Gardening for wildlife

As summer approaches I've been debating what kind of garden to have this year. Last year I tilled a small portion of my backyard and planted all kinds of plants, but was only able to grow some tomatoes. Since I wasn't able to grow anything to substantial as food, I was doing some research about gardening for other purposes and came across the National Wildlife Federation's "Garden For Wildlife" section of their website.

I found the Sustainable Gardening section to be the most interesting. There are a few things I've heard about that I plan to do this year, such as how to garden for the benefit of birds and animals. A great way to feed the birds while your gardening is to grow sunflowers, and other seed producing plants. This way you are growing your own birdfeed. The NWF suggests people only produce native plants that will produce seeds, fruits, nuts, berries and nectars for the animals, while you're using renewable water sources like birdbaths, ponds, streams etc. They also suggest growing thickets, creating rock piles and birdhouses as places for cover for wildlife. Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting boxes and ponds all provide places for wildlife to raise their young while mulching and composting is great for the environment, and great for your garden!