THE PARK NEXT DOOR
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  • Migration Song - The Magic of Bird Migration
  • Let's Explore
    • Nature Trails >
      • 116th Street - Oak Leaf Trail - West Allis, WI
      • Bald Bluff Nature Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Emma Carlin Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Ice Age Visitor Center Nature Trail - Campbellsport, WI
      • Kettle Moraine Low Prairie Natural Area - Eagle, WI
      • Kohl Park Hiking Trail - Milwaukee, WI
      • Koshkonong Effigy Mounds - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Paradise Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Seminary Woods - St. Francis, WI
      • Stute Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Washington Avenue Nature Trail - Sheboygan, WI
    • Local Parks >
      • Big Hill Park - Beloit, WI
      • Bratt Woods - Grafton, WI
      • Brown Deer Park - Brown Deer, WI
      • Carver-Roehl County Park - Clinton, WI
      • Cliffside Park - Caledonia, WI
      • Copernicus Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Cudahy Woods - Cudahy, WI
      • Dorothy Carnes Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Elm Grove Village Park - Elm Grove, WI
      • Endicott Park - Brookfield, WI
      • Estabrook Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Falk Park - Oak Creek, WI
      • Franklin Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Glacier Hills County Park - Hubertus, WI
      • Grant Park - South Milwaukee
      • Greenfield Park - West Allis
      • Grobschmidt Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Hales Corners Park, Ben Hunt Prairie and Cabin, Seneca Hale Summer Kitchen, Cobb Park - Hales Corners, WI
      • Harnischfeger Park - Ixonia, WI
      • Hartung Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • High Grove Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Homestead Hollow County Park - Germantown, WI
      • Hoyt Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Jacobus Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Korth Park - Lake Mills, WI
      • John Muir Memorial County Park - Town of Buffalo, WI
      • Alan Kulwicki Park - Greenfield, WI
      • Lime Kiln Park - Menomonee Falls
      • Lincoln Park - Glendale, WI
      • Lion's Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Lizard Mound County Park - Farmington, WI
      • Malone Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Mangan Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Mary Knoll Park - Brookfield, WI
      • McCarty Park - West Allis, WI
      • Monarch Trail / County Grounds Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Mush Ko Se Day Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Muskego Boardwalk Nature Trail - Muskego, WI
      • Muskego Park - Muskego, WI
      • Natureland County Park - Whitewater, WI
      • Nitschke Mounds County Park - Burnett, WI
      • Prairie Springs Park - Pleasant Prairie, WI
      • Richfield Historical Park - Richfield, WI
      • Rivers Edge Park - Menomonee Falls, WI
      • Sandy Knoll County Park - Town of Trenton, WI
      • Scout Lake Park - Greendale, WI
      • Simmons Woods Park - Pewaukee, WI
      • South Shore Park - Bayview, WI
      • Three Bridges Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Turtle Creek Parkway / Tiffany Bridge - Clinton, WI
      • Virmond Park - Mequon, WI
      • Warnimont Park - Cudahy, WI
      • Washington Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • White River County Park - Walworth County
      • Whitnall Park - Franklin, WI
      • Wind Point Lighthouse - Racine, WI
    • Nature Preserves >
      • Badertscher Preserve - Muskego, WI
      • Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area - Sauk City, WI
      • Beulah Bog - East Troy, WI
      • Blue Heron Wildlife Sanctuary - Saukville, WI
      • Cedarburg Bog - Saukville, WI
      • Chiwaukee Prairie - Kenosha, WI
      • Robert O Cook Arboretum - Janesville, WI
      • Crooked Creek Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Deer Creek Sanctuary - New Berlin, WI
      • Emerald Preserve - Oak Creek, WI
      • Engel Conservation Area - Muskego, WI
      • Faville Grove Sanctuary - Lake Mills, WI
      • Forest Beach Migratory Preserve - Belgium, WI
      • Fox River Sanctuary - Waukesha, WI
      • Garrison's Glen - Mequon, WI
      • Genesee Oak Opening and Fen - Mukwonago, North Prairie WI
      • Gordon Tabor Memorial Woods - Caledonia, WI
      • Grasslyn Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Grootemaat Nature Preserve - Greendale, WI
      • Hartland Marsh Preserve - Village of Hartland, WI
      • Hawthorn Glen - Milwaukee, WI
      • Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Horicon, WI
      • Huiras Lake Natural Area - Fredonia, WI
      • Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy - Williams Bay, WI
      • Lac Lawrann Conservancy - West Bend, WI
      • Lakeshore Nature Preserve - Madison, WI
      • Ledge View Nature Center - Chilton, WI
      • Lion's Den Nature Preserve - Grafton, WI
      • Lulu Lake Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Maywood Environmental Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • Mequon Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Ned Hollister Wetlands Conservancy - Delavan, WI
      • Newell and Ann Meyer Nature Preservel - Eagle, WI
      • Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy - Middleton, WI
      • Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Pope Farm Conservancy - Verona, WI
      • Price Park Conservancy - Elkhorn, WI
      • Riverbend Nature Center - Racine, WI
      • Riveredge Nature Center - Saukville, WI
      • Sauk Creek Nature Preserve - Port Washington, WI
      • Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - Milwaukee, WI
      • Spirit Lake Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Spruce Lake Bog - Campbellsport, WI
      • Stigler Nature Preserve - New Berlin, WI
      • Trinity Creek Wetland Habitat - Mequon, WI
      • Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area - Mukwonago, WI
      • Vernon Wildlife Area - Waterford, WI
      • Wadewitz Nature Camp - Waterford, WI
      • Wehr Nature Center - Franklin, WI
      • Wehmhoff Woodland Preserve - Burlington, WI
      • Whitnall School Forest - Greenfield, WI
      • Zeloski Marsh - Cambridge, WI
    • State Parks >
      • Aztalan State Park
      • Big Foot Beach State Park
      • Bong State Recreation Area - Kansasville, WI
      • C. D. Besadny Fish and Wildlife Area - Kewaunee, WI
      • Cadiz Springs State Park - New Glarus, WI
      • Devil's Lake State Park - Baraboo, WI
      • Harrington Beach State Park - Belgium, WI
      • Havenwoods State Forest - Milwaukee, WI
      • High Cliff State Park - Sherwood, WI
      • Kohler Andrae State Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • La Budde State Natural Area - Ice Age Trail Segment - Plymouth, WI
      • Lake Kegonsa State Park - Stoughton, WI
      • Lakeshore State Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Lapham Peak State Park - Delafield, WI
      • Mauthe Lake State Recreation Area - Campbellsport, WI
      • Pike Lake State Park - Hartford, WI
      • Point Beach State Forest - Two Rivers, WI
    • Sculpture Gardens and Conservancies >
      • Bobrowitz Sculpture Garden - Colgate, WI
      • Boerner Botanical Gardens - Hales Corners, WI
      • Franconia Sculpture Park - Shafer, MN
      • James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden - Town of Wilson, WI
      • Labyrinth Garden Earth Sculpture - West Bend, WI
      • Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy - Milwaukee, WI
      • Nick Engelbert's Grandview - Hollandale, WI
      • M. Schettl Sales - Sculpture and Oddities
      • Rotary Botanical Gardens - Janesville, WI
    • Cemeteries >
      • Calvary Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Forest Home Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Highland Memorial Park Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • La Belle Cemetery - Oconomowoc, WI
      • New Berlin Center Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • Oak Hill Cemetery - Lake Geneva, WI
  • Gardening for Wildlife
    • The Eco-Friendly Lawn
    • Welcome to the Firefly Show
    • Birdbaths in the Habitat
  • Detours, Links & More
    • Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - Green Bay, WI
Picture


GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE
 Making room for birds, bees, butterflies and more ​in an urban garden

AN INTRODUCTION:  It feels like the right next step.  We've been out exploring green spaces, wilderness, wildlife, in our bit of Wisconsin for several years now.  Sharing these spaces, spreading the good word about Wisconsin's green treasures.  We've enjoyed it so much.  Now is our chance to return the favor to wildlife and open our space to the natural world. To make them a home at our home. To create a habitat, right here in the heart of the city,  where they can feel safely, freely, wild. 

In the fall of 2018 we moved into a home in the city of West Allis.  Bonus: it had a nice backyard!  One of our first thoughts when we saw the yard was what a great sanctuary it could be for wildlife, and for us.  A way to bring the nature we found on our hikes back home, and to create a space in the city for wildlife to flourish. 

The yard itself had good bones.  Previous owners had installed a raised flower bed, though in need of some tidying up. A little more purpose.  There are two grand old pine trees that almost feel like a woodland respite as is.   We put up a few feeders, added two bird bath features.  Planted a couple bushes.  And already this first spring we had feathered visitors who were making their way up to Wisconsin for spring migration.  Indigo Buntings, Red-breasted Grosbeaks, Orioles, and more.  A really good, and encouraging start. 

We've been reading books and articles on gardening for wildlife.  Adding more native plants in the raised garden, and in some pots on the patio. It's mid-summer now, and the native plants are blooming, the birds continue to show up every morning,  and the butterflies are coming through every day now, lingering over cone-flower, and phlox.  The phrase "if you build it, they will come" may be borrowed from a famous baseball movie, but it's more than appropriate here. 

We've much to learn, and much to do, but we are off to a good start.  I hope to share what we've learned thus far, and encourage others who are interested, no matter the size of their space, to embrace this movement. This renaissance of sorts.   I can't imagine a morning without birdsong.  Hopefully, with more and more of us gardening for wildlife, I won't have to.
Picture

All photos, blog posts, and content are
copyright (c) 2014-2021 Kimberly Mackowski,
​ unless otherwise noted.

  • Home
    • Contact
    • Sign up for Updates
  • Blog
  • Migration Song - The Magic of Bird Migration
  • Let's Explore
    • Nature Trails >
      • 116th Street - Oak Leaf Trail - West Allis, WI
      • Bald Bluff Nature Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Emma Carlin Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Ice Age Visitor Center Nature Trail - Campbellsport, WI
      • Kettle Moraine Low Prairie Natural Area - Eagle, WI
      • Kohl Park Hiking Trail - Milwaukee, WI
      • Koshkonong Effigy Mounds - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Paradise Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Seminary Woods - St. Francis, WI
      • Stute Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Washington Avenue Nature Trail - Sheboygan, WI
    • Local Parks >
      • Big Hill Park - Beloit, WI
      • Bratt Woods - Grafton, WI
      • Brown Deer Park - Brown Deer, WI
      • Carver-Roehl County Park - Clinton, WI
      • Cliffside Park - Caledonia, WI
      • Copernicus Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Cudahy Woods - Cudahy, WI
      • Dorothy Carnes Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Elm Grove Village Park - Elm Grove, WI
      • Endicott Park - Brookfield, WI
      • Estabrook Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Falk Park - Oak Creek, WI
      • Franklin Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Glacier Hills County Park - Hubertus, WI
      • Grant Park - South Milwaukee
      • Greenfield Park - West Allis
      • Grobschmidt Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Hales Corners Park, Ben Hunt Prairie and Cabin, Seneca Hale Summer Kitchen, Cobb Park - Hales Corners, WI
      • Harnischfeger Park - Ixonia, WI
      • Hartung Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • High Grove Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Homestead Hollow County Park - Germantown, WI
      • Hoyt Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Jacobus Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Korth Park - Lake Mills, WI
      • John Muir Memorial County Park - Town of Buffalo, WI
      • Alan Kulwicki Park - Greenfield, WI
      • Lime Kiln Park - Menomonee Falls
      • Lincoln Park - Glendale, WI
      • Lion's Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Lizard Mound County Park - Farmington, WI
      • Malone Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Mangan Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Mary Knoll Park - Brookfield, WI
      • McCarty Park - West Allis, WI
      • Monarch Trail / County Grounds Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Mush Ko Se Day Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Muskego Boardwalk Nature Trail - Muskego, WI
      • Muskego Park - Muskego, WI
      • Natureland County Park - Whitewater, WI
      • Nitschke Mounds County Park - Burnett, WI
      • Prairie Springs Park - Pleasant Prairie, WI
      • Richfield Historical Park - Richfield, WI
      • Rivers Edge Park - Menomonee Falls, WI
      • Sandy Knoll County Park - Town of Trenton, WI
      • Scout Lake Park - Greendale, WI
      • Simmons Woods Park - Pewaukee, WI
      • South Shore Park - Bayview, WI
      • Three Bridges Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Turtle Creek Parkway / Tiffany Bridge - Clinton, WI
      • Virmond Park - Mequon, WI
      • Warnimont Park - Cudahy, WI
      • Washington Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • White River County Park - Walworth County
      • Whitnall Park - Franklin, WI
      • Wind Point Lighthouse - Racine, WI
    • Nature Preserves >
      • Badertscher Preserve - Muskego, WI
      • Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area - Sauk City, WI
      • Beulah Bog - East Troy, WI
      • Blue Heron Wildlife Sanctuary - Saukville, WI
      • Cedarburg Bog - Saukville, WI
      • Chiwaukee Prairie - Kenosha, WI
      • Robert O Cook Arboretum - Janesville, WI
      • Crooked Creek Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Deer Creek Sanctuary - New Berlin, WI
      • Emerald Preserve - Oak Creek, WI
      • Engel Conservation Area - Muskego, WI
      • Faville Grove Sanctuary - Lake Mills, WI
      • Forest Beach Migratory Preserve - Belgium, WI
      • Fox River Sanctuary - Waukesha, WI
      • Garrison's Glen - Mequon, WI
      • Genesee Oak Opening and Fen - Mukwonago, North Prairie WI
      • Gordon Tabor Memorial Woods - Caledonia, WI
      • Grasslyn Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Grootemaat Nature Preserve - Greendale, WI
      • Hartland Marsh Preserve - Village of Hartland, WI
      • Hawthorn Glen - Milwaukee, WI
      • Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Horicon, WI
      • Huiras Lake Natural Area - Fredonia, WI
      • Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy - Williams Bay, WI
      • Lac Lawrann Conservancy - West Bend, WI
      • Lakeshore Nature Preserve - Madison, WI
      • Ledge View Nature Center - Chilton, WI
      • Lion's Den Nature Preserve - Grafton, WI
      • Lulu Lake Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Maywood Environmental Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • Mequon Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Ned Hollister Wetlands Conservancy - Delavan, WI
      • Newell and Ann Meyer Nature Preservel - Eagle, WI
      • Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy - Middleton, WI
      • Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Pope Farm Conservancy - Verona, WI
      • Price Park Conservancy - Elkhorn, WI
      • Riverbend Nature Center - Racine, WI
      • Riveredge Nature Center - Saukville, WI
      • Sauk Creek Nature Preserve - Port Washington, WI
      • Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - Milwaukee, WI
      • Spirit Lake Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Spruce Lake Bog - Campbellsport, WI
      • Stigler Nature Preserve - New Berlin, WI
      • Trinity Creek Wetland Habitat - Mequon, WI
      • Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area - Mukwonago, WI
      • Vernon Wildlife Area - Waterford, WI
      • Wadewitz Nature Camp - Waterford, WI
      • Wehr Nature Center - Franklin, WI
      • Wehmhoff Woodland Preserve - Burlington, WI
      • Whitnall School Forest - Greenfield, WI
      • Zeloski Marsh - Cambridge, WI
    • State Parks >
      • Aztalan State Park
      • Big Foot Beach State Park
      • Bong State Recreation Area - Kansasville, WI
      • C. D. Besadny Fish and Wildlife Area - Kewaunee, WI
      • Cadiz Springs State Park - New Glarus, WI
      • Devil's Lake State Park - Baraboo, WI
      • Harrington Beach State Park - Belgium, WI
      • Havenwoods State Forest - Milwaukee, WI
      • High Cliff State Park - Sherwood, WI
      • Kohler Andrae State Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • La Budde State Natural Area - Ice Age Trail Segment - Plymouth, WI
      • Lake Kegonsa State Park - Stoughton, WI
      • Lakeshore State Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Lapham Peak State Park - Delafield, WI
      • Mauthe Lake State Recreation Area - Campbellsport, WI
      • Pike Lake State Park - Hartford, WI
      • Point Beach State Forest - Two Rivers, WI
    • Sculpture Gardens and Conservancies >
      • Bobrowitz Sculpture Garden - Colgate, WI
      • Boerner Botanical Gardens - Hales Corners, WI
      • Franconia Sculpture Park - Shafer, MN
      • James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden - Town of Wilson, WI
      • Labyrinth Garden Earth Sculpture - West Bend, WI
      • Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy - Milwaukee, WI
      • Nick Engelbert's Grandview - Hollandale, WI
      • M. Schettl Sales - Sculpture and Oddities
      • Rotary Botanical Gardens - Janesville, WI
    • Cemeteries >
      • Calvary Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Forest Home Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Highland Memorial Park Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • La Belle Cemetery - Oconomowoc, WI
      • New Berlin Center Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • Oak Hill Cemetery - Lake Geneva, WI
  • Gardening for Wildlife
    • The Eco-Friendly Lawn
    • Welcome to the Firefly Show
    • Birdbaths in the Habitat
  • Detours, Links & More
    • Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - Green Bay, WI