Haliburton County Master Gardeners

Gardening in Haliburton County

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Gardening with Nature

Crop Rotation

Garden Carrots

Crop Rotation is not just for Farmers

You are what you eat! In this day and age when increasing attention is paid to the quality of the food we eat, more and more people want to grow their own food. As a hallmark for sustainable farming, crop rotation minimizes problems down the road while preserving soil structure and health.

Crop rotation is not just for the farmers. It can be put to use in small plots of land as well. By rotating crops each season; we promote a natural method of pest control which helps to break disease cycles that can occur when the same crop is grown in the same spot for successive years. For example, Clubroot is a soil borne fungus that affects brassicas, and accumulates from successive growth in the same location. Mono cropping also depletes the soil of nutrients specific to that crop. In the same way our bodies can ache if we do the same thing over and over, the soil can get tired if we plant the same vegetable, year after year in the same spot.

Simply put, crop rotation requires you to avoid growing the same crop in the same spot year after year. Plant your like family vegetables in a different spot than the previous year and rotate your different crops like a cycle. It’s helpful that some vegetables will replenish lost nutrients back to the soil after a crop has been harvested. It helps to grow legumes after heavy feeders like corn or leafy vegetables. While you’re at it, add in some green manure like clover to enrich the soil. No matter what vegetables you are growing, there are many rotations to suit your needs. You decide!

Remember that any crop rotation is a work in progress, and much of the enjoyment and challenge comes from experimenting with it each year as you learn from previous years. By keeping in mind a few things, it will make it much easier to work out a suitable rotation for you.

  • Know botanical names of your vegetables and group vegetables from the same family together
  • Explore the internet as  there are a wealth of resources 
  • Keep a notebook to record observations and keep accurate records 
  • Grow green manure as it enriches the soil like essential nutrients for the body
  • Alternate deep rooted and shallow rooted crops to promote a balanced draw
  • Leafy vegetables generally use a lot of nitrogen so plant soil builders like beans prior to growing lettuce

Some basic types of groupings that may work for you include: heavy feeders (broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, corn, squash); light feeders (carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, peppers, garlic, onions, chives); nitrogen fixing (soil builders – green beans, lima beans, peas, soybeans); green manures (clover, vetch, alfalfa, rye, buckwheat).

Article written by Shane Rajapakse for the MGOI newsletter and reprinted here with permission.

Editor’s Note:  More gardeners are practicing a technique called chop and drop. Essentially you cut back your weeds and grasses before they go to seed and leave them on your garden as green manure mulch.  The nutrients are available immediately to the plants and the mulch helps the soil to retain moisture, repress weeds and improve soil structure.

 

 

Erosion Solutions From Heavy Rain

Question: Can you slow water runoff at the top of a slope?

Natural Stone StepsMaster Gardener Carolyn Langdon advises you to build a small rain garden at the top of your slope. Add a small berm at the top of and/or mid-way down your slope. Put in a berm of logs, branches, soil and/or rocks to slow down the water running off and to allow time for the rain to absorb and for plant roots to establish. The idea is to place any material that will act to obstruct or slow down the path of water. Organic material has the additional benefit of providing texture and nutrients to your soil as it breaks down.

Clearing a shoreline or hillside of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees can lead to erosion if not re-planted. Longer, steeper slopes, especially those without adequate vegetative cover are more susceptible to very high rates of erosion during heavy rains than shorter, less steep slopes.

Please remember that a rain garden is not the same as a water garden. There are 5 components to a rain garden:

1. Depression
2. Amended filter bed (see wood log trench below)
3. Berm on the low side
4. Rockery to slow water entering the garden if necessary
5. Plants tolerant of water and long periods of dryness (i.e. 2-3 days of standing water)

Woodlog Trench DiagramNatural Wood Log Berm

 

 

 

 

A rain garden is a low tech solution for a location that periodically gets inundated with water. For example some downspouts can’t handle the quantity of rain and the spill over can cause existing vegetation to die and erosion of soil. Hard surfaces channel water during torrential rain and spring snow melt events that cause erosion particularly on steep slopes. A rain garden and berming might be an affordable solution. A 5X10 foot rain garden 6 inches deep is equivalent to 11 rain barrels.

Dig your rain garden (12-18” deep) and fill with a combination of logs, branches, and wood chips at different stages of decomposition. Add native soil and locally composted organic matter. Plant. Remember good humic soil will store a lot of water. Other practises for extreme sites is to mulch deeply, contour the soil, plant native species adapted to the location and plant densely.

Select the Right Plants

In this situation plants that can withstand short periods of flooding and long periods of dryness are required. Xerioscaping plants i.e. those that tolerate drought won’t do well in a condition that includes extreme wet and extreme dry. Likewise plants that require constant moisture wil not do well.

Do favour native over non-native plants and do not plant fast growing invasive plants however tempting that might be to stabilize your slope.

The following native Ontario plants can tolerate moist and dry soil:

Aster (Aster spp.)
Bergamot, Wild (Monarda fistulosa)
Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta)
Blazing stars, Rough (Liatris aspera)
Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)
Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Verbena (Verbena spp.)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale L) Myricaceae (Wax-myrtle or bayberry Family)
Non invasive ornamental grasses, native sedges (they look like grasses and can tolerate some shade), and rushes. Hierochloe odorata or Sweetgrass
Marginal Woodfern (Dryopteris marginalis) can tolerates mid-summer drought if planted in the shade.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) a Zone 3 Ontario Native that is heat and drought tolerant,
Liatris aspera or Blazing Star, another Ontario native,
Schizachyrium scoparium or Little Bluestem (Ontario native)
Highbush Cranberry (V. trilobum or V. opulus var. americanum). This native shrub likes to grow in open, wooded, somewhat poorly drained locations. In the ideal location, cranberry can become very wide, often three metres or more, and reach about the same height.
Low bush Cranberry or Squashberry (V. edule)
Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) will grow almost anywhere including shade, but they take on their best form in full sunlight. In full sun their fall leaf colours will be a vibrant purple-red.
Common or Eastern Ninebark up to 3 m, spring flower cluster, berries

Credit Valley Conservation planted native plants in their rain garden. They chose the following plants because they were widely available at local nurseries: Red Osier Dogwood, New England Aster, Tall Meadow Rue, Black Eyed Susans, Canada Anemone.  Shade-tolerant native plants included: Common elderberry, Sensitive Fern and Heart leaved Aster.

A dense base of day lilies and irises will give you a fibrous root system. While they aren’t native they are often planted in a naturalized landscape.

To buy plants please try your local garden centre and check other sources listed in our list of suppliers and services here.

 

Article Sources

Credit Valley

Toronto Zoo

For additional plant selection please see Appendix C, List of Plants tolerating both wet and dry conditions. University of Guelph

Invasive Species

A species is considered invasive if it has been introduced into the environment where it is not native and that has since become a nuisance through rapid spread, often to the detriment of native species. Invasive species arrived in Ontario generally through people who moved here and brought them from their native country. Information on six particular invasive species can be found below and under the Three Invasive Species Article.

Goutweed is considered invasive.

Beware of Invasive Plants

There is perhaps a tendency to mistakenly think of plants as being “rooted in place”. However, their ever increasing ability to travel through direct and indirect human assistance to new habitats both near and far can be a blessing or a curse…depending upon just how successful they are in relocating and the resulting threat that success creates in displacing natural vegetation.

A plant that succeeds at the expense of natural or cultivated vegetation soon becomes identified as an “Invasive Species”. Invasive species are plants that are alien to their new habitat and have biological characteristics such as strong root and reproductive systems and vigorous growth habit that allow them to out- compete and eventually threaten the viability of native or cultivated plants. This can result in reduced biodiversity and alteration of natural habitats that then impact negatively on both native flora and fauna. Native species can be deemed invasive if changing environmental circumstances allow them to overtake other native species within their habitat such as the case with the Manitoba maple which in many areas of Canada is now considered an undesirable “weed tree”.

Invasive species tend to be most problematic in areas that have been “disturbed” through human activity. They become very difficult to control or eradicate through natural means and when the threat to native plant and animal populations, successful cultivation of cash crops or human enjoyment of natural areas is heightened, they become the focus of programs aimed at eradication or at least limiting their spread to other areas.

It is the responsibility of all gardeners to be aware of the “invasive status” of any plant they bring into their gardens and to ensure they do not inadvertently contribute to increasing the level of threat these invasive species bring to the health of our natural species and habitats.

View full article discussing Garlic Mustard, Bindweed and Dog Strangling Vine. While there hasn’t been a sighting of Dog Strangling vine in the highlands it has been located as far north as Bobcaygeon. Be on the lookout and eradicate it early before it becomes a problem.

 

For a more information about invasive species visit the Ontario Invasive Plant Council.

Download the Northern Ontario Grow Me Instead guide here.

Beware of Invasive Species

There is perhaps a tendency to mistakenly think of plants as being “rooted in place”. However, their ever increasing ability to travel through direct and indirect human assistance to new habitats both near and far can be a blessing or a curse…depending upon just how successful they are in relocating and the resulting threat that success creates in displacing natural vegetation.

A plant that succeeds at the expense of natural or cultivated vegetation soon becomes identified as an “Invasive Species”. Invasive species are plants that are alien to their new habitat and have biological characteristics such as strong root and reproductive systems and vigorous growth habit that allow them to outcompete and eventually threaten the viability of native or cultivated plants. This can result in reduced biodiversity and alteration of natural habitats that then impact negatively on both native flora and fauna. Native species can be deemed invasive if changing environmental circumstances allow them to overtake other native species within their habitat such as the case with the Manitoba maple which in many areas of Canada is now considered an undesirable “weed tree”.

Invasive species tend to be most problematic in areas that have been “disturbed” through human activity. They become very difficult to control or eradicate through natural means and when the threat to native plant and animal populations, successful cultivation of cash crops or human enjoyment of natural areas is heightened, they become the focus of programs aimed at eradication or at least limiting their spread to other areas.

It is the responsibility of all gardeners to be aware of the “invasive status” of any plant they bring into their gardens and to ensure they do not inadvertently contribute to increasing the level of threat these invasive species bring to the health of our natural species and habitats.

The following three invasive species are ones that I personally have struggled with in our home property in Southern Ontario (GTA) and cottage property in Central Ontario (Haliburton). They require constant vigilance in monitoring for new invasions and continuing efforts to control existing infestations. Left unattended they would quickly overrun both our gardens and the natural woodlands and meadows surrounding our properties. We do not use herbicides, but with large infestations that threaten natural areas this option may have to be carefully considered and the risks weighed in order to minimize the damage and contain the spread of these species. Researchers are also looking at biological ways to contain these invasive species and hopefully in the near future we will be able to address the spread of invasive species with less risk to the environment.

 

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard

Scientific Name: Alliaria petiolata
Family Name: Mustard Family (Cruciferae)
Type of Plant: Herbaceous Biennial; Non-native plant introduced by early colonists as a cooking/medicinal herb
Habitat/Culture: Woodlands, forest edges and trails, roadside ditches; highly adaptable in terms of light, soil and moisture requirements
Level of Threat: High

Description – Identifying Characteristics:

Height: up to one metre tall

Spread: 10 – 15 cm.

Stem: Tall with little branching; smooth or with a few simple hairs.

Leaves: First year plants produce dark green rosettes of a few to many leaves; leaves vary in shape from first year obovate (kidney) shaped with broad, rounded tip to second year upper leaves that are narrower and ovate with an acute apex and more deeply serrated, margins arranged alternately

Roots: Shallow fibrous root system that typically has a characteristic s-shaped bend that helps the plant “grab” the soil. Mature plants are however easily uprooted with hand pulling.

Flowers: Small, white, flowers with 4 petals, 3-6mm long and wide; grow predominately at the end of the stem in late spring to early summer. Leaves and flowers have garlic-like smell.

Propagation: Prolific seed producer. Short pedicels bear narrow seedpods that readily dry out in mid-late summer and burst open releasing small black seeds. One plant may produce up to 800 seeds that can remain viable in the soil for up to five years.

Control: Infestations spread rapidly. Control requires early detection and eradication generally through hand pulling. Once established, focus on containment and prevention of further spreading by pulling or cutting before seeds are produced. Careful disposal of pulled plants required due to hardiness of seeds.

 

Bind Weed

Bind Weed

Scientific Name: Convolvulus sepium (Hedge Bindweed) C. arvensis (Field Bindweed)
Family Name: Morning Glory Family (Convolvulaceae)
Type of Plant: Vigorous perennial vine. Readily adaptable to disturbed soil areas
Habitat/Culture: Forest edges and trails, abandoned fields, roadside ditches, gardens, lawns
Level of Threat: Low – Medium

Description – Identifying Characteristics:

Height/Spread: Vines grow quickly up to 5 meters; can form dense, tangled mats.

Stem: Long slender, trailing, twining or creeping smooth stems with extensive branching.

Leaves: Arrowhead-shaped (hastate) alternate leaves with prominent lobes at leaf base; 2- 10 cm long, with smooth margins.

Roots: Deep, extensive root and rhizome system. Also capable of rooting from each stem nodule.

Flowers: Resemble miniature white, trumpet shaped ornamental morning glory blooms. Generally appear singly in axils of leaves; flower stalk has two small leaf bracts.

Propagation: Introduced to new area by seeds spread by birds, water, manure or as commercial seed contaminants. Seeds have a hard, impermeable seed coat, and can remain dormant in the soil for over 20 years. Once established spreads rapidly through vigorous roots and rhizomes that can regenerate if top removed.

Control: Very difficult to eradicate. Small new infestations may be controlled through repeated removal of top growth and deep cultivation that depletes root system. Larger established infestations require crop rotation and consideration of careful, repeated application of selected herbicides to destroy root.

 

Dog Strangling Vine

Dog Strangling Vine

Scientific Name: Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.)
Family Name: Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae) (this can confuse Monarch butterflies that require true Milkweed plants for egg laying and survive of larvae)
Type of Plant: Aggressive perennial twining vine that readily adapts to disturbed soil. Tolerates variety of soil and moisture conditions.
Habitat/Culture: Forest edges and trails, fields, fencerows, roadsides, ravines
Level of Threat: Medium – High

Description – Identifying Characteristics:

Height/Spread: Vines grow up to 2 metres.

Stem: Long, herbaceous or woody twining stems that quickly scramble over ground, rocks, and vegetation forming impenetrable masses that “strangle” out other species.

Leaves: Ovate shaped leaves with rounded base and sharply pointed apex. Leaves are opposite (2 per node) with small hairs present on smooth margins and heavy veining on underside.

Roots: Vigorous fleshy, fibrous rootstalk or rhizome becomes more woody with age.

Flowers: Small pink, red-brown to dark maroon/purple flowers that begin in late May and end mid-July.

Propagation: Reproduce by seed and by massive underground root system (rhizomes). Seed is extremely viable once it germinates and the rhizomes can also propagate many new plants. Fruit pods resemble long narrow milkweed pods and release large numbers of parachute seed from mid-August to early-November.

Control: Very difficult to eradicate. Requires vigilant mowing and if possible removal of entire root system. Large aggressive infestations may require carefully considered and controlled use of herbicide Arsenal (preferably by professionals).

 

Resources
Chambers B, Legasy K, Bentley, C. 1996. Forest Plants of Central Ontario, Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta.
Invasive Species Canadian Wildlife Federation  http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/encyclopedias/invasive-species/
Canadian Wildlife Services – Invasive plants and their biology, impact and control options   http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/publications/inv/11_e.cfm
Fydon, Andrew. Andy’s Northern Ontario Wildflowers Invasive Plants of Ontario http://www.ontariowildflower.com/invasive_plants.htm#top
Royal Botanical Gardens Invasive Plants http://www.rbg.ca/cbcn/en/projects/invasives/invade1.html
Invasive Plants List http://www.rbg.ca/cbcn/en/projects/invasives/i_list.html
The Ontario Woodlot Association – Invasive Exotic Species in Your Woodlot, S & W Report/FallWinter 2001, Vol. 22 http://www.ont-woodlot-assoc.org/sw_invasive_ex otic.html
Garlic Mustard Wisconsin Family Forests 2009 – Garlic Mustard Identification and Control http://www.in-sitevideo.com/wff/garlicmustard.html
Michigan State University Extension – About Garlic Mustard http://www.ipm.msu.edu/garlicAbout.htm

Bindweed
Garden Wise Online, – Invasive Bindweed – July 2008 http://www.gardenwiseonline.ca/gw/ask-pros/2008/07/18/invasive-bindweed
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs – Field Bindweed Fact Sheet http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/01-007.htm

Dog Strangling Vine
Fydon, Andrew. Andy’s Northern Ontario Wildflowers Invasive Plants of Ontario http://ontariowildflowers.com/main/species.php?id=200
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs –Dog Strangling Vine – An Invasive Species Creeping into Agricultural Fields http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/news/croptalk/2006/ct_0306a7.htm
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs – Ontario Weeds – Dog Strangling Vine http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/ontweeds/dogstrangling_vine.htm
Routh, John. Task Force Vice-Chair, Living in Toronto – Have you seen this plant? Dog strangling Vine. http://www.toronto.ca/don/dsv/index.htm

Three Invasive Species to Avoid When Planning your Garden

Purple Loosestrife

Scientific Name: Lythrum salicaria L.

Common Name: Purple Loosestrife

Family: Lythraceae (Loosestrife)

Type of Plant: Herbaceous Perennial

Usage: Ornamental

Identifying Characteristics:

Stems & roots: Stout plant, erect (24-48in); 4 angled stem can be smooth to fuzzy; long, well-established tap root

Leaves: Smooth, opposite (2 per node) or whorled (3 per node); narrow to narrowly oblong and heart shaped at base; 1.25-4 in long, attach directly to stems; upper leaves & those in the inflorescence alternate (1/node) & smaller than lower leaves

Flowers: Magenta – pink, tightly clustered, dense, terminal spikes from 4-20in; sepals united into a column with 8-12 prominent green veins & ending in several, long, thin, pointed lobes; 5-7 petals approx. 1/4in long; several stamens & 1 pistil; small seedpod. Bloom late June – mid Sept. Many garden species previously thought to be sterile can produce seeds by cross pollination with wild & other species, increasing the opportunities for spreading

Habitat: In the wild – wetlands, sedge meadows, open bogs. Can also occur along streams, riverbanks, lake shores. Opportunistic in areas with recent soil disturbance. Grows best in highly organic soils in full sun

Invasive Potential: Introduced from Europe. 2.7 million seeds per plant annually, highly invasive in wetland areas through wind, birds, animals & humans. Readily establishes itself, crowding out native species. Decrease in biodiversity has far reaching ecological implications including displacing plants & animals, eliminating food & shelter for wildlife, degrading native wetlands, reducing habitat for waterfowl. Native to Eurasia

Control: No effective method except in small, localized growth area where it can be intensively managed. Isolated areas, uproot plant by hand ensuring the removal of all parts of plant including all roots

Other methods of control: cutting, burning where permitted, herbicide application although herbicides can destroy other nearby plants

Biological control using root weevil (Hylobius transversovittatus), 2 specie

s leaf eating beetles (Galerucella pusilla & Galerucella calmariensis) have been approved by Canadian government. Research indicate there is little chance of permanent host transfer as these insects only feast on purple loosestrife

Recommendations: Recommended to dig all cultivars of Purple Loosestrife from the landscape and, according to the Manitoba Purple Loosestrife Project, can best be replaced with Spiked Gayfeather (Liatrus); a native plant with pink, purple or white flowers that is an environmentally safe perennial. It requires full sun to part shade, height up to 1.5-2.5m, hardy to CDA zone 3; blooms midsummer to Sept

 

 

Tartarian Honeysuckle

Scientific Name: Lonicera tatarica

Common Name: Tartarian Honeysuckle

Family: Caprifolaceae (Honeysuckle)

Type of Plant: Flowering Deciduous Shrub

Usage: Ornamental

Stems & roots: Woody, multi-stemmed, upright 2-5m; Branches thin, smooth, becoming hollow; Dicotyledon; bark turns pale grey & shreds with age

Leaves: Opposite, ovate, 3-6cm long, short-stalked & blue-green; Smooth, hairless, bluish-green leaves

Flowers: Usually in 2 pairs developing in axils of leaves at end of branches; 2 leaflets beneath each bud pair, 2 sepals above leaflets; Petals pink to crimson, tubular, 2-lipped, 7-20mm long, fragrant. Blooms May-June. Fruit – abundant berries 3mm diameter, joined at base, ripening orange to red that are available in winter for the birds & other wildlife

Habitat: Adaptable to wide range of habitat; open woods, ravines, woodland edges; prefer moist, sunny areas

Invasive Potential: Moderately invasive in Ontario. Replaces native understory species & ground flora thereby changing vegetation structure; impedes forest seedling & natural tree regeneration; spread by birds & mammals dispersing seed. Native Eastern Asia

Control:
Mechanical: less dense infiltrations – pull ensuring all roots removed
Chemical: systemic herbicides such as Roundup are most effective. Another method is to cut off near ground level & apply herbicide
Biological: There are no current biological control methods available
Recommendations: As with most invasive plants it is best to remove and replace. To contain remove seedlings annually as they appear. Widespread dispersion by birds limits effectiveness. Replacement with North American natives such as Spice bush (Lindera benzoin) – hardy to CDA zone 5 or Viburnum – hardy to CDA zone 3

 

 

Glossy Buckthorn

Scientific Name: Rhamnus frangula L.

Common Name: Glossy Buckthorn

Family: RHAMNACEAE (Buckthorn)

Type of Plant: RBC site consider this plant a deciduous tree but many sites consider it a flowering deciduous shrub

Usage: Ornamental

Identifying Characteristics:
Stems & roots: Most often grow in large shrub habit with a few to several stems shooting up from base; shrubs spreading, loosely branched crowns; Bark grey – brown with prominent, lighter-coloured lenticels (pores in the stem of a woody plant allowing exchange of gases between the plant and the exterior)*. Unusual winter appearance with naked, hairy terminal buds & appealing curved twigs with closely-spaced, prominent leaf scars giving the twigs a bumpy outline against a white snowy backdrop. Tree habit reaches 6-9m high and 26cm diameter

Leaves: Thin, glossy, ovate or elliptic leaves, 3.8-7.6cm long; upper leaf surface shiny; lower surface hairy or smooth with margins that are not toothed – a distinguishing feature from the similar common buckthorn

Flowers: Yellow-green, 4 petals develop in clusters of 2-6 near base of petioles. Plant are dioecious (male & female sex organs on separate plants). Fruits small, black berries 0.6cm in diameter appear singly or in small groups in leaf axils. Fruit is poisonous except to European Starling – primary agent responsible for the spread

Habitat: Prefers range of wetland areas such as marshes and bogs but can grow in upland habitats such as forest, wood edges & old fields. In Ontario, primarily near larger populations

Invasive Potential: Invasive locally in Southern & Eastern Ontario. Rapid spread & ability to invade native wetland areas suggest this will become a serious threat in the future. Detrimental effects include: outcompeting native plants for nutrients, light & moisture; degrading wildlife habitat, serving as host to pests such as crown rust fungus

Control:
Mechanical: Remove isolated plants early before seed production, prescribed burns if permitted by law (may need to do this for several years);
Chemical Control: Best during fall season to lessen risk of affecting non-target plants;
Biological Control: No current biological control methods
Recommendations: As with most invasive plants it is best to remove and replace. As with the Glossy Buckthorn, replacement with same North American natives such as Spice bush (Lindera benzoin) – hardy to CDA zone 5 or Viburnum – hardy to CDA zone 3 is recommended

 

Resources:
* Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany definition
Invasive Plants of the US: Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group: Environment of Canada: Royal Botanical Gardens: Ontario Food & Agriculture: Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs: Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters: Invading Species: Ducks Unlimited; Talk About Wildlife; Alberta:

Attracting Birds to Your Property

Courtesy Over to Me Studio
Janice Hardy, Retired MG

Bird in Tree

The two fastest growing hobbies in North America are gardening and bird watching. Imagine combining both hobbies in your very own back yard through designing and planting a garden to attract these very special friends. To entice a variety of birds to your yard or garden, provide them with an oasis of everything they need to survive: food and water, shelter from weather and predators and a nesting place and materials. If you design your garden from a bird’s perspective, they will come.

The Birds

Many birds require different food sources – from insects to seeds; from fruit to nectar. Warblers, for example eat primarily insects while finches like seeds such as those found at bird feeders. Nectar eating birds include hummingbirds and orioles. Some will forage for seeds directly from the ground while others look for insects under fallen leaves in woodland areas. Most birds will eat two or three different types of food, but usually have a preference for one. For the safety of birds, avoid the use of pesticides.

The Plan

The first step is to evaluate your space. Birds like to be in transition areas that provide food and water, shelter and nesting areas. If your property borders on a forest you are in a perfect area to develop a transition garden. However those on smaller properties require gardeners to visualize the transition area from a fence or wall where open space on the outer edge such as a lawn gradually gives way to mature shrubs closer to the fence or wall.
Transition the garden from lower perennials and annuals to shrubs and trees. Plan for a bird bath or water feature. Birds are especially attracted to moving water so consider suspending a plastic water bottle with a small hole in the end and allowing it to drip into the bird bath. Bird feeders around the garden, in the open but close to shelter, are another feature that should be considered, especially for winter sustenance.

The Plants

Fruit producing trees and shrubs will attract birds year round with fragrant spring blooms to fall and winter berries. They also provide an environment for those insects that attract warblers and orioles. In general, shrubs can grow quite tall (1.2-2.4m; 4-8 feet), although there are some dwarf varieties of Viburnums and Rugosa. While many deciduous shrubs are hardy only to Zone 5, there are some attractive native species for the gardens of Zone 4. Plants to consider are: Dogwoods, Viburnums, Rugosas, and Sumacs.

Birds are particularly fond of the native Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus albus) whose dense thickets of branches provide shelter and food for flycatchers, kingbirds, catbirds, waxwings, woodpeckers and vireos in the spring and summer and succulent berries in fall and winter. The red foliage in fall and red stems in winter contribute additional interest to the garden.

One of the great beauties of the autumn season is the Burning Bush (Euonymus alata ‘Compactus’). It’s not native but does well in our northern gardens. It’s distinguished by unusual corky “wings” which flare out along its branches as well as vibrant scarlet foliage and small red-orange fruit in the fall enticing cedar waxwings, cardinals, robins and brown thrashers. The plant grows 1.8-3 m (6-10 feet) high but there is a smaller variety, “Rudy Haag”, growing only 1-1.5 m (3-5 feet) high and wide. This is a shrub that is best left unpruned although it can be pruned if you have space issues. It is not fussy about soil requirements (except for excessive wet areas), will grow in sun to part shade and there are no significant pest problems.

Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifloium) is a wonderful addition to your shrub base. A broad-leaf evergreen native to western regions, the fragrant yellow flowers in spring produce spectacular blue fruit that clings to the branches over winter. Both Blue and Grey Jays, waxwings, robins, redstarts and thrashers will forage for remaining fruit during fall migration and winter.

Shrubs should be planted at the back of the garden amidst evergreens such as junipers, spruces, and pines that are often preferred nesting sites for many birds. Conifers also offer warm shelter and protection from predators and food for house finches, crossbills and red-breasted nuthatches. If space is an issue consider a coniferous shrub such as Pfitzer Juniper (Juniperus x pfitzeriana). With a mature height of 6-8 feet this shrub delights robins, warblers and catbirds with superb nesting sites.

Deciduous trees such as a hardy hawthorn, with their exquisitely fragrant blooms in spring are a magnet for migrating warblers and in fall, cedar waxwings and robins eat the fruit. Be sure to check the zone as many Hawthorn cultivars are not hardy to Zone 4.

Whether grown on a fence or climbing a tree or trellis, Vines will add a dimension of height to your garden as well as provide shelter and nesting areas to our feathered friends. Vines that flower at different times of the year or have brightly coloured foliage in the fall will add interest in all seasons. Honeysuckle (Lonicera x brownii ‘Dropmore’ Scarlet) are a favourite of hummingbirds and robins will nest in a thick clump of Clematis. Indigo Buntings prefer to nest within a vine tangle such as Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata). The native Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) provides winter food and spectacular colour beckoning thrushes, woodpeckers, vireos and warblers.

The final section of the transition garden that birds love includes herbaceous perennials, grasses and annuals. They provide seeds for ground feeders such as sparrows and dark-eyed juncos as well as nesting materials for many birds. Some plants, such as Bee Balm, Bleeding Heart and Columbine will attract the nectar eaters – hummingbirds and orioles.

Yellow Finches on Bachelor ButtonsGrasses furnish sufficient shelter for finches and sparrows that prefer foraging in lower branches and also attract insects for warblers. Grasses also provide excellent nesting material and the tall grasses such as Karl Foerster(Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) lend themselves to planting near the back of the border with shorter grasses such as Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) as accents closer to the front of the garden.

Plant progressively from taller to lower species that bloom at a variety of times over the season to add more interest to the garden. Any perennial that produces seeds will provide food for cardinals, finches, indigo buntings, chipping sparrows, song sparrows and goldfinches. Some excellent Zone 4 perennials or annuals include spring flowering plants – Columbine, Bleeding Heart; early summer flowering plants – Coreopsis, Cosmos, Bee Balm, Daylily; mid-August to September – Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan and other Rudbeckia, Daisy, Phlox; Autumn flowering plants – Sedum, Asters; annuals for late spring to frost – Impatiens, Petunias and Zinnias.

In summary, some key points to remember:

Birds require food and water, shelter and nesting areas. A few bird friendly seed-producing perennials and a bird bath are good starters, especially for common back yard birds (Finches, sparrows, woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches). Avoid the use of pesticides; Transition the garden from open areas and low growing plants such as annuals and some perennials to larger and taller perennials such as Black-Eyed Susan and Coneflower to even larger shrubs and trees; Choose plants that bloom at different times of year: Examples are Columbine and Bleeding Heart for spring, Bee Balm and Daisy for summer and Asters and Sedum for fall; Add winter interest and food sources by planting evergreen shrubs and trees, plants with interesting bark such as dogwood and burning bush and vines like Virginia Creeper; You don’t need to design a brand new garden – just add some of the above featured plants and a bird bath and you are well on your way to having birds in the garden.

Resources
Bezener, Andy, Birds of Ontario, Lone Pine Publishing, 2000
Dolezal, Robert J.,Birds in Your Back Yard, Readers Digest Association, 2005
Lanicci, Rachael, Garden Secrets for Attracting BIrds, Planet Friendly Publishing, 2010

Cornell Lab of Ornithology “Bird Notes”.
Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa, Ontario
Landscape Ontario
Suite 101: On line magazine