Why Do I Want to Create a Nature Sanctuary?

Current Issues/ Problems:

As many of you have noticed, the development of urban and suburban landscapes
has been detrimental to many plant and animal populations. Suitable habitat for wildlife
has been replaced with paved areas, townhouses and high-rises.

There is lots of information out there about this topical issue. In short, what's bad for
the environment is bad for us. If you'd like to know more, pick a point and take a look:

• http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/ (An American conservation organization)
• http://beefriendly.ca/the-society/ (a North Vancouver non-profit society)

Or these articles (courtesy of my informed partner):

• http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/23/purring-monkey-vegetarian-piranha-amazon-species (Amazon jungle encroachment and biodiversity)
• http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/28/wild-bees-pollinators-crop-yields (why native bees are so valuable)
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jul/23/grassland-butterflies-europe-population (Europe's shrinking butterfly populations)

Creating a Solution:

You may notice that most of the suggested reading focuses on pollinators (bees,
butterflies, etc.). This is not an arbitrary choice. As a suburban gardener, I believe
that I'm in the perfect position to help pollinators.

One reason why bee populations are in jeopardy is because the average suburban garden
just doesn't provide them with anything to eat! Bees need pollen and nectar, which not all
garden plants provide.

Over the summer I've been observing my garden to see what flowers provide food to
pollinators. Below is a lovely golden-yellow bumble bee that gained sustenance from
my blazing star plant (Liatris genus).

One of my most surprising and spectacular observations was of a swallowtail butterfly
that favoured one type of Dianthus plant (I have four different kinds of pinks).

Over the summer, a swallowtail butterfly visited two more times, and ignored almost
all of my plants except for the favoured Dianthus!

While observing and learning about the pollinators in my garden, I began to tailor my
garden to pollinator needs. I started to buy plants based on their value as pollinator
food sources. I no longer thought of my garden as my personal sanctuary. I began to
see it as a sanctuary for the pollinators of suburbia as well, and it's now a much more
interactive garden.

So, today's post gives you an idea about how and why I turned my small suburban
garden into a nature sanctuary. Thanks for reading this article, and stay tuned.

Next: Which Plants Helped Pollinators In My Garden?