Call of the wild: create a naturalistic garden that will entice and exhilarate birds, butterflies and people alike

Natural Health, May, 2004 by Nancy Stedman

9 Let dead trees stand, as long as they pose no danger, or pile fallen branches to provide food and habitat for birds and other wildlife.

10 Use garden furniture made of natural materials, such as a simple wood bench. Sheltering the area with shrubs will make it more comfortable.

fields of dreams

Ornamental grasses are a great way to give your garden a walk on the wild side. "People are seeking romance and have less time to work in the garden--and grasses respond to both needs," says Rick Darke, author of the Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses. "Grasses move with the wind and sing with the breezes; they're tough as nails and live a long time."

Available in sizes ranging from six inches up to 14 feet, grasses offer interesting foliage year-round in shades of green, white, red, yellow, blue and brown. Many of them bloom in the fall, providing dramatic plumes at a time when flowers are scarce. Generally pest-free, drought-tolerant and uninterested in fertilizer, grasses ask for one thing: plenty of sun (though there are exceptions). The only problem is that some grasses have become too successful, and, like pampas grass in California, have overwhelmed native plants in wild areas.

When Kurt Bluemel opened his eponymous nursery in Maryland in 1964, he offered 40 varieties of ornamental grasses. Now he sells more than 750 different kinds. Among the most popular are rescue (clumping to 1 foot; often blue-leaved), fountain grass (the red version of this 2- to 3-foot grass is widely used in containers) and miscanthus (4 to 5 feet, with arching leaves). For more examples, go to kurtbluemel.com.

woodland garden

Blue phlox blossoms streamside at Delaware's Mount Cuba Center for the Study of Piedmont Flora.

desert garden

A lone mesquite tree gives height and angularity to a colorful native dryland planting.

jungle garden

A blue palm arches over thick blue, silver and green foliage in this tropical setting.

meadow garden

Goldenrod and joe-pye weed bring deep colors to Willowwood Arboretum in Gladstone, N.J.

resources for naturalistic gardeners

Most states have native plant societies that can provide lists of plants in your area. For shade gardeners, the century-old American Fern Society (amerfernsoc.org), offers advice on these invaluable plants.

Useful references include The Natural Habitat Garden by Ken Druse; Color Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and Habitats by Fritz Kohlein and Peter Menzel; and Perennials and Their Garden Habitats by Richard Hansen and Friedrich Stahl. In Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards, Sara Stein describes rebuilding her suburban property to add a meadow and woodlands.

Wild Ones, an organization that advocates landscaping with native plants, has chapters in 12 states. Its Web site (for-wild.org) includes model municipal laws for encouraging this kind of plant design.

For information on using cover, native plants and water sources to attract wildlife, turn to The National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org). To date, more than 38,000 backyards have met the group's requirement for certification as a "backyard wildlife habitat," the largest number being in South Carolina.