Article Courtesy of the Wisconsin DNR. 

MADISON - With warmer weather luring people out to their yards, state
conservation biologists say now is the time to consider adding native
plants to their property to welcome birds, bees and other wildlife.
"Adding even one or two native plant species can make a difference for
birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife," says Kevin Doyle, a
conservation biologist and native plant expert with the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources.

Almost all North American birds other than seabirds feed insects to
their young. Adding a few native plants to your yard can help feed
birds, bees and other wildlife.

A live, online chat set for noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, will
give people a chance to ask their questions about native trees and
other native plants. To participate on that day, visit the DNR home
page, dnr.wi.gov, and click on the graphic or search the phrase "Ask
the Experts." People can also join the conversation via our Facebook
page at facebook.com/WIDNR by clicking the "Ask the Experts Chat" tab
at the top of our page.
Neotropical songbirds and other land birds that migrate through or
nest in Wisconsin depend on insects to survive, and native plants are
the main source of these insects; seeds and berries of native plants
are also important food sources. Even birds that are seed-eaters need
insect protein to produce their eggs, and almost all North American
birds other than seabirds feed their young insects, according to Doug
Tallamy, professor and chair of entomology and wildlife ecology at the
University of Delaware and author of "Bringing Nature Home."
Most native insects cannot or will not eat nonnative plants for a
variety of reasons, including because many nonnative ornamental trees
and other plants were imported precisely because they are unpalatable
to insects, says Amy Staffen, a DNR conservation biologist. Native
insects can survive and proliferate if the plants they evolved with
are available.
In many situations, insects require a very specific native plant
species or suite of plants, she says. For example, the caterpillar
that turns into a Karner blue butterfly, a federally endangered
species found primarily in Wisconsin, eats only the native wild lupine
while the familiar monarch butterfly caterpillar needs members of the
milkweed family.
Doyle, Staffen and Kelly Kearns, a fellow DNR colleague and
conservation biologist, offer these steps to help people use native
plants on their property to benefit birds and other wildlife as well
as to add beauty.
Understand what kind of soils you have, how moist or dry those soils
are, what growing zone you are in, and the amount of sunlight your
property receives to understand what kind of native plants will work
for your area.
Consider wildlife needs when creating the list of plants to include.
Providing multiple species in flower throughout the growing season
will allow multiple types of animals - birds, bees, butterflies and
more -- to use your garden. Plants with open, bowl-like flowers are
good for bees while those with more specialized flowers, like blazing
stars, mints, milkweeds etc., can be good for butterflies,
hummingbirds and bees. Colors also are important in attracting a
variety of animals. Hummingbirds, for example, are attracted to bright
flowers. Many plants in the aster family, including coneflowers,
sunflowers, asters, and goldenrods, are excellent food sources for
songbirds. Native shrubs such as serviceberries, dogwoods and
viburnums can supply food and shelter for song birds as well. Native
grasses are used as host plants for butterflies and habitat for
songbirds.
Do some prep work before you put your new native plants in the ground.
You'll have to remove the existing vegetation. This may be done most
easily with a rototiller although, smothering the existing vegetation
with mulch for up to a year is also effective and less destructive to
soil. Control any weeds by pulling them out by hand, by spraying with
an herbicide before you plant, or by using a weed control mat.
Amending your soil may be a good idea. Soil compaction can be the bane
of a native planting so adding organic material can improve water
infiltration and allow the roots of your young plants to establish.
Generally it is best not to use commercial fertilizer for native
plants.
Decide whether to use seed or plants. Plants will establish faster but
are more costly. Seed can be cheap but some species will not appear
aboveground for at least a few years. Seeding is generally more
effective for prairie or wetland plants, whereas woodland plantings
generally require starting with plants. For species that are difficult
to geminate from seed, such as prairie cord grass, Pennsylvania sedge
and hoary puccoon, you may want to use plants instead. Favor seed and
plants that are locally-sourced - generally within 50 miles to the
north/south, and 100 miles east/west - open pollinated and seed-grown,
as they will more reliably support Wisconsin native wildlife. DNR
maintains a list of native plant nurseries [PDF].
In a prairie garden, decide what ratio of grasses to flowering plants,
or "forbs," you want. Grasses can establish quickly and become
abundant, so plant a greater percentage (by weight of total seed mix)
of forbs. In a prairie garden, tall forbs may flop over if not support
within a matrix of grasses. Consider using a cover crop of an annual
grain like oats or rye if planting a prairie garden with seed.
Consider helping your local waters as well as wildlife by installing a
rain garden, basically a miniature wetland in your yard that slows
stormwater runoff and filters out chemicals and nutrients that would
otherwise run into lakes and rivers. You may find you've already got a
natural spot in your yard for a rain garden when ponding occurs during
storms, but even if you don't you can create a shallow basin. Make
sure to carefully follow guidelines for rain garden placement, design
and construction or enlist the help of a landscaper to install this
most unusual and beautiful type of garden.
The work doesn't end once the native plants are in the ground, Doyle
says. "You have to be diligent to keep up the weeding, especially in
the first couple seasons, to allow your native plants to gain a strong
foothold," he says. "Ultimately, a native plant garden can lessen the
amount of time you spend watering, mowing and fertilizing your yard,
but that doesn't happen overnight."
Also, he says, take time to enjoy your garden. "Study each plant and
how to identify it. This will not only help you distinguish weeds from
natives, but will build a stronger connection between you and your new
wild space."
Kearns counsels patience, noting that some native plant species take
longer to appear than others. "Bergamot and black-eyed Susan may
appear the first season, while lilies and rosinweeds may take longer,"
she says. "If you don't see all the species on your planting list
right away, don't worry. Over time and with proper care, more native
plants will appear and you can take satisfaction in knowing you are
playing an important role in helping wildlife around your home."
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Doyle 608-267-9788; Kelly Kearns
608-267-5066