Tryon Creek Natural Gardening

Natural Magic: Turning branches and twigs into habitat by Jeffrey Gray, Communications Coordinator
	Mature natural gardens are magical places. They have this incredible lush, alive quality that is both chaotic and ordered, much like the wild habitats they mimic. But once planted, natural gardens take time to grow - years to grow, in fact. In the meantime, is there any way to encourage wildlife habitats in your yard?

Fortunately, there is a way to produce habitats quickly to get you through these early years - brush piles. Brush piles provide nesting sites for birds, shelter for small mammals, and build soil health. They are easily prepared and maintained using the logs, branches and twigs you may now be giving away as yard debris. By creating a brush pile, your family also has the opportunity to explore wildlife ecology in your own backyard throughout the year.

To get started, place several logs 6-12 inches apart and add small branches and twigs on top. Include a pipe with the logs to provide permanent access. As the materials breakdown replace them with more branches and twigs as they become available. It’s that’s easy. For more details on brush piles, check out ‘Landscaping for Wildlife’ by Russell Link or visit the park to explore the many possibilities offered by Tryon Creek State Park.

Other uses: Hugelkulter and The Dead Wood Swale
adapted from Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway

These uses are structurally similar but perform two different functions within a habitat. The hugelkulter (mound culture) is a way of building up a mound or berm. Branches and twigs are laid down into a shallow trench or hole, stomped on a bit, and covered up with compostable materials and soil. The dead wood swale is a way of creating a swale or moisture cachement. For these a deeper trench (18 inches or so) is dug; branches and twigs are tossed into the trench and is covered with soil.

Both of these benefit the plants around them through slowly releasing nutrients and moisture retention. Details for both of these techniques can be found on page 70 of Toby Hemenway's book, Gaia's Garden.

Other piles: Rock shelters
adapted from Landscaping for Wildlife by Russell Link

Rock piles are very similar to brush piles and attract a similar range of wildlife. Rocks maybe piled into a mound or against a fence or wall. It's a good idea to provide open spaces throughout the shelter, especially at the bottom with a permanent entry. Plants can even be grown in the crevices.

Details of this technique can be found on page 124-125 of Russell Link's book, Landscaping for Wildlife.

Brush and Rock pile wildlife (selected) source: Landscaping for Wildlife by Russell Link
Birds - Inside	Birds - Outside	Mammals - Inside	Amphibians & Reptiles
Bushtits Chickadees Wrens Thrushes	Hummingbirds Robins Woodpeckers Jays	Chipmunks Shrews Voles Rabbits	Salamanders Snakes Toads Turtles

Photo Gallery: Tryon Creek Native Trees and Shrubs Native plants that provide branches and twigs for brush piles

Cascara	Red Elderberry	Huckleberry	Indian Plum

Red Flowering Currant	Salmonberry	Snowberry	Vine Maple