Last week, we suggested you plant one English lavender and one catmint as a gift to our declining honeybee population. Let's go one step further and dedicate a small piece of the garden to a habitat for bees, butterflies and birds. We're not suggesting that you re-landscape your entire yard, but is there a small corner or space where you could give our animal friends a home?

Before the New World was settled, native bees, butterflies and birds took care of pollinating all our native plants. When colonists came, they brought with them the seeds of plants that had never been part of the New World--plants such as apples and peaches, tomatoes and potatoes from South America, citrus from Africa, beans from southern Europe and so on. Native insects pollinated some of these new arrivals, but it became necessary to bring over European honeybees to do a more thorough job on the fruit trees and some of the other plants.

Honeybees provided a triple benefit--they did a reasonably good job pollinating, provided honey and socialized in huge numbers (colonies). All went well for a while but now the honeybees are in serious decline. Many of the fruit trees have disappeared because Silicon Valleys have erupted all over the New World, the pesticides have improved and the poison we sprayed on plants last week is killing bees this week, parasites with no controlling predators have attacked the honeybees and now an unidentified malady called Colony Collapse Disorder has reduced the honey bee population by an estimated 55%. Our native bees have lost much of their habitat, but since they are mostly solitary insects and require a much smaller living space, their demise is not as imminent a threat as that of the honey bee. A honey bee colony may number 50,000 to 100,000 insects and so they need a big hollow tree or the space between the walls of a house to provide for this population. Native bees will live in a hole in the ground or in a fence post cavity. Will you consider making space for some of our native bees?

Your "native area" needs sunshine to grow plants which will make bees, butterflies and birds feel at home. Part of a hillside or a corner of the lot which fills with weeds will be perfect. The area will need some preparation for your plants to become established. A few plants will be able to survive on winter rain alone. Most will require some minimal irrigation--but certainly not as much as a formal landscape. All of plants we will mention are ideal as part of a xeriscape.

Just so you'll know what to expect from your birds, bees and butterflies, following are a few words on their behaviors. All feed during daylight hours, except some caterpillars (butterfly larva) which feed both day and night. They may camp in your native area or they may just pass through for a snack. Some butterflies live only a few days and spend the night resting on a twig with wings folded flat, parallel to and over their back. Birds will make a nest but use it only to raise their young; after that at night they cling to a wire or branch under the eaves of a house or other overhang. The bees live in the ground or in crevices of wood.

Following is a list of more plants than you will need to provide food for your birds (BI); bees (BE) and butterflies (BU). Ideally, you should have some for each season of the year--you can get that information from your Sunset Western Garden Book. There are many more plants, but these are some of the most drought tolerant.

Shrubs: Germander (BU,BE); Butterfly bush (BE,BU); Toyon (BI, BE, BU); Pyracantha (BI, BE, BU); Cotoneaster (BI, BE, BU); Rosemary (BE,BU); Ceanothus(BE,BU).

Perennials: Yarrow (BE,BU); Gayfeather (BE,BU); Mexican Sunflower (BI, BE, BU); California fuchsia (BE,BI); English lavender (BE,BU); Catmint (BE,BU); Wild buckwheat (BE); Butterfly weed (BE,BU); Madia elegans (BE,BU); Penstemon (BE,BI); Bee balm (BE,BU); Bush monkey flower (BE,BU).

Annuals: cosmos (BI, BE, BU); Coneflower (BE,BU); Fleabane (BE,BU); Bachelor button (BE,BU).

Our hummingbirds don't migrate, so during winter it may be necessary for you to supplement their food supply with a hummingbird feeder. When Mr. Ed's children were young, we had a regular hummingbird visitor with a permanently damaged leg. The boys named him "Chester" (as in "Gunsmoke" for those too young to remember!) and enjoyed his visits for 2 or 3 years. Water is also necessary for birds, bees and butterflies--so be sure to have a bird bath or ground saucer for water. Flush it once a week to clean it out and eliminate mosquitoes.

With a little bit of preparation, you can enjoy your own little native corner of the world. You will be helping preserve some of our threatened animals and providing a learning experience for children or grandchildren that will never be forgotten. You may even be inclined to become part of National Wildlife Federation's Certified Wildlife Habitat program, which provides homeowners with all of the information they need to create a haven for wild animals.

Click here for more information: http://www.nwf.org/backyard/

English lavender is an evergreen, perennial shrub with gray foliage and abundant, fragrant, deep purple flower spikes that attract butterflies. You can dry the flowers to use in perfumes, sachets, oils or for medicinal purposes. English lavender may also be used as a deterrent against insects. Most varieties are fairly low growing, forming mounds from 8 inches to 2 feet high and wide. Lavenders need well drained soil and little or no fertilizer. Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. For a tidy, neat appearance, shear annually to shape.

Wegman's has a large selection of Hanging Fuchsia Baskets, the natural hummingbird feeder! The hanging fuchsia baskets are full and in bloom--ready to attract hummingbirds to your patio or porch. All you have to do is hang them up!

Fuchsia baskets are easy to care for and will last many seasons. They like morning sun or all-day dappled sun. Remember to keep the basket well watered and apply light doses of Formula 49 or Bud and Bloom once a month to keep them blooming and attracting those hummingbirds.

Wegman’s has a wide selection of hummingbird feeders from Perky Pet. Perky-Pet is the leading supplier of wild bird feeders and accessories. Their bird feeders have won numerous customer service and supplier awards. In addition Perky-Pet is concerned with the ultimate consumer of its products: our pets and wild animals. Their bird feeders are known for their innovative design and quality!

Perky Pet Glass Feeder is of hardened glass--a shatter-proof feeder bottle with 30oz. capacity and no-drip feeding base. This feeder features 6 feeding stations, with removable flowers and a full-circle perch.

Fill your feeder with Perky Pet "Original" Instant Nectar, an exclusive blend of pure sugars. Easy to use and provides a sweeter, more digestible, high-energy diet. When mixed with cold tap water, the nectar sugars invert, imitating, as closely as possible, natural nectar. It dissolves instantly and contains no artificial sweeteners.
• No boiling required.
• Solution turns a bright red.
• Liquid may be refrigerated for weeks.
• Also available as a liquid .