Old MacDonald Had a … Garden? 5 Tips to Make Your Vegetable Garden Wildlife-Friendly

Jo MacDonald Had a Garden by Mary QuattlebaumYes—Old MacDonald did have a garden!  Jo MacDonald, the granddaughter of the old gent in the popular children’s song, introduces kids to garden creatures in my new children’s book Jo MacDonald Had a Garden.

And if he’s an eco-friendly kind of guy, he’s also thinking of the birds and bugs that benefit his vegetable garden and how he might enhance their habitat.

Jo wiggles like an earthworm, flutters like a bird and sings E-I-E-I-O as she helps her grandfather (modeled after my own nature-loving dad).  She also shows how to help wildlife through small modifications to a home vegetable or herb garden. For example:

  1. Plant a few native plants such as coneflowers to provide nectar for bees and butterflies, seeds for birds and places for beneficial insects to lay eggs.
  2. Add a large flat rock on which butterflies can rest.
  3. Provide a birdbath.
  4. Create a toad home from an old flower pot.
  5. Make treats for birds in the winter.

Jo shares these and other related indoor and outdoor activities in the parents’ section in the back of the book. Also, check out Dawn Publication’s downloadable activities.

Do you want to make your own garden a haven for wildlife? Check out National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat program.