Industry story
Adding Water to Your Garden Attracts the Most Wildlife
gardening sustainability wildlife-habitat
If you want more wildlife in your garden, the plant choices matter less than you think. Nancy Lawson, a naturalist and habitat consultant known as The Humane Gardener, says water has done more for her Maryland yard than any plant she has ever put in the ground: diving beetles and water striders showed up before her in-ground pond was even finished in 2020, green frogs arrived within a week, and green herons appeared for the first time. A modest in-ground water feature with shallow areas and varied depths is about as high-return an investment as a garden gets.
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Margaret Roach and Nancy Lawson, a naturalist and habitat consultant known as "The Humane Gardener," discuss what single addition has the greatest impact on wildlife in a home garden. Lawson says that water — not any particular plant — has made the most difference in her Maryland yard, drawing everything from insects to black bears, and attracting birds like green herons that she had never seen there before. Even a small in-ground pond dug in 2020 had diving beetles and water striders before it was finished, and green frogs arrived within a week. For gardeners 50 and older who want more life and wonder in their outdoor space, digging even a modest water feature — with some shallow areas and varied depths — is presented as the highest-return investment they can make.
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