Benign Neglect
Neglecting Your Landscape

Why is benign neglect best?

Brush and rock piles; tall grasses; non-manicured bushes; and wild weed patches are not necessarily a sign of lazy gardeners. These features in a backyard are what birds and little creatures are looking for in a good, temporary bed and breakfast or a more permanent home to raise a family. Natural shelter from natural predators can be found in this kind of landscape.

Brush piles also offer places to more safely perch and survey the territory. Broken twigs about 4-6 inches can be used for nesting material and the nest can be built in the shelter of the pile.

We found that we could protect the birds by putting a large fallen branch with many smaller branches, twigs and even leaves still attached, over tray feeders. This seemed to be adequate protection from our sharp shinned hawk.

Better brush piles start with large limbs and/or rocks. Smaller branches should then be put crisscross over them. The piles should be loose and airy and measure about 6 feet high and 10 feet around. We used a large branch we could move for mowing the grass under it. This created perches that brought us great posing positions for photography. Pictures were more natural without bird feeder perches evident.

A more permanent brush or rock pile should be placed at the edge of the property near a natural wall or fence; near the start of a large growth of trees; or near a source of water. Vegetation will be better left to grow under this area thus creating even more hiding places.

The spring and summer of 2011 had been very wet in this neck of the woods. Trees and bushes grew rapidly and unchecked by normal yard work. Benign neglect is a great opportunity for birds and critters to eat natural foods and insects, while hiding from predators and cameras. Because our shrubs and perennial flowers grew densely, particularly at ground level, we saw fewer birds passing through our yard on their way to elsewhere. As the summer progressed we saw fewer of our faithful regulars, as well. The natural habitat was lush with food and over-hanging protection, so feeder dining slowed.