Bird habitat 2017

© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2017 (our 13th year)

© Project SOUND
Birds on a (Space)
Budget: attracting birds in a
small garden
C.M. Vadheim, K. Dawdy (and T. Drake)
CSUDH (emeritus), CSUDH & City of Torrance
Madrona Marsh Preserve
April 1 & 5, 2017

Last month we learned how to use
narrow spaces to best advantage
© Project SOUND
Shady
seating/
hot tub
Dining
 Learned about several ways to
use native and non-native
plants in narrow spaces
 Learned how to evaluate
natives for their
‘espalierability’
 Saw that espalier is both an
art and a science
 Explored both formal and
informal forms of espalier –
and how they’re created
 Learned a few tricks for
making an area seem smaller

We clipped some
interesting photos
Now it’s time to visit the rest of
the garden – from a ‘bird’s eye’
perspective.
© Project SOUND
http://dargan.com/blending-design-shapes-into-outdoor-seating-areas/

Attributes of the
‘dining area’
 16’ by 18’ (plus the extra area)
 Already gets some afternoon shade,
thanks to the neighbor’s trees and
house; but sunny midday
 Want seating for 6 at an outdoor table
© Project SOUND
https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/italian-courtyard/

Perhaps a grape arbor is just the ticket to
provide mid-day shade
 Advantages:
 Provides shade
 Edible grapes; birds can also eat
them
 Winter-deciduous; get sun in the
winter when we want it
 Grape vines are an attractive accent
for a Mediterranean style garden
 Disadvantages:
 Require a fair amount of work each
year
 Raccoons, opossums and squirrels –
and right above the dining table!
© Project SOUND
https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/italian-courtyard/

But we do love the
sunny yellow ‘room’
 Paint the house walls a warm, buttery
yellow; maybe brick paving (laid in sand)
 ? Install a retractable shade; or just
install a shade structure without plants –
or with something other than grape
© Project SOUND
Perhaps an arbor
or arch?

Lots of fresh ideas for shade: thank heavens!
© Project SOUND
http://best-homedecoration.com/47920/retractable-shade-pergola/
http://www.picrevise.com/?image=http://www.conniehogarth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/shade-
cloth-patio-cover-ideas.jpg&title=Patio Cover Ideas Shade Cloth Patio Cover Ideas Home Design
Ideas&tag=fabric patio cover ideashttp://classia.net/modern-retractable-pergola/
White vinyl from Lowes
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Dura-Trel-105-in-W-x-
105-in-L-x-96-in-H-White-Vinyl-Freestanding-
Pergola/50343812

It’s time for us all to think
seriously about shade
 What outdoor living areas could benefit from shade?
 Can shade structures help make my home cooler?
 How shady? Experiment.
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/pergolas/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/113223378106437042/

Expanding our useable space
 Create a utility area; great potential space
for barbeque (handy to table), trash cans,
garden shed, rainwater storage, etc. in a
handy space
© Project SOUND
 Extend the hardscape
 Make area look larger;
might even be able to
create a look
something like this

An arch with a vine: practical
 Nice design element –
Mediterranean
 Hide utility area;
handy but concealed
space
 Make area look larger
by creating another,
hidden ‘room’
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Caprifoliaceae/Lonicera%20subspicata.htm
 More opportunity
for habitat

View from the table (looking North): our vision
© Project SOUND
We could place some outdoor mirror ‘windows’
on the yellow wall. View?? Habitat??

© Project SOUND
The open look – featuring green vine
and decorative trellis on a yellow wall

© Project SOUND
Hidden trellis and green espalier on a
yellow wall; would be nice if flowering

© Project SOUND
Green wall (narrow hedge/screen; or
dense informal espalier)

© Project SOUND
How bird-friendly is our garden ecosystem?
 Excellent
 Good
 Fair
 Poor
How do the common birds rate our garden as habitat?

© Project SOUND
To attract birds we need to understand
their habits & preferences…
…and a good place to start is with what they eat

© Project SOUND
Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
 Generalists
 Eat many different kinds
of food – whatever is
available
 Well-adapted to different
– and changing –
environments
 Often are common in urban
& suburban yards – that’s
why many people know
them by name
 Examples: Crows, Ravens,
Scrub Jays, Robins,
Mockingbirds
http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/WildlifeSightings/WildlifesightNovember06.htm

© Project SOUND
Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
 Specialists
 Eat selected kinds of foods – at
least primarily
 Raptors – meat-eaters
 Insect-eaters
 Fruit-eaters
 Seed-eaters
 Often very well adapted to a
specific environment – have
‘developed together over time’
 Often are less common in urban
& suburban yards – NO FOOD
 Examples: Lesser Gold Finch,
CA Towhee, Orioles, Tanagers,
Warblers, Phoebes
CA Towhee
Audubon’s Warbler
http://thebirdguide.com/washington/BigDayReport2007.htm

To attract the specialized feeders, we
must provide the food they need
 Plant ‘hummingbird plants’ that
provide good nectar for hummers
and other pollinators (next month)
 Plant more fruiting plants
(including the smaller fruits that we
don’t eat – but the birds will)
 Use plants (annuals, perennials and
shrubs) that produce seeds – and
let these plants go to seed
 Attract insects to the garden – and
don’t kill them with pesticides
(more on insects next month)
© Project SOUND

What food plants do we have already?
Seed eaters Fruit eaters Insect eaters
Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Tetraneuris (sunflower)
Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Philadelphus
Citrus
Heteromeles (Toyon)
Ribes (currants)
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Citrus
Philadelphus
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
The Honeysuckles: consummate habitat plants
 Native honeysuckles occur in
moist places throughout the
world
 Are :
 Known for their fragrance,
medicinal qualities, and beauty
 Used in several ways in gardens,
due to their vine-like habit
 Often invasive when alien
 Feed a wide range of living
things including hummingbirds,
other birds, bees, moths,
butterflies and small animals

© Project SOUND
Alien Honeysuckles – the “bad boys” of
invasive vines
 Japanese Honeysuckle -
Lonicera japonica
 Amur Honeysuckle -
Lonicera maackii
 Very invasive- remove by
cutting, flaming, or burning
the plant to root level and
repeating on two-week
increments until nutrient
reserves in the roots are
depleted

Pink Honeysuckle – Lonicera hispidula var. vacillans
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Southern (Santa Barbara/San Diego)
Honeysuckle – Lonicera subspicata

© Project SOUND
Southern (Santa Barbara/San Diego)
Honeysuckle – Lonicera subspicata
 var. denudata:
 Coastal CA and Sierras
 var. subspicata:
 Mountains of Santa Barbara county
 Quite common on dry slopes below 5000'
on chaparral slopes and shaded woodlands
var. denudata
var. subspicata

© Project SOUND
Southern honeysuckle:
woody vine
 Size:
 3-8 (up to 20) ft. long
 3-4 ft, wide
 Growth form:
 Woody vine
 Branches are thin, flexible and
wand-like
 Young bark reddish
 Foliage:
 Leaves simple, opposite
 Evergreen
http://www.planttrails.com/product/lonicera-subspicata-var-denudata/
Var. denudata
https://www.flickr.com/photos/treebeard/14402151565
var. subspicata

© Project SOUND
Flowers and fruits:
Southern Honeysuckle
 Blooms: Apr-May
 Flowers: Typical Honeysuckle
flowers (buff-cream & white)
 Sweet-scented
 Attract hummingbirds and long-
tongued butterflies
 Fruits (berries)
 Ripen in late summer, fall
 Small - about 5/16" in diameter
 Bright red or yellow – very
attractive
 Edible – but a bit tart for human
tastes

© Project SOUND
Not a difficult plant
to please
 Soils:
 Texture: any – sandy to clay
 pH: most local pH except alkali (> 8.0)
 Light:
 Full sun along coast or with water
 Some afternoon shade best in most
gardens
 Water:
 Winter: adequate; no standing water
 Summer: quite drought tolerant once
established; looks best with
occasional summer water (Water
Zone 2)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: needs support unless used as
groundcover; can be trained on trellis,
fence, arbor, etc.

© Project SOUND
Garden vine
 Good groundcover, particularly in
shaded areas; on banks; under water-
wise trees
 Trained along walls, fences, arbors
 In a habitat garden: mostly for nectar
and edible fruit
 In planters and very large pots (for
example on a patio)
https://grownatives.cnps.org/2010/05/12/highlights-of-orange-countys-
native-garden-tour/
https://www.sanelijo.org/plant-guide/southern-honeysuckle

© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/193514115
215486575/
https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/564x/d5/ee/21/d5ee218943c5890
95239d2217aa1a314.jpg

 More options for green
screens are becoming
available all the time
© Project SOUND
1743 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035-4650
310.837.0526
800.450.3494
sales@greenscreen.com

© Project SOUND
Hidden trellis and green on a yellow wall –
or just use the honeysuckle on the arches
https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferwitte/honeysuckle/
http://blueheronlandscapes.com/tag/major-wheeler-honeysuckle/

© Project SOUND
CA Coffeeberry – Frangula (Rhamnus) californica
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND
CA Coffeeberry – Frangula (Rhamnus) californica
 Another coastal species (mostly): Foothills from
OR S. to Baja, including Providence Mtns.; also in
some parts of AZ, NV (desert mtns)
 Dry flats, moist slopes, ravines, and rocky
ridges, usually at elevations below 5,500 feet
 Wide range of plant communities: coastal sage
scrub, chaparral, woodlands, forests
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Rhamnus+californica
©2015 Zoya Akulova
©2012 Jean Pawek

© Project SOUND
Coffeeberry: versatile, dense evergreen shrub
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
 Size:
 6-12 ft tall (usually 8-10)
 8-10 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Evergreen shrub/small tree
 Mounded form; at least as wide as tall
 Bark red, becoming gray
 Moderate growth rate; long lived
(several 100 yrs)
 Foliage:
 Attractive, medium green; dense
 Leaves simple, attractive; smaller &
thicker w/ less water
 Deer love it (hedge); Pale Swallowtail
larval food
 Roots: re-sprouts after fire, coppicing

Frangula californica
‘Eve Case’
 6-8 ft tall & wide
 Part-shade is good
 Can easily be hedged; dense
 Good habitat: nectar, fruits, cover
© Project SOUND
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2785041969 https://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/7343930414

What food plants do we have now?
Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Philadelphus
Citrus
Frangula (Coffeeberry)
Heteromeles (Toyon)
Lonicera (Honeysuckle)
Ribes (Currants)
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Citrus
Philadelphus
© Project SOUND

Thus far we’ve ignored the green hedge
between the hot tub area & main garden
 4-5 ft. wide by 16 ft. long
 Want a narrow, dense, evergreen
hedge; suitable plant?
 Want a native plant that provides
good bird habitat
 Need to incorporate a cozy seating
nook
© Project SOUND
http://www.kinggardendesigns.com/pruning/

Difference between a narrow hedge and an
espalier  Narrow hedge/screen
 Free-standing; requires no support
 Usually formed from shrubs or trees;
must be hedge-able
 Often deeper & more dense than an
espalier
 Often better choice for background
(creating illusion of depth)
 Better choice for bird habitat
 Espalier
 Plants require support
 Can be done with selected trees/ shrubs
and vines; must be trainable
 Can be trained to a quite shallow depth –
12-24 inches
 Can be used to make an area look smaller
– can be an accent
© Project SOUND

The importance of hedges and screens in
garden design
 They can help screen views and
create privacy; a good way to break
up a garden into rooms
 They can be used to make a garden
seem larger; green background
 They can add a formal element to a
garden; clipped hedge
 Properly planned and maintained,
they can also increase bio-diversity,
store carbon, help manage rainwater,
and add beauty and livability for all.
In short, they can be life-friendly.
© Project SOUND

Lemonadeberry – Rhus integrifolia

Lemonadeberry – Rhus integrifolia
 S. California endemic: Santa Barbara county to Baja
CA – east to Riverside Co.
 Dry places < 2600 ft elevation in Coastal Sage Scrub
and Chaparral; Often on ocean-facing slopes or
canyons in coastal areas
 Rhus: from rhous, an ancient Greek name for Sumac;
integrifolia: leaf margins are entire, not toothed
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Rhus-ovata/

Lemonadeberry is a large shrubby plant
 Large, sturdy shrub/small tree –
may be shorter along immediate
coast
 3 to 10 ft tall and wide
 Trunk is short & stout
 Evergreen
 Thick, waxy leaves are oval shaped
and flat to slightly in-rolled
 Leaves are aromatic when crushed
 Growth is very dense, particularly
when hedged

An attractive native
flowering shrub
 Flowers
 December-May (usually Jan-Mar)
 Small, attractive pink-white
flowers; clusters at ends of twigs
 Lemon-scented
 Either bisexual, female or male
only; most plants are mostly female
or mostly male
 Plants not self-fertile; need at
least 2 for fruit
 Bee pollinated (mostly Honeybees
in our gardens)

Lemonadeberry fruits are also attractive
 Fruit – a flat, very sticky drupe
with a large seed
 Borne on female plants (mostly)
 Fruits are covered with fine red
hairs – and nectar
 Fruits ripen in late spring-summer –
remain on plants into winter
 Wonderful taste; beverage, syrup,
jelly, flavoring

Growth requirements of Lemonadeberry
 Soils
 Not particular about pH
 Well-drained; does fine in
most clays with little/no
summer water
 Sun: full sun or part shade
 Water: little or none when
established – very drought & heat
tolerant
 Nutrition: needs no added
fertilizer
 Intolerances:
 High winds – branches brittle
 Salt spray

Lemonadeberry is
very hedge-able
http://gardendesignbybryanvanderhyden.tumblr.com/post/89291529326/this-
east-side-santa-barbara-spanish-california

Two Lemonadeberies create a shady retreat
16 ft. area: plant a plant ~ 4 ft.
from each end
Will ultimately grow together
© Project SOUNDhttp://dargan.com/blending-design-shapes-into-outdoor-seating-areas/

Green hedge: create a vista? block a view?
 Could create an opening between hot tub area
and main garden (probably where the seat is)
 ? What are views from both directions ?
 ? Privacy vs vistas (to provide interest and
“enlarge” the garden)
© Project SOUND
http://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/the-art-of-
framing-a-garden-picture

How long before the hedge is complete?
…and what will we do to create
privacy in the meantime?
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
March 9, 2017

Short-term solutions to a developing
green screen/hedge
© Project SOUND
http://homesthetics.net/22-simply-beautiful-low-budget-privacy-
screens-for-your-backyard/
http://www.gardenstructuredesign.com/landscape-design-
products/trellises-and-trellis-panels/rectangular-trellis-panel/
http://www.brandisworld.com/1798/outdoor-ideas/outdoor-bamboo-
privacy-screen/superb-outdoor-bamboo-privacy-screen-5-bamboo-
garden-fence-ideas/

© Project SOUND
http://www.target.com/p/eden-garden-storage-bench-brown-
keter/-/A-
17406510?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG
=PLA_Patio+Garden+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Patio+Garden&LI
D=700000001170770pgs&network=s&device=c&location=90310
25&gclid=CjwKEAjwtbPGBRDhoLaqn6HknWsSJABR-
o5sL_LVTB9hQgCOtgYaBd0CJNbZzFuBLRkvfSU01LBJfRoCz3
Tw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/outdoor-couch/
Seating for our cozy nook:
many possible options

Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Philadelphus
Citrus
Heteromeles (Toyon)
Rhus (Lemonadeberry)
Ribes (Currants)
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Citrus
Philadelphus
© Project SOUND

Why concentrate first on large plants?
 They’re often easier to install first
 They often serve as backdrop for
other plants
 They ‘set the tone’ for the rest of
the garden
 They are large – so require careful
placement
© Project SOUND
 They provide lots of habitat with
a relatively small footprint:
 Things to eat (nectar, pollen, fruits,
seeds, foliage, insects)
 Places to perch and hide
 Places to nest

Trees provide excellent bird habitat
 Potentially provide lots of food
 Nectar & pollen
 Fruits/seeds
 Insects
 Can plant under most trees, so very
small footprint
 Provide safe perches for many birds at
one time
 Many birds are tree nesters – for good
reason
 An old tree (even a dead stump) can
provide nest sites for cavity nesters
 Even provide shade for the birder!
© Project SOUND

Most trees (native or not; large or smaller)
provide good bird habitat
© Project SOUND
Many in the ‘excellent’
category are the natives
The larger the
tree, the more
‘clients’ it can
serve
‘Ray Hartman’ Ceanothus
White alder - Alnus rhombifolia
Desert willow - Chilopsis linearis

Does every household need a tree?
 It takes a neighborhood to create bird habitat
 You don’t have to provide everything in your own garden
 In fact, most gardens are too small to provide adequate range
© Project SOUND
http://www.modernhomerealtygroup.com/neighborhoods/
 Be aware of the habitat resources in your neighborhood; conduct
an informal survey as you walk your neighborhood
 Supplement your neighborhood’s habitat resources

Many neighborhoods
lack mid-size shrubs
© Project SOUND
 Suburban tract homes (1940-
60’s) often featured shrubs
mostly as ‘foundation shrubs’
 The lawn ruled supreme
 Hedges and vines were viewed as
‘old-fashioned’
 Less emphasis on privacy – in part
because less crowding? Young
families with stay-at-home moms?
 Many shrubs planted early (in the
life of a neighborhood) have
gotten old, were removed (and
not replaced)
http://addto.me/1950s-homes/1950s-homes-exquisite-1950s-suburban-homes-
economical-small-house/

Hedge vs. hedgerow
 Hedge/screen
 Single species (shrub or
sometimes tree)
 Width: 2-6 ft.
 Hedgerow
 Multiple species
 Width: 6 ft. and more
 Range of size; small (grass) to
large shrubs, even trees
 Complex ecosystem that
develops over time
 Good habitat for wide range
of insects, birds, animals
© Project SOUND

Succession in an ecosystem
(even a small one)
 After a disturbance (like fire or
clearing land), a pattern emerges:
 First the small things that
require full sun appear: annual
wildflowers, grasses, annual and
some perennial weeds
 As the sub-shrubs grow, some
part-shade tolerant perennials
grow in their shade
 As shrubs and trees grow, they
serve as ‘mother plants’ to an
increasingly varied palette of
species, including shade-lovers
© Project SOUND

Succession in an ecosystem (even a small one)
 Development of a hedgerow (or
other) ecosystem over time: the
ecology of succesion
 The overstory plants have a
profound influence on the
understory – effect literally all
aspects of their environment
 An understory develops to meet
changing availability of light, water,
nutrients, pH, soil biota make-up,
and other factors.
 Understory plants must be chosen –
and placed – with conditions in mind
 As the ecosystem develops, it is
able to serve more – and more
varied – birds and animals
© Project SOUND

Hedgerows for bird habitat
 Multiple source(s) of food
 Fruits
 Seeds
 Nectar (Hummingbirds)
 Insects
 Nest materials
 Perches
 Shelter
 Nest sites
 Taller and mid-height sites
(ground to 8-15 ft high)
 Dense: important for protection
© Project SOUND

If you’re patient and let Mother
Nature work her wonders
© Project SOUND
Can you create
‘hedgerow habitat’ with
CA natives?
Of course…

Visit hedgerows anytime on CSUDH campus
© Project SOUND
 Location: S. end, Parking Lot
7. Hedgerow is on west end,
near CAMs school buildings
 Location: near Child
Development Center - just
off Parking Lot 1 (north end
of parking lot)
Heritage Creek Preserve Garden of Dreams Discovery Garden
Note: if visiting on a weekend, check to be sure there’s not a soccer or football game

Hedgerow at Heritage
Creek Preserve
© Project SOUND
 Location: S. end, Parking Lot 7
 Started: 2008
 Runs: north-south
 Features: formal vs. informal
 Backbone shrubs:
 Lemonadeberry
 Toyon
 native Cherries
 Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
 Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii
 Desert lavender
 Desert thorn/Wolfberry
Formal side (west)
Informal side (east)

Hedgerow at Heritage Creek Preserve
© Project SOUND
 Understory plants (mostly east side):
these plants supplement those
growing in the Preserve proper
 Native sages (Salvia apiana; S.
leucophylla; S. mellifera)
 Native Aquifolium/Berberis
 Keckiella antirrhinoides
 Native grasses
 Native perennials:
 Narrowleaf milkweed;
 Yarrow;
 Sticky monkeyflower

Hedgerow at Garden
of Dreams
© Project SOUND
 Location: N. end of Parking Lot 1,
East of Child Development Center
 Started: 2009
 Runs: East-West
 Features: sunny side vs. shady
side; located on steep slope
 Backbone shrubs:
 Mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia)
 Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia
ssp. lyonii) (planted 2016)
 Lemonadeberry arch
Sunny side
Shady side

Hedgerow at
Garden of Dreams
© Project SOUND
Understory shrubs & plants: supplement
those found in other parts of garden
 Sunny side:
 Catalina snapdragon
 Catalina silverlace
 Mock heather
 CA encelia
 CA sagebrush
 Shady side:
 Coyote bush
 CA Brickelbush
 CA encelia
 Sticky monkeyflower
 CA wild rose
 Hummingbird sage
 Woodmint
 Mugwort
 Assorted shade-loving annuals
Sunny side
Shady side

Park near the hedgerow and observe…
© Project SOUND
…then go sit on the convenient
benches to watch and listen
You’ll likely be
surprised by all the
activity: birds,
insects, animals

Hedges & hedgerows: require routine upkeep
 Begin pruning after 3-4 years with local
native shrubs, after first year with N.
CA shrubs; give time to establish
 Prune when actively growing (usually
spring-summer; after bloom if possible)
 Do as needed – every other month; a bit
less as plants mature © Project SOUND
2014
2016
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/151--ceanothus-griseus-
horizontalis-yankee-point
‘Yankee Point’ ceanothus

© Project SOUND
Cuts that increase the number of new outer
branches: shearing (hedging; heading back)
 A form of heading that makes no attempt to
cut back to a bud.
 Because plants chosen for shearing typically
have many lateral buds close together, you'll
usually end up cutting near a bud.
 Shearing stimulates many buds to produce
new growth - you'll be repeating the job
regularly.http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/PruningPlants
https://www.best4hedging.co.uk/blog/2015/01/10-
reasons-to-choose-box-hedging/
http://www.elitetreecare.ca/hedge-shearing/
http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=64903

Where is there space for a hedgerow?
© Project SOUND
Shady
seating/
hot tub
Dining
 Backyard is pretty full
 Front yard might be a
possibility
 What size does a hedgerow
need to be?
 Born of need: the ‘mini-
hedgerow’
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/cea_thr.html

The ‘mini-hedgerow’ – garden-sized ecosystem
 Height: 4-6 ft. maximum
 Width: 4-6 ft. maximum
 Length: any 6-30+ ft. (the longer
the better the habitat value)
 Layers:
 Backbone shrubs: medium size
shrubs (or those that can be pruned
to size)
 Smaller shrubs & sub-shrubs
(evergreen or drought-deciduous)
 Annual and perennial wildflowers
 Native grasses
© Project SOUND
‘Centennial’ Manzanita, Purple
sage, grasses & wildflowers

The ‘mini-hedgerow’
– backbone shrubs
 Local favorites
 Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum)
 Coyote bush (tall form)
 Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
 Green and more northerly
 Coffeeberry cultivars
 * Arctostaphylos densiflora cultivars
like ‘Howard McMinn’, ‘Sentennial’
 **Arctostaphylos pajaroensis 'Paradise‘
 * Mahonia (Berberis) aquifolium
 Desert shrubs:
 *Berberis fremontii
 *Calliandra species
 * Ceanothus greggii
 Boxthorns (*Lycium species)
 * Simmondsia chinensis
© Project SOUND

Northerly options
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/California_native_hedges.html
http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/California_native_hedges.html
Oregon grape

Desert species should do well into the future
© Project SOUND
Lycium andersonii Simmondsia chinensis
Lycium cooperi

We decide to postpone our decisions on
the mini-hedgerow until next month
 By then we’ll know more
about our backyard choices
 And we’ll also see how our
choices will affect both
bird and insect habitat
© Project SOUND

Birds need more than food…
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Things you can do to attract more birds
 Provide clean, safe water
 Provide a spot of bare soil
about 20 inches across in a sunny
corner of your yard. This will
allow birds to take dust baths to
clean their feathers and get rid
of parasites.
http://www.iusedtohatebirds.com/2011/07/youngins.html

How can we measure our success (as a
bird garden)
 Checklist: provide all the elements of
bird habitat
 Bird numbers: roughly count the number
of birds:
 Before we install the habitat
 After (at intervals)
 Species diversity: start a bird list for
the garden
 Simple running list
 Add details each year: numbers, months
seen, nesting, etc.
 Functional assessment: how birds use
garden (feeding; drinking; nesting; etc.)
© Project SOUND

How are we doing?
 Multiple source(s) of food
 Fruits
 Seeds
 Nectar (Hummingbirds)
 Insects
 Nest materials
 Perches
 Shelter
 Nest sites
 Water
© Project SOUND

Let’s focus on attracting a group of birds
(and butterflies) that are also pollinators
 Ribes, Lonicera
 Lamiaceae (Mint family)
 Other herbs
© Project SOUND

Characteristics of the eastern side yard area
 Size: 8 ft x 30 ft
 Bright part-shade: between
the espalier and house
 Views from both bedrooms
 Currently just ignored –
some garden castoffs are
stored there
 It’s a shame to let this
area go to waste, but what
will grow here? Herbs?
© Project SOUND

What herbs could we grow in bright shade?
 Annuals
 Parsley (Petroselinum neapolitanum/ crispum)
 Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
 Cilantro/Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
 Perennials
 Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
 Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
 Mint (Mentha spp.)
 Native mints (Monardella; Pycnanthemum)
 Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
 Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
 Golden Oregano (Origanum vulgare 'Aureum’)
 Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
 Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
 Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
© Project SOUND
http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2014/11/save-
money-grow-your-own-herbs.html
We could also grow lettuce and
spinach here in the cool season

We sit in the area and assess its potential
 Narrow, but workable
 Good site for part-shade-loving
herbs – especially the mints
 Will be relatively easy to water as
needed
 ? containment
© Project SOUND
http://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening-blog/herb-garden-solutions
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/mint/growing-watermint.htm

Two types of ‘shady herbs’: the shrubby
ones and the spreaders
© Project SOUND

Some differences between the two herb types
 Shrubby types
 Often are sub-shrubs
 Often from mediterranean climates
 Need less water/drier conditions
 Some may sprawl, but they don’t
really spread
 Spreaders
 Usually are herbaceous perennials;
spread via rhizomes
 Often from slightly moister climates
(including higher elevations)
 Need to be moist/regular water
© Project SOUND
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymus_vulgaris
English Thyme
Wild mint

Three types of ‘herbs’ we might want to include:
 Sub-shrub Mints
 CA Monardellas
 Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
 Creeping thyme
 Tarragon (Artemisia
dracunculus)
 Dill
 Parsley/Chervil
 Cilantro
 Creeping thyme
 Garlic chives
 Ginger
 Golden Oregano
 Lemon balm
 Mints
 Mentha
 Pycnanthemum
 Salvia spathacea
© Project SOUND
Stay put/ drier shrubs Spreading perennials
Annuals

We flip through our garden
notebook for inspiration
© Project SOUND
https://davidwalkerattny.com/2017/03/12/lets-get-planting/comment-page-1/
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/hgen/the-medieval-
herb-garden.htm
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/texas-gardening/
http://www.verticalveg.org.uk/what-you-can-grow-in-shady-spaces/

Aha! moment: spreaders
in containers; sub-shrubs
in ground
© Project SOUND
http://www.sunset.com/garden/garden-basics/
http://jayscottsmanufacturing.com/distributors/
http://clipart-library.com/bushes-png.html
For our in-the-ground plants we consider
thyme, creeping thyme, tarragon and our
favorite native Monardellas

Advantages of this planting plan: several
 Makes good use of ground place; sort of like hedgerow
 Contains the plants that need containing
 Allows us to provide optimal water, soil conditions
 Adds interest and habitat value (in addition to cooking and
medicinal herbs)
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
The genus Monardella
 20 species native to western North
America.
 Commonly known as wildmints, coyote
mints or monardellas.
 Highly aromatic foliage; some species
used for herbal teas.
 Two-lipped, tubular flowers in terminal
clusters; usually red, pink, or purple.
 Caterpillar (moth and butterfly)
foodplants; also nectar sources
 Special needs: excellent drainage; cannot
take excess winter dampness
http://www.laspilitas.com/butterfl_files/pale_swallowtail_butterfly_
on_a_monardella.jpg

© Project SOUND
Coyote Mint – Monardella villosa

© Project SOUND
*Willow Mint – Monardella linoides ssp. viminea
© 2005 Jasmine J. Watts

© Project SOUND
*Willow Mint – Monardella linoides ssp. viminea
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4745,4789,4811,4815
 SW San Diego Co. from Poway to the Mexican
Border; also in Baja
 Rocky washes to 1000‘; chaparral, coastal sage scrub,
riparian scrub
 linoides: having form/some resemblance to Linum, the
genus of flax; viminea: with long slender shoots
 Rare in nature; ?? delisted
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127605180@N04/15756408994
©2009 Robert Steers

© Project SOUND
Willow Mint: a dainty perennial
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 2-3 ft wide; sprawling
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial
 Sprawling/draping
 Semi-deciduous;
evergreen with more
water
 Foliage:
 Narrow leaves
 Light green; very aromatic
 Makes a nice tea
 Roots: taproot

© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: very well-drained;
sandy or rocky
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to light shade; better
with some shade from
afternoon sun
 Water:
 Regular water to establish
 Summer: occasional water
best (Zone 2)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: cut back by 1/3 after
blooming to improve appearance
if desired.
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/willowymonardella.html

© Project SOUND
Flowers are delicately
lovely
 Blooms:
 Summer: usually June-Aug. in
our area; may be as late as Nov.
 Flowers:
 Typically Mint-like
 Color lavender, white or pink
 Minty fragrance
 Nectar attracts many
pollinators: butterflies, bees,
hummingbirds
 Seeds: songbirds eat the small
seeds.
 Vegetative reproduction: via
divisions
http://www.treeoflifenursery.com/main/PDFs/Plant-Profiles/Mona_lino_vimi.pdf
http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/M/monardella_linoides_viminea.htm

© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
Willow Mint
 Along dry walkways (where you will
smell its fragrance)
 In rock gardens or containers
 As a fire-retardant buffer plant
 In a native perennial hummingbird/
butterfly garden
 Any place with some dry part-shade
http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/M/monardella_linoides_viminea.htm
http://www.landscaperesource.com/plants/monardella-linoides-ssp-
viminea.htm

© Project SOUND
So. Mountain Monardella – Monardella australis
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences

 Eastern Transverse Range of S. CA – San
Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Jacinto Ranges
 Wet or dry, rocky, forest openings from
3500-11,000 ft.; Sagebrush scrub, montane
forests
 ADA: Desert monardella
© Project SOUND
So. Mountain Monardella – Monardella australis
©2007 Thomas Stoughton©2017 Keir Morse

© Project SOUND
Short, grayish and oh, so fragrant!
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 2-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial from stout
woody taproot
 Many upright stems
 Foliage:
 Color: green to gray-green (hairier
in hot, sunny places)
 Simple leaves
 Strong minty scent – great tea
(medicinal or ‘sipping tea’)
Al Schneider @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://cnps-sgm.org/gallery/images0808/GMG_0495-South-A-m.jpg

© Project SOUND
A showy Monardella
 Blooms:
 Summer in the wilds
 Likely June-July in our area
 Flowers:
 Pale pink to light magenta –
good colors for garden
 Flowers small – typical for
Monardellas
 Flowers in ball-like clusters
at ends of flowering stems
 Really showy
 Attracts butterflies,
hummingbirds, many others
 Seeds: small, typical for Mint
family
© 2009 Terry Dye © 2011 Wynn Anderson

© Project SOUND
Likes a little shade
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained; sandy or
rocky are fine
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Part-shade (morning sun) works
well
 Dappled shade under trees is ideal
 Water:
 Winter: good soakings
 Summer: happy with occasional
summer water (Zone 2, even 2-3 in
well-drained soils)
 Fertilizer: fine with organic
amendments, mulches
©2017 Keir Morse

© Project SOUND
S. Mountain Monardella
 Shadier edges of herb garden –
S. CA Monardellas work well
with Thyme, Creeping thyme,
Tarragon
 As an accent plant in large
containers
 In a rock or butterfly garden

© Project SOUND
Mountain Monardella – Monardella odoratissima
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences
©2011 Steven Perry

© Project SOUND
Mountain Monardella – Monardella odoratissima
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Monardella+odoratissima
 Foothills and mountains of northern and central
CA, incl. Klamath, N. Coast, Sierra, White and Inyo
Mountains – north to OR, WA
 ? San Gabriels – Monardella australis sometimes
AKA Monardella odoratissima ssp. australis
 Wet or dry, rocky, forest openings from 3500-
11,000 ft. in Sagebrush scrub, montane forests
https://klamathsiskiyouseeds.com/2015/10/
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences

© Project SOUND
The name (odoratissima)
says it all
 Size:
 1-2 (sometimes 3) ft tall
 2-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial from
stout woody taproot
 Many upright stems
 Foliage:
 Color: green to gray-green
(hairy)
 Simple leaves
 Strong minty scent – great tea
(medicinal or ‘sipping tea’)
© 2009 Terry Dye
Al Schneider @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://web.ewu.edu/ewflora/Lamiaceae/Monardella%20odoratissima.html

© Project SOUND
A showy Monardella
 Blooms:
 Summer in the wilds
 Likely June-July in our area
 Flowers:
 Pale pink to light magenta –
good colors for garden
 Flowers small – typical for
Monardellas
 Flowers in ball-like clusters at
ends of flowering stems
 Really showy
 Attracts butterflies,
hummingbirds, many others
 Seeds: small, typical for Mint
family
© 2009 Terry Dye © 2011 Wynn Anderson
http://cedarmountainperennials.com/wildflowers/monardella_odoratissima

© Project SOUND
Mountain Monardella
Northern Monardellas work well
with other part-shade garden
herbs like Dill, Parsley, Chervil
and Cilantro
© 2010 Steven Thorsted
Ssp. pallida
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Monardella_odoratissim
a_ssp._pallida&redirect=no

Spreaders we may want to include in our
hummingbird herb garden
© Project SOUND
 Creeping thyme
 Garlic chives
 Ginger
 Golden Oregano
 Lemon balm
 Creeping Mints
 Mentha
 Pycnanthemum
 Salvia spathacea
We love them – but don’t want
them to take over

Do we have to use expensive containers?
© Project SOUND
Nope: the spreaders like a little more water, so they are happy (and
easier to keep watered) in containers with slower drainage - plastic,
composite, etc.

© Project SOUND
http://goodlifegarden.ucdavis.edu/blog/tag/mint/
https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/menthaspicatacv.htm
19 gal. from Walmart - $10.00
https://www.behrensmfg.com/products/tu
bs/15_5-gallon-square-tub/
Options for containing the spreaders

© Project SOUND
* Mountain Mint – Pycnanthemum californicum
 Foothills of mountina ranges
from OR to Mexico
 Locally in the San Gabriels
 Moist sites of chaparral, oak
woodland, and coniferous
forests
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4745,4861,4862
 The genus Pycnanthemum - in the mint family, Lamiaceae.
 Most species are very strongly scented and pungent
 Most are used in cooking and in making herbal tea.
 All species in this genus are native to North America.

© Project SOUND
CA Mountain Mint – a typical mint
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 Spreading to 4+ ft wide
 Growth form:
 Stems erect (for the most part)
 Fast-growing (like Stachys)
 Woodsy looking
 Foliage:
 Attractive gray-green color – may
be fuzzy or not
 Simple, lance-shaped leaves
 Make a nice tea
 Roots:
 Spreading via rhizomes
© 2006 Dean Wm. Taylor, Ph.D.

© Project SOUND
Flowers are tiny & sweet
 Blooms:
 Summer - usually June-Aug
in our area
 Flowers:
 In ball-like cluster typical of
Mint family
 Flowers are small
 White, usually with lavender
spots
 Very old-fashioned look
 Seeds:
 Many tiny seeds – can shake
them out of dried clusters
© 2009 Neal Kramer
© 2001 Jeff Abbas

© Project SOUND
Easy to please  Soils:
 Texture: any, very adaptable
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: takes seasonal flooding –
good for wet parts of garden
 Summer: needs regular water –
Zone 2-3 to 3.
 Fertilizer: would do best with some
added humus or leaf mulch
 Other: treat like other mints – rip out
parts that are growing where you don’t
want it (pot up and give new plants
away – people will be happy to get
them!)http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3922100003_85f1edee51.jpg

© Project SOUND
Use Mountain Mint in
wet areas
 Under a birdbath or fountain
 Places where the neighbor’s
water makes the soil damp
 In bog gardens
 In large, moist-soil containers
 In the vegetable garden
 Moist areas along walkways –
smells wonderful when
stepped on – and it doesn’t
mind a bit!
 Around ponds/pools
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/29/97463864_abe4a596f8.jpg?v=0
© 2001 Jeff Abbas
http://best-home-decor.com/decorative-bird-baths-to-beautify-your-garden/

© Project SOUND
Field Mint – a typical mint
 Size:
 1 to 1 ½ ft tall
 spreads to many ft wide; in
nature, forms a mat-like colony in
favorable sites
 Growth form:
 Dies back in fall/winter
 Upright or sprawling
 Foliage:
 Typical mint with square stems
 Aromatic; strongly minty – repels
deer, mice, unwanted insects
 Roots: spreads via rhizomes
http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/mentha-arvensis-wild-mint

© Project SOUND
Flowers are dainty
 Blooms: anytime from July to
Oct; usually in bloom about 4
weeks
 Flowers:
 Color: white to very pale
violet or pink
 Tiny; bell-shaped
 In dense, ball-like clusters in
leaf axils – often mostly
hidden by the leaves
 Vegetative reproduction:
 Easy to propagate from stem
cuttings in spring, fall
 Let them root in water in a
light place – no direct sun
http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/mentha-arvensis-wild-mint
© 2004, Ben Legler

© Project SOUND
Mint in the garden
 Best use: as an attractive
potted herb; evergreen
most of the year (dies back
in fall/winter)
© 2003 Steve Matson
© Richard Old
http://groweat.blogspot.com/2010/06/plant-with-caution.html

Hummingbird Sage – Salvia spathacea

Hummingbird Sage – great for attracting
birds & butterflies
 Hummingbirds collect
nectar from the flowers –
hummingbirds actually
pollinate the flowers
 Seed-eating birds eat the
seeds
 Butterflies are also
attracted by the nectar
http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/sages.htm

Benefits of our hummingbird/herb garden
 Provides nectar for
hummingbirds, butterflies and
others much of the year
 Provides some of the herbs we
use regularly in cooking
 Provides an attractive, restful
view from the bedrooms
 Allows us to grow plants with
different water, containment
requirements
 Would be a wonderful place to
sit on a hot day
© Project SOUND

Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Artemisia
Eriogonum
Salvias
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Philadelphus
Citrus
Heteromeles (Toyon)
Ribes (Currants)
Amorpha
Cercocarpus
Citrus
Philadelphus
© Project SOUND
Plenty of sources of food for nectar-sippers

Plant groups that provide lots of seeds
 Apiaceae (Carrot family)
 Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
 Boraginaceae (Borage family)
 Brassicaceae (Mustard family)
 Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot family)
 Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf family)
 Fabaceae (Pea family)
 Nyctaginaceae (Four o'clock family)
 Onagraceae (Willowherb family)
 Papaveraceae (Poppy family)
 Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
© Project SOUND

Aha! moment: good seed-producers are
often good pollinator plants!
© Project SOUND
Plants that need to produce lots of seeds (to insure survival) need to
attract many pollinators. It’s no surprise they produce lots of nectar and
pollen to entice their pollinators.

We’ll take up the choice of pollinator plants
next month…
© Project SOUND
…and provide food for the pollinators and the seed-eating
birds, all with our carefully chosen plant palette.

© Project SOUND
 Plant a greater variety of
plants to attract a greater
diversity of birds: taller and
shorter trees, shrubs, native
flowers, and grasses.
 Diversify the height, leaf
type, and food (fruits, berries,
and nuts) provided by the plants
in your garden.
 Plant shrubs and trees that
provide berries well into the
winter to attract fruit-eating
birds – including migrants like
Cedar Waxwings.

© Project SOUND
 Supplement your natural
food sources by adding
feeders - but only if you
choose to.
http://www.duncraft.com/Bird-Feeders
http://realhousemoms.com/orange-bird-feeders/

Bird feeders vs. ‘natural foods’: each has its place
Supplemental/Bird feeders
 Insure constant supply of food,
even in a small yard
 Provide food in ‘off-season’ -
when not available from natural
sources
 Allows to provide unusual, bird-
specific foods that may not be
available naturally
 Can locate for easy viewing
Natural (plant-related)
 Cheaper in the long run
 Possible health benefits – we
don’t yet know all the plant
chemicals and their benefits
 Some plants supply other needs:
perches, cover, nesting sites and
materials, etc.
 Spread out the food – less easy
target for birds of prey
 Joy of watching bird’s natural
behavior in natural setting
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
 Plant in groupings: more
food & edge effects.
 Include native wildflowers
and shrubs that attract
insects: the insects will feed
insect-eating birds and the
young of many seed eaters.
 Allow flowers/grasses to go
to seed to attract finches,
juncos, sparrows, and other
seed-eating birds.

Consider providing the whole habitat package
 Multiple source(s) of food
 Fruits
 Seeds
 Nectar (Hummingbirds)
 Insects
 Nesting materials
 Perches
 Shelter
 Nest sites
 Water
 Dust-bathing site
© Project SOUND

In small gardens, use vertical space
effectively to create a life-friendly garden
 Plan your taller plants first
 Consider all possibilities:
 Walls, fences, arbors, pergolas, etc.
 Places to accommodate an espalier,
hedge, taller shrub or small tree
 Choose taller plants based on habitat
value (often food)
 When possible, plant a hedgerow
instead of a hedge:
 Maximizes space; plants grow together
 Increases diversity and habitat in
relatively small area.
© Project SOUND

If I had to choose just a few plants…
 Fruiting/nut tree (elderberry;
oak; other) that provides fruits,
insects, perches & nesting sites
 A mixed hedgerow of large
evergreen fruiting shrubs: Toyon;
Rhus; Ribes; scrub oak; wild rose
 Several large ‘bush sunflowers’
(Mulefat; Goldenbushes)
 Anything else in the Sunflower
family: annual, perennial or shrub
 Annual/perennial wildflowers
 Native grasses
© Project SOUND
Native hedgerow : Heritage Creek
Preserve – CSU Dominguez Hills

Some books you might enjoy
 D. Tallamy – Bringing Nature Home
 R. Darke & D. Tallamy - The Living Landscape: Designing for
Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden. Timber Press.
ISBN-10: 1604694084; ISBN-13: 9781604694086
 C.E. Sawyers – The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for
Cultivating a Sense of Place. Timber Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-
88192-831-0
 S. Stein – Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own
Backyards. Houghton Mifflen Press. ISBN-10:0-395-70940-7;
ISBN-13: 978-0-395-70949-5
© Project SOUND

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