Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping For the Birds and Deer in Pa Report#134

A Bird and a deer Habitat site should provide some of the basic elements birds and deer need to survive: food, water, cover or places for them to raise their young. You will not always be able to do all three of these things at your site. Yet don't feel bad. It may not be necessary. You may not be able to provide enough feed for 5 deer but with careful plant selection a small area can provide cover for many times that number of deer and lots of birds. Selection - Grow native vegetation like locally native shrubs, trees and other plants that produce acorns, berries and other seeds to supply food for wildlife. For birds, feeders can suppliment natural food sources. Your choice of plants must first deal with what will grow on your site. Then you must decide what type of plants you want. The type of plant will determine the spacing and thus the number of plants needed. Some plants will take more work than others. I suggest you should select plants that grow fast. If it takes 15 years for an oak to start to produce a lot of acorns, do you want to wait that long? Some fast growing plants will produce shelter and feed at a fast rate. One such plant is the Viburnum. It is easy to grow. It will grow in most soil types and can take deer damage better than most plants. The viburnum also is very bird friendly. There are many cultivars which can provide bird seeds at different times of the year depending on when they ripen.

About The Author

Bill Hirst has been growing plants on his 200 acre farm in Bucks County for 30 years. His web sites are http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.digatree.com Sign up for Bill's newsletter at http://www.seedlingsrus.com/123456signup.html