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Whether you're looking to attract hummingbirds, searching for step-by-step instructions on how to build a pond, or want tips on how to recycle your yard waste, this is the place! Enjoy your habitat all year round! Here are some habitat tips that might come in handy as the seasons change.

Winter

• 'Tis The Season For Birds & Berries - Getting wildlife through the winter takes more than bird feeders and brush piles. It also takes a few spinach plants. But this spinach is not the green, leafy vegetable. To wildlife gardeners, a spinach plant is a tree or shrub that has bitter berries.

  Now is an excellent time to set out fruiting plants if you live in the southern most sections of the country. Gardeners in the northern tier and mountain states can plant in the spring. But in the rest of the country, you should wait until autumn before adding a little spinach to your backyard.

  Sumac: For many years, sumacs were considered by many gardeners to be "trash trees," but these widespread natives are now cultivated for their fiery autumn foliage and showy seed heads. They are also without equal as a winter emergency food for a wide range of birds and mammals. Approximately 15 species occur in North America. Winged sumac is native to the eastern half of the United States. Smooth sumac has a wider range and extends into parts of the West as well. In the Southwest, Wynn Anderson, botanical curator of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at the University of Texas-El Paso, suggests planting little-leaf, aromatic or evergreen sumacs. Poison sumac, which should be avoided, is not actually a sumac. It is more closely related to poison ivy.

  Holly: "Probably the best winter berry plants are hollies," says Anderson. Possumhaw, a deciduous holly with abundant fruit, is found throughout the southeastern states. Another, winterberry, is the hardiest of the hollies, flourishing in New England and eastern Canada. Its crimson berries improve with age and become popular with birds after a hard frost or two. Three other native hollies-American, yaupon and inkberry-are evergreen, providing protection from snow, rain and wind. Several female holly bushes should be clustered with one male to ensure a good crop of fruit.

  Saltbush: Several species of this desert shrub are native to the Southwest and California. Anderson recommends four-winged saltbush. "It's excellent for quail as well as for a number of other critters," he says. All of the saltbushes are drought tolerant and prefer well-drained soils and full sun.

  Hackberry: Nearly 50 species of birds-ranging from roadrunners to titmice-eat the pea-sized fruit of the common hackberry. Related to the elm, this species is one of the few trees that thrives from the edge of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic seaboard. Eventually reaching 40 to 60 feet tall in ideal situations, the common hackberry is durable and can be planted in urban areas and in poor soils.

  American Beautyberry: This 4 to 6-foot shrub has purple or magenta fruit. It's a pretty plant and can take very tough conditions. Native in much of the eastern United States, beautyberry is a favorite of mockingbirds and several other species of birds. The fruit usually lasts until mid-winter.

  Viburnum: Several native viburnums have berries that persist long into the winter. The fruit starts out chartreuse in the summer, then gradually changes color, first to white, then pink, and finally, to navy blue. It is native to the eastern coastal plain from Connecticut south to Florida and west to Texas. Highbush cranberry and nannyberry are two viburnums that grow across the northern United States.

  Mountain Ash: As the name suggests, mountain ash prefers cool, moist habitats. American mountain ash, usually a large shrub or small tree, ranges from eastern Canada south through the northeastern United States into the Appalachian Mountains. Sitka mountain ash is a western species. Both have showy white blossoms in the spring. After a few freeze-and-thaw cycles, the orange-red fruit attracts grosbeaks, grouse and waxwings.

  Hawthorn: Dozens of species of hawthorns are found across the United States and Canada. Because they have thorns and a tendency to clump into thickets, these small trees do double duty, providing secure nesting sites in the summer and plentiful berries in the winter. Cedar waxwings attack hawthorn trees in the winter. Ruffed grouse and fox sparrows also devour the scarlet berries.

  Washington hawthorn is a native of the eastern and midwestern states. Another possibility is a cultivated variety (or cultivar) of green hawthorn known as winter king.

  Bayberry: Most species of bayberry, including northern bayberry and Pacific wax myrtle, are vital to winter wildlife. Biologists believe southern wax myrtle may be a keystone species for fruit-eating birds in the southeastern United States. In spring, tree swallows and other birds swarm to these bushes when a late cold front strikes. Sometimes, only a few meals of the waxy berries can be enough to save a small bird. Wax myrtle is easy to grow, tolerating a wide range of conditions.




• Decorating A Tree For Wildlife - Winter is a tough time of year for many wildlife. They have less food and fewer daylight hours to look. Why not make it easier for the wildlife in your backyard?



• Get Your Gardening Growing - Learn how to get your garden growing in the middle of winter. The weather outside may be frightful, but you can still exercise your green thumb during winter.

  Many native plants have long growing seasons; they generally will not flower from seed during the first year unless they get a head start. Wildlife-attracting perennials such as blazing star, purple coneflower and bee balm are just three examples; their seeds need to be sown between 8 and 10 weeks prior to outdoor planting.

  Plants do better when they don't have to stay on hold, when there is one continuous growth cycle. It's easy to get excited about growing seeds indoors, but it's important not to start too early. Make certain your plants have a place to go. Gardeners should know when they can plant outdoors (the frost-free date for their area) and plan accordingly.

• Winterizing Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat - Looking for a way to help wildlife during the winter season?

Spring

• Preparing Your Wildlife Habitat - There is much to do through those last few months of winter to get ready for spring! Here are a few helpful hints to make your spring habitat as inviting as it can be.
• Sticks in the pond! Spring is not the time to "clean out" your backyard pond. Many frogs and salamanders need sticks and plant materials on which to attach egg masses. So if you don't have any sticks in your pond already, put some in!



• Put out nest boxes. Try different designs and types to attract different species. Some owls, the American Kestrel, flickers, bats and squirrels will all consider moving into a box. Bee houses can be put out in February or March before things start to thaw.



• Prepare new planting beds. Place cardboard on the ground and cover with compost or leaf mulch in areas where you wish to create new planting beds. By spring, the cardboard will be decomposed enough to plant right through, and the grass underneath (especially if first cut short) will be defeated!



• Continue to feed the birds and keep feeders clean! Feed only what is being eaten. Excess food lying around can attract pests and become moldy. And remember, it's ok to feed the birds during the spring and summer as well. Birds usually go to a natural food source before coming to a feeder, but by late winter or early spring, natural food sources may have been depleted, and your feeders may help some birds through a severe winter.



• Cut perennials and meadows. Do this chore absolutely last, just as you begin to see new growth appearing. The seeds, and, in many cases, the stems of these plants are valuable as food and shelter for many birds and insects.



• Spring Migration - Every spring, millions of birds leave their winter homes in the south and return to their breeding areas in North America. Learn more about spring migration and which birds you can expect to see in your yard during this season of renewal!

Summer

• Birds That Help Control Garden Pests - As a gardener, it can be your worst nightmare: watching helplessly as hordes of destructive insects attack your plants.



• Nesting boxes for birds - Attract nesting birds to your yard with a nesting box.



• Hummingbirds - Provide a steady diet of both flower nectar and insects for these tiny birds.



• Safe birdfeeding - Provide a healthy feeding environment by keeping your birdfeeders clean and safe from predators.



• Make a gourd house - Attract purple martins with this crafty project.



• Keep your cat indoors - Do one for the birds and keep your furry friend indoors.



• Discourage starlings - Stop these pesky birds from crowding out native species.



Helpful Birds



• Purple Martin: Aerial feeders that forage over land and water, purple martins eat a variety of winged insects. West of the Rockies, purple martins often nest in tree cavities and building crevices, while in the East they typically nest with as many as 30 pairs in hotel-like boxes or hanging, hollow gourds. Attract the birds with ponds and wetland areas.





• Red-Eyed Vireo: These migrants forage in trees, feeding mainly on crawling insects - especially caterpillars - but also on other invertebrates and berries. They nest in deciduous shade trees. Plant Virginia creeper, spicebush, elderberry, blackberry and dogwood to supplement insect diet.





• Chipping Sparrow: They eat insects and seeds from the ground, shrubs and trees. These common birds tend to nest in evergreens, making nests out of grasses, weeds, roots and hair. Attract them with pines, spruce, arborvitae and yew.





• Downy Woodpecker: Their diet consists mainly of insects, though they also feed on sap, berries and seeds. The birds excavate nesting sites in dead trees and stumps, which are later used by other birds. They prefer deciduous trees such as aspen and willow, and may eat the berries of dogwood, mountain ash, serviceberry, Virginia creeper and poison ivy.





• Yellow Warbler: Known for their sweet songs, yellow warblers eat a diet that is about 60 percent caterpillars. They also eat moths, mosquitoes, beetles and some berries. They nest in small trees and shrubs and often prefer willow. Plant berry-producing plants native to your area.





• Eastern Bluebird: They eat a variety of insects, other invertebrates and berries. Eastern bluebirds nest in tree cavities, old woodpecker holes and nest boxes. Plant elderberry, hackberry, dogwood, holly and redcedar to supplement their diet.





• Common Nighthawk: They eat a variety of flying insects. Partial to open space, they nest on level surfaces, such as the ground or flat rooftops in suburban and city areas. Attract common nighthawks to industrial and corporate rooftops.





• Eastern Phoebe: Easily recognizable by their fee-bee song, eastern phoebes - members of the flycatcher family - often times take up residence on buildings and bridges. They eat many insect species, as well as other invertebrates and berries. Provide a nesting platform and plant native hackberry, serviceberry, poison ivy and sumac to supplement their diet.




• Baltimore Oriole: Colorful migrants that readily visit backyards, Baltimore orioles eat insects, fruit and nectar. They nest in hanging pouches in deciduous trees. Plant blackberry, serviceberry and cherry for food, as well as elm, sycamore, tupelo and other shade trees as nesting spots.





• House Wren: Regular backyard visitors, house wrens have diets that consist almost exclusively of insects and spiders. Not very fussy about sites, these birds may nest in nest boxes, mailboxes, building crevices - even in pockets of hanging laundry. Include low-lying shrubs (such as American beautyberry) or brush piles in your yard - sources for cover, nesting materials and food.

• Summer Tips - Bird baths, bird feeders and lawns need special attention in summer.
  • Bird bath water should be changed every day.
  
  
  
  • Bird seed should be kept dry.
  
  
  
  • To best care for your lawn in summer, cut it as infrequently as possible, rely on your normal rainfall to keep it barely growing, and when you must cut, keep the cutting blade high.
  
  
  
• Hurricane Tips - Find out what you can expect in your Backyard Wildlife Habitat after a hurricane and how you can help wildlife when they return.
• Replacement trees take years to grow. The removal of damaged trees in the wake of storms likely removes even more habitat than the storm itself removed. If you can, remember that damaged trees might be pruned for both your security and to the benefit of wildlife. Often, trees with limbs ripped off by winds can be satisfactorily "doctored" and in some cases may be even better for cavity nesters after a storm than before. If permissible in your community, some of the storm debris resulting from damage to trees and shrubs can be brush-piled to the benefit of many wildlife species - birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians, and small mammals.

Fall

• Leaves: For Decorating or Composting - For some, leaves are just a chore to rake. But they can be a lot of fun. Here are some fun fall decoration projects. Another option is to compost your leaves, enhancing the soil in your Backyard Wildlife Habitat^TM site.



• Consider a Messy Yard - Before you clean up plant debris, consider the benefits of a messy yard.
• Experts say leaving your planting beds intact over the winter, not being so tidy, is beneficial for your garden, because an amazing array of insects and arachnids use dead plant stems, leaf piles and other summer debris as winter homes. Some of these creatures will later keep destructive insects under control; others may help pollinate plants.



• So what critters are actually trying to bed down in your yard? Ladybugs and lacewings like to nest in the dry, sheltered crowns of native grasses. Pollinating bees prefer hollow plant stems. Butterflies and moths often spend the winter in chrysalides on the ground. And baby spiders hide at the base of old stems, using them as supports for their webs come spring, when new plant growth is not sturdy enough. There are also creatures that nestle under leaves and other dead vegetation to insulate themselves from winter's chill. It gets kind of cold without that down comforter which also provides the insects with protection from predators.



• Ways to Entice Birds To Your Yard This Fall - It's no secret that autumn brings a dramatic change in the bird life that visits your backyard. You can take advantage of this seasonal passage by making some adjustments to your property.
• Maintain sugar water feeders: Migrating hummingbirds and orioles will recharge themselves by drinking the nectar these feeders provide.



• Supply running water: Avian travelers in search of a drink can hear the sound of rushing water in a birdbath or pond from some distance.



• Provide more feeders: Starting with the first cool days of autumn, birds boost their food consumption and continue to increase it as average daily temperatures drop. To attract the greatest number and variety of birds, double the number and kinds of feeders in your yard.



• Offer a variety of foods: Many birds eat seeds, but some prefer insects or fruits. Bluebirds and robins, for instance, relish live mealworms. Thrushes and cedar waxwings will readily dine on chunks of apples, berries and jellies.



• Clean out birdhouses: Remove old nest debris and make necessary repairs to birdhouses in preparation for hosting those species that tend to roost during fall and winter. In many areas, bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches and winter wrens may take up nightly residence in birdhouses to keep warm and safe.



• Create a brush pile: Clippings and twigs piled in the corner of a yard can provide cover to ground-dwelling birds such as dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows.



• Plant evergreens: There is no better natural cover for birds in fall and winter than evergreens. Planted near feeders and birdbaths, they will attract migrants and offer shelter for many birds after deciduous trees lose their leaves.



• In Fall, Your Garden is Filled with Seeds of New Life - Autumn is a good time to harvest native plant seeds.
• Before you begin collecting, take time to learn about the process to ensure success. Knowing how to identify a mature seed is key.



• As a rule, seeds become ripe about a month after flowers fade, when seedpods, which form in place of blooms, and stems turn brown and become dry and brittle. Seeds may not be viable if harvested earlier, because the embryos inside them need time to fully develop. Keep an eye on your plants throughout the growing season. The seeds will mature anytime from spring until fall.



• A dry, sunny afternoon is the best time to harvest. Some seeds, such as those from New England asters, can be plucked by hand or shaken directly into a collection container. But you should first cut seedpods from plants such as cardinal flower and blazing star to allow them to air dry in paper bags for a few days. These seed capsules can then be shaken until the seeds fall out.



• Experts emphasize the importance of labeling the seeds you have collected. Nothing is more frustrating than ending up with several bags of mystery seeds. Be sure to note the plant names and harvest dates on each one of your storage containers.



• Fall Is for Planting Trees - Fall is not only the best time to experience many trees in their brilliant colors in most areas, it is also an ideal season to plant new trees.