Small Garden Guests in Maxine’s Garden

29.08.2024 - 05:44 / finegardening.com / GPOD Contributor

Hi GPODers!

Yesterday we saw the flowers that beat the heat in Maxine Brisport’s garden (if you missed it, check that out here) and today we get to see the critters that also got some heat relief thanks to Maxine’s wildlife-friendly plantings. While we won’t be talking as much about plants in this Garden Photo of the Day post, Maxine reminds us that gardens aren’t just about plants.

This was a strange year in our garden. We had to develop a symbiotic relationship with a variety of wildlife on a daily basis. Our latest visitor was a turtle, who would show off his long neck from a distance, before quickly retreating as we got closer.

It is obvious (while only slightly intentional) we have created a garden that attracts bees, insects, butterflies and small animals. Overall, we are happy that we have our own wildlife friendly garden. We are especially pleased that our garden was a haven for many small animals during the heatwave.

Maxine’s latest garden guest, a snapping turtle enjoying the shade of an old tree stump. Love that Maxine saw the stump as the perfect pedestal for a potted plant—made this turtle’s shady spot that much more stylish!

A swallowtail butterfly visiting some summer allium with some ‘Mellow Yellows’ coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Mellow Yellows’, Zones 4–8) that looks like it has been visited by a hungry garden guests as well.

A cardinal visiting one of Maxine’s many bird feeders. Cardinals, aside from just being stunning birds, hold lots of different meanings and are very symbolic in various cultures and religions. Whether or not your believe cardinals signify good luck, represent spiritual messages, or carry news both good and bad, they are wonderful to spot in the garden.

A downy woodpecker is an