Welcoming WILDLIFE
The Kaufmans may rent their Ohio farmhouse, but that hasn’t stopped them from putting down roots—literally—in their garden. In the nine years they’ve lived on the property, the pair have transformed roughly 21/2 of the 31/2 acres into a haven for birds, blooms and bees. “We didn’t begin with an overall design, opting instead to work on smaller projects each year, creating new beds and gardens around objects like our bird-feeding stations and our outhouse/garden shed,” says Kimberly of their picturesque plot. “It’s a fun and eclectic garden that just evolved. The biodiversity makes it special … it’s become an incredible place for birds and wildlife.” Welcome nature into your own yard with these tips from Kimberly and Kenn. (More can be found on the couple’s popular blog, http://birdingwithkennandkim.blogspot.com.)
Go Native: Concentrating mainly on plants that are native to your area is good for the earth and its inhabitants. Kimberly and Kenn’s lush garden features goldenrod, compass plant and New England aster, among others. “We concentrate on the classic prairie plants that pioneers would have found on the vast grasslands,” Kimberly explains.
Beckon the Birds and Bees: Kimberly is the executive director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and Kenn is an international bird expert, author of the Kaufman Field Guide series and an artist, so it’s not surprising that winged friends are more than welcome in their garden.
“Our careers—actually our lives—revolve around birds and nature, so nearly all the plants in our gardens are good for birds, bugs and wildlife. We try always to use native plants, but we also love annuals like zinnias and salvias for the pop of color—and hummingbirds and butterflies love them, too!”
Mess It Up: The less tidy your garden is, the better it is for birds, Kimberly notes. “It’s a good excuse to be a messy gardener,” she quips. Dense garden beds and bushes also offer hideaway spots for ground critters. Many of the decorative treasures in the Kaufmans’ garden were found randomly at farm sales, garage sales and junk piles.
Seek Structure: The old-fashioned outhouse in the Kaufmans’ garden was headed for the burn pile before Kimberly rescued it from a friend. “He had no interest in it and was preparing to knock it down to burn when I intervened. I somehow managed to convince him and another friend to help dig it out of the ground, where it had sunk over the years, brace it and load it onto a trailer for the short trip to our house. Once in place, it felt like it had always been there,” she recalls.