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<\/a><\/p>\nThe garden is open for educational tours, and Wilson and her Terra Design Company host classes and informal gatherings of green-minded gardeners. (She\u2019s also well connected with the Theodore Payne Foundation; her garden has been showcased on TPF\u2019s annual garden tour for the past two years.) Former students and staff at Art Center, artists, musicians and garden clients are drawn together to discuss an evergreen topic in Arroyoland — using California natives and drought-tolerant plants to create wildlife habitats as well as beautiful landscapes. \u201cIt is ironic how [our California natives] have been utilized in European gardens for over a century and are now finding new popularity here,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Wilson planted her garden in the spring of 2009; she began by removing her typical suburban lawn, scraggly azaleas and other water-hungry plants. \u201cI hand dug it up. We removed about 95 percent of the grass. It was a long process, but the best way to do [it],\u201d she says of forgoing chemicals or large black plastic sheets that suffocate and kill beneficial insects (like native bees) and underground critters. When doing away with huge chunks of grass, many folk opt for laying down big black plastic sheets to kill the existing grass \u2013 or they use gallons of Roundup or other chemicals. Both methods will remove grass, but are harmful to the environment. Wilson then followed guidelines set by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) for designing a Certified Wildlife Habitat \u00ae. She discovered it wasn\u2019t difficult to combine those necessities with her desire to craft a garden that would be attractive in any season. The trick: Use plants with long bloom times, interesting leaf structures and sculptural qualities.<\/p>\n
Overall, the NWF specifies four main criteria to certify a garden as a wildlife habitat. Since its inception 39 years ago, more than 146,000 locations received certification from NWF, according to Roxanne Nersesian Paul, NWF Senior Coordinator, Community & Volunteer Outreach. \u201cRight now, California has the most habitats than any other state,\u201d she says about the program that spans residential, school and community projects. In addition to the actual certificate, participants receive a one year free NFW membership and can opt to install an official NWF plaque in their habitat.\u00a0 \u201cBut those elements are minor, I think the real benefits are twofold,\u201d says Paul. \u201cWith so much of their habitat disappearing, wildlife has a better chance to survive when we provide space for them. For people, the chance to view the wildlife up-close and share with their children is an end in itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson concurs adding that \u201cThe certification is more a personal accomplishment and a way of giving something back\u2026Waking up to the sights and sounds of birds, butterflies, bees and water is a wonderful way to begin one\u2019s day.\u201d The garden must provide food and water sources, protective covering and safe places for wildlife to raise their young. The food and water were easy enough. Wilson installed appropriate bushes, trees and flowers (e.g., manzanitas, lavenders, poppies, sages) which soon became a wildlife smorgasbord of tempting berries, nectar, leaves and fruit. For water, she constructed a 50-foot-long man-made recirculating stream complete with 30 tons of boulders.<\/p>\n
Creating hiding spots and wildlife nurseries involved a little more thought when it came to placement. \u201cShrubs that are intermingled to allow animals to escape\u2026 plants with spiny branches and\/or thorns are just the thing,\u201d says Wilson, who used wild roses, native grasses, toyon and gooseberry bushes. Scattered stones in the stream bed also provide nesting opportunities for lizards and insects. Large trees \u2013 like pines \u2013 offer great seclusion for raccoons, squirrels and birds. \u201cThe ability to invite nature in is so easy,\u201d says Wilson about the ever-changing critter clientele. \u201cEvery winter, we are a stopover for migrating cedar waxwings. I love it when they come. We had an incredible migration of painted lady butterflies that flocked to the native [California lilac] by the thousands one year.\u201d Walk her footpaths to glimpse Western fence lizards basking on enormous boulders. Nearby, monarch butterflies feast on California milkweed plants tucked beneath California live oak trees that are centuries old. Aerobatic dragonflies dart over bubbling waters. At night, little brown bats and great horned owls perch high in the deodar trees where they have the best views for an evening hunt.<\/p>\n