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“We humans are a minority of giants, stumbling around in a world of little things.”  -Sue Hubbell in Waiting for Aphrodite

Earlier this summer, a neighbor commented that my yard is like a Disney movie – there are always songbirds, rabbits, and squirrels hanging out. I’m guessing they break into song and have fabulous animated adventures when I’m not looking, too.

My neighbor’s right. There is constant animal activity in my yard, and I love it. In addition to the songbirds, rabbits, and squirrels, regular visitors include butterflies, bees, ducks, owls, a garter snake, and even a ground squirrel. Oh, and my cat. But the animals that would normally be a cat’s prey are in no danger from her. Apparently she was engineered without the hunter instinct. …or the motivation to move more than her head when she spots prey. Life’s less messy this way, anyhow.

In any case, my yard is small but provides pretty good habitat. My perennial garden provides food for lots of pollinating insects and birds, and they help the garden grow. There’s an apple tree, and I’m happy to share the fallen fruit with the critters.

My yard has other small trees and shrubs that make great shelter, and the big trees are full of birds and squirrels. I even saw a family of screech owls posted on perches one night. Must have been passing through.

I admit that I had to have a talk with the family of rabbits from across the street. They were lunching on flower stems, which was ok for a while, as they left most of the stalks to bloom. Then they ate an entire delphinium and destroyed newly planted lupine. I guess the talk hadn’t work. But the all-natural repellent has. I wouldn’t eat a plant that smells like rotten eggs & dog urine either. *

If you are interested in hosting your own Disney characters, here some simple ways to increase habitat in your yard:

Provide fresh water for birds, preferably above ground level to discourage predators.

Use all-natural weed killer or pull weeds by hand.

Instead of spraying chemicals on weeds in cement cracks, douse them with boiling water.

Set the lawn mower to cut a little higher. Longer grass creates its own shade & decreases the need to water. It also provides habitat for insects; including the “good” bugs that eat the “bad” bugs.

Plant perennials to bloom throughout the growing season.

Spend time in your yard to observe the little things in your world!

* The smell goes away when the spray dries. (I’m impressed that you actually looked for this footnote. Well done.)

About the author: Amy Sandeen

Amy Sandeen is the Executive Director of Prairie Loft Center for Outdoor and Agricultural Learning. Amy grew up in Hastings, then lived in Minneapolis/ St. Paul for 18 years before returning to her roots. She is fascinated by the nature of humans and our relationship to the world.