Creating Wildlife Habitat: Can You Go Too Far?

I've been waxing philosophical about the need for restoring and recreating wildlife habitat for years. It was a natural evolution when I realized I enjoyed watching the insects and birds in my kitchen garden as much I did growing my own fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables.

So, no big surprise when I attended a recent symposium that this "trend" was discussed at length, but now bearing a fancier name; eco-scaping. Yeah, much sexier than 'gardening for critters', as I've called it. As much fun as I had among other garden writers talking and walking plants, plants, plants, I was ready to get home and see my own.

The day before I was to leave, the valet parking guy left a message to call. That's never good. Turns out they were moving all the cars to another level and when they started mine, lights flashed and the car shook. "Reduced engine performance", it cried. The next day was a flurry of tow trucks, cabs and calls to the dealer to see what the problem could be. But more of that later...

Eco-scaping will be front and center as you head to the garden centers next spring. It's already evident around here; we plant for the butterflies and hummingbirds as much as for ourselves. But now we'll be thinking about lacewings, dragonflies, and bees, bees, bees and more. Don't forget frogs and other amphibians plus reptiles. Although I am quick to point out that snakes will have to be optional in my yard.

People may finally realize that one woman's brushpile is not just a messy yard, but a deliberate attempt at creating shelter and nesting sites for overwintering creatures. And it's hopeful we find a more artful way to pile the brush. Will the city have to revisit their lawn standards once again? I think so, and this time height and variety will enter the mix.

Back when I was the radical woman on the corner with the compost pile and food growing in plain sight, the neighbors thought I was certifiable. So I registered my garden with National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Backyard Habitat. Nowadays I'm just one of the crowd, if you call 15,000 a crowd, but it's a start.

After quite a bit of hoo-ha, the car dealer called with the diagnosis. It seems that after five days in the hotel parking garage, an animal whose particular identity is still TBD decided to build a nest in my car's nether regions. This apparently necessitated the gathering of straw and the chewing of wires. This triggered the car to throw the vehicular version of a hissy fit.