The California Wildlife Habitat Garden

This attractive, practical guide explains how to transform backyard gardens into living ecosystems that are not only enjoyable retreats for humans, but also thriving sanctuaries for wildlife. Beautifully illustrated with full-color photographs, this book provides easy-to-follow recommendations for providing food, cover, and water for birds, bees, butterflies, and other small animals. Emphasizing individual creativity over conventional design, Bauer asks us to consider the intricate relationships between plants and wildlife and our changing role as steward, rather than manipulator, of these relationships.

In an engaging narrative that endorses simple and inexpensive methods of wildlife habitat gardening, Nancy Bauer discusses practices such as recycling plant waste on site, using permeable pathways, growing regionally appropriate plants, and avoiding chemical fertilizers and insecticides. She suggests ways of attracting pollinators through planting choices and offers ideas for building water sources and shelters for wildlife. A plant resource guide, tips for propagating plants, seasonal plants for hummingbirds, and host plants for butterflies round out The California Wildlife Habitat Garden, making it an indispensable primer for those about to embark on creating their own biologically diverse, environmentally friendly garden.

Nancy Bauer is the author of The Habitat Garden Book: Wildlife Landscaping for the San Francisco Bay Region. She is a writer and garden instructor based in Sonoma County. She has taught classes for the San Francisco Botanical Garden, UC Davis Master Gardeners’ training programs, the National Wildlife Stewardship Program, and for numerous garden and nature organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Acknowledgments
Why Garden for Wildlife?

CHAPTER 1 Growing a Wildlife Garden
The Adler Garden, Walnut Creek

CHAPTER 2 Bird Habitat: From Quail to Hummingbirds
Quail Hollow, Tujunga

CHAPTER 3 The Pollinator Garden: Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficial Insects
Charlotte’s Habitat, Novato

CHAPTER 4 The Wildlife Pond
The Biggses’ Pond, Sebastopol

CHAPTER 5 Front Yard Habitat: Burying the Lawn Aesthetic
The Blackstone Monarch Habitat, San Jose
The Pacheco Wildlife Garden, Fountain Valley
The LaMar-Goerke Wildlife Garden, Mill Valley

APPENDICES Starting a Habitat Garden
APPENDIX A Natural Gardening Guidelines
APPENDIX B Native Plant Communities
APPENDIX C Oaks in the Landscape
APPENDIX D Plants for Hedgerows
APPENDIX E Seasonal Plants for Hummingbirds
APPENDIX F Common California Butterflies and Host Plants
APPENDIX G Top Nectar and Pollen Plant Families
APPENDIX H Invasive Pest Plants
APPENDIX I Sources of California Native Plants
APPENDIX J Books and Resources
Bibliography
Plant Index