Gardening for Wildlife

Christine Schoene Maccabee

On just one occasion, I had the pleasure of witnessing the profound beauty of hundreds of Monarch butterflies on their migratory path to Mexico. It was the first September of my new life here in the Catoctins, and my unmowed fields were bursting with flowering goldenrod. The goldenrod, being as it is a critical late season source of nectar and pollen for butterflies and bees, served as a magnet to hundreds—perhaps thousands—of Monarchs that year in my field. It was a sight to stir the heart, orange-winged beauties flitting gracefully from flower to flower, the entire meadow in motion. It was a living body of pulsating color.

For two days, the butterflies stayed and fed. I remember looking out every morning to see them, but by the third morning, they were gone. The valley seemed strangely empty, too still, and I felt a loss, a sadness, though I was satisfied that they were well fed, fueled up, so to speak, for their long journey south. Since then, I have not seen so many at one time, though every summer lone individuals come and go, some feeding and leaving eggs on my milkweed leaves. I have read since then that Monarchs are mostly loners, only congregating at certain ideal places to feed and perhaps mate. Still, I worry.

By now, everyone knows or should know about the problem with extreme habitat loss for the Monarch butterfly. Children are learning about it in school, and I have seen innumerable articles about it in newspapers and magazines. National Wildlife Federation magazine’s April issue covered both the problems of and the solutions to the imperiled Monarch Migration. Most damaging have been  invasive logging in Mexico, where Monarch’s winter over, and the massive conversion of precious grasslands into monocultures of corn and soybeans in the heartland of our country. Then there is  the overuse of herbicides, which are used widely by farmers  to kill off native plants that all butterflies, and bees,  require for food and/or egg laying.

As we all know, information is critical to solving problems. Now that we understand how and why our natural areas are becoming devastated, we can all begin to do something to remedy the situation. Anyone who has even the slightest amount of yard space can begin gardening for wildlife this spring. Gardening is one way to get the kids out of the house, and our hands in the dirt. After all, humans are part of the wild world, too! It is very rejuvenating, and I believe it is a basic need, even for those who say they don’t have a green thumb.

When I think of all the homeowners in this area who would much prefer not to mow their lawns every weekend, to them I say  “Plant wildflowers!” Backyard, and even front yard gardeners, are our heroes of today. Trees are great, and important, too; however, food for our bees and butterflies, even moths, is critical if we are to have a healthy planet. I have seen the loss of large moth populations in our county due to pesticide use, and I am greatly saddened to no longer see any more large, magnificent ones such as Cecropias or Lunas. If you happen to see one, please let me know.

When I first moved here to my eleven-plus acres in the Catoctins, I already had a vast interest in all things wild, particularly native plants. So, when a large garden area was plowed up, there was no mulching or pulling of weeds that first year. Instead, I let things come back and began to investigate, and discriminate. Much to my surprise, the 200-year-old hay field was full of seeds, simply waiting for someone to recognize them. I now have areas of wild aster (four varieties), milkweed in many places (critical habitat for the Monarch), clovers of many varieties (which the bees thrive on), jewel weed, teasel, wine berries galore, several varieties of goldenrod (which is not the dreaded pollen producer that some have wrongly accused), St. John’s Wort, violets, and so on. I also have many wild edibles and medicinals, which I use for teas and for eating. None of these are store bought, but simply waiting for my discerning eye to discover.

So I say, “Get curious!” and get a good identification book. Children are naturally curious, so dig up some yard and begin to examine what’s there. However, many people do not have the time or interest for this approach, so another way to grow native plants is to buy them at one of the many nurseries, which are now selling more and more native plants. I have seen many yards transformed into what I call an oasis of goodness, with flowers and vegetables, integrated in practical, even artistic ways.

Here’s a small list of native plants good for pollinators: coneflowers, bee balm or wild Bergamot, goldenrod, Joe-Pye weed, butterfly weed (orange flowers), red or white clovers, sunflowers, wild evening primrose, lilies, wild phlox, dandelions, and many others, including certain shrubs and trees.

I always say, if there is only one thing I do in my lifetime for the Good, it will be to grow and preserve habitat for wildlife on my eleven-plus acres. You can do the same no matter how much or how little land you have! Every little bit helps. All the information you need is out there; so, this spring, have a wild adventure and explore the potential in your soil.

For more information on how to get a wildflower garden going or to identify plants for you, call Christine at 301-271-2307 or write her at songbirdschant@gmail.com.