Both the National Wildlife Federation and Texas Parks and Wildlife offer programs (Backyard Wildlife Habitat program and Texas Wildscapes) to recognize gardeners and nature enthusiasts who restore their yards so that native wildlife are able to find shelter, food, water, and nesting sites. In some areas of Texas, planting native plants is pretty easy to do, while in other areas, gardeners have to really put some muscle into it.
The Hill County of Texas is one of those areas. If it's not the heat, the deer, or the lack of water during some years, it's the rocks! But, Jane Brunlick of Lago Vista, put on her sunbonnet, grabbed a shovel, and created a wonderful wildlife backyard habitat.
Jane's Garden (Encina Madre) contains at least 84 species of plants, most of them native to Texas. Jane included the Encina Madre plant list when she wrote to tell me about her garden.
But Jane took her interest in creating Backyard Wildscapes a bit further. She trained and became a Backyard Habitat Steward through the National Wildlife Federation. The training allows her share her knowledge about creating backyard wildlife habitats with others. Jane also has a blog, Hill Country Gardens: Gardening in the Texas Hill Country which has lists of plants which deer avoid, a sortable Hill Country plant list, information on how to make your land a wildlife habitat (she's even compiling a list of Habitat Heros whose yards are certifiably friendly for wildlife), and a set of links to other sites native garden planters might find useful.
Her garden is full of great plants for bees, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. She's provided water and food (in the form of pollen and nectar) for the bees. And Jane's sister made a great bee house to help increase the number of native bees that require pre-existing holes in which to nest. I wish I could drill holes like these! I bet the native bees love them.
I'm happy to provide one more certification for Jane's Encina Madre garden. Her garden is now an Official, Certified, Texas Bee-Friendly Garden. She joins 13 other Bee Watchers who have shared their wonderful Bee-Friendly gardens with us. Welcome, Jane!
Comments