All living creatures need three basic elements: food, water and shelter. In our hot, dry summers providing water is essential. Fill a bird bath daily and watch the birds flock to it for drinks and a bath. Using saved chemical-free rainwater would be best, but any water is appreciated. Birds are more attracted to the sound of dripping water than they are to food. Hang a bottle of water with a tiny hole in the cap upside down over a wide dish and let it very slowly drip.

Larger pollinators such as honeybees can drown so to give them and butterflies a chance to drink fill a large, flat dish ¾ full of clean sand and/or pebbles. Fill with water until just saturated. If you have a larger water source such as a swimming pool then use small floating rafts that insects – as well as lizards and frogs – can climb up upon to keep from drowning.

Surround your water feature with native plants that provide both food and shelter.  Any of the salvias, such as Aromas Sage, will give long-blooming nectar sources. Looking like a bottlebrush flower with a Mohawk, Baja Fairy Duster is as lovely as its name is magical and is a great food source for hummingbirds and bees. Showy Penstemon has lovely purple and blue tubular flowers, any of the buckwheat varieties are necessary nectar suppliers and great at controlling erosion on a slope, and Hummingbird Sage, which is really in the mint family, has tall spikes of stunning red flowers. To provide a food source year round plant shrubs and flowers with different bloom cycles.

Birds will appreciate some taller shrubs such as Toyon, Lemonadeberry, Coffeeberry and Manzanitas for perching and shelter as well as the wonderful berries they provide.

Don’t forget that most baby birds require more than a nectar source to provide the energy needed for healthy growth – providing plants that attract moths and butterflies will provide a buffet of caterpillars that are essential food sources for the babies.

Moosa Creek has resources available on the website to help you select the diversity of plants needed to provide a successful habitat garden. You can find more here.

A habitat garden can be a few pots on a balcony or a large feature in a yard, but by creating one you will play a large role in helping keep wildlife alive while providing you a reality show far better than anything on T.V.