arsâ which donât always provide for the needs of the local wildlife.
@sherlockborealis, rather than plants, I would go with seeds of plants that you know are native to the area. You may be able to source them from local gardeners. A plant thatâs well-established where it is may not take to transplantation too well; some, like perennial Papaver species, are famous for reacting badly to having their roots disturbed. (I can speak from experience, here.) Seeds let you grow multiple plants, and you donât have to worry about losing one big plant to transplant shock. Also, having the seedlings and young plants gives you trade material if you get in contact with other native plant gardeners.
Cape Town is also mediterranean climate. Probably also, wild plants growing in sand for you. Unless you mimic a tiny wetland, or other specialist vegetation. A limestone outcrop ?
Off the top of my head species that attract pollinators and native to Northern Africa:
Rosemary, Acacia Nilotica (the gum/samgh tree), Nerium Oleander (poisonous to pets), Capparis Spinosa (easy to grow and edible capers), Athel Tamarisk
My personal perspective is that it is always best to plant things which occur naturally in the âlocalâ area. But perhaps with some poetic license to create more diversity with multiple microhabitats, as others have mentioned. The starting point is to know what is growing in natural areas and then see if these plants are available commercially. That is the short answer but there is more to think about if one considers genetics etc. But in a city I think one has to be practical. In any event a garden is ever evolving and you will always have the opportunity to make changes.
Nerium oleander is attractive to pollinators but itâs not beneficial for them, its flowers lure them with their bright colors but offer no nectar. I would recommend Cercis siliquastrum or Ceratonia siliqua instead.
Yes, a photo would be interesting. Depending on how close you are to natural water, the quickest way to attract mobile wildlife may be to provide water for bathing and drinking. Though I guess that may be discouraged in your area because of mosquitoes carrying disease. That isnât a big problem yet here in Britain. You might want to provide a sunny bank of firm bare soil for nesting bees and wasps.
If I see a bird or bug I like I usually search for their scientific name on google, find the name with the help of INat.
And after finding the name I usually do multiple searches like
Bird + nest
Or
Bird + diet
Or
Butterfly + hostplant
And so, and with those keywords I can make myself an idea of what that animal needs to live. For example here in my house, we have papaya trees exclusive for the pepitero olivaceo, that eats the papaya leaves. Like we donât care the plants doesnt give us papayas. Because what we want is the bird. And for the hummingbirds we have a collection of heliconias that we have made bit by bit exchanging plants with neighbors and friends. Because i know That is what they like.
That way I know that they will come visit me.
Another method is to search for books where there is a collection of plants and trees native from your region. And I personally just ctrl + f key words or just scroll down the pictures searching for:
Tubular flowers, small edible fruits, hostplants, fiber for nests, and mieliferos (for bees).
With that I keep and eye of those plants in search to find them and bring them home.
It takes time. But after a while. You start to see a cycle.
Ps: donât think too much of insect feeding birds. Those are hard to bring. Focus on the fruit loving ones. The insect loving ones just need diversity. They invite themselves in.
Over fertilizing can also be directly harmful to the plants due to root burn. Itâs like how eating a whole polar bear liver will kill you with a potassium overdose (random retained fact from Survivorman). Chemical fertilizers are also hard for the plants to absorb, so a lot of it will get carried away with rain run off, causing other problems.
As others have suggested, the most important thing is to plant a variety of native species. It can be overwhelming how complicated it gets when you want to do it right, but itâs a very rewarding hobby.
Heavy agree, when I first started gardening I though taking a wild plant would be smart, but I had really little knowledge on the plant I was transplanting. It was an annual with a deep tap root that would would only survive being moved when it was a young sprout. (which I didnât know)
So, they ended up dying in my garden, it did seed so I took the seeds back to where I took the plant. After that experience I did a lot more research not only on the plants of my area but the peeps that had access to them. Like nurseries that grow natives plants, native plant seed collectors, and native botanical gardens; that path has proven super beneficial as I have made connections with other people growing native gardens in my area and we are able to share what we are seeing and what is working.
