Landscaping newly-developed housing

In newly-developed housing areas, wild birds may not feel safe from predators (such as hawks, bigger birds and domesticated cats), and may not want to visit frequently, as they did before. This is largely because the old, familiar vegetation may be gone, and new trees and shrubs may not be big enough yet, and numerous enough, to provide good places to hide. Tall (over 3 ft.) native grasses may be the answer temporarily, until the trees and such in your yard get bigger.

Many birds (cardinals are one) prefer to nest in trees on the edge of a grassland.  An evenly spaced line of trees doesn’t accomplish this.  That’s why I recommend an informal “clump” of at least three trees (and maybe some shrubs too) which will provide a somewhat private place to build a nest.

 the Ultimate Bug Zapper       Just one common, ordinary bat will eat roughly 183 tons of insects in its lifetime. When you consider that a colony of bats can number in the millions, and what just one insect weighs, we’re talking about A LOT of dead bugs.

Owen Yost, in addition to blogging, is a Landscape Architect emeritus from here, who‘s worked in north Texas for over 30 years.  He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Society of Landscape Architects, the National BirdFeeding Society, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award by the Native Plant Society of Texas. His design office is at birdpoop@charter.net