Will my rock garden attract wild animals? Rock gardens with certain plants will naturally attract wildlife. You can avoid this by putting up fences. "Well, it's like putting a fence around your swimming...
"Well, it's like putting a fence around your swimming pool and it's certainly an issue in most places. If you have wild life in an area and you have selected that particular area to relax in, then they will come into your garden," says Laddie Flock, owner of Natural Rock Formations, a company that has been in business for 17 years and has experience in all different styles and themes of rock gardens. Natural Rock Formations is one of the largest distributors of natural stone products on the Pacific coast and has been featured in many publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Landscape and Irrigation magazine. Their website can be found at www.natrok.com.
The question is not so much will your rock garden attract wild animals, the question should be will you welcome the wild animals your rock garden may attract or do you want to dissuade them from stopping by?
Obviously you don't want to spend the time and money to put in plants and then have something come along and eat them all. Flock says, " If you have gone to your environment and added plants that will bring in the natural elements that the indigenous wild life enjoys also, then you have to keep them out in someway."
This can be done with fences or other materials. Flock says, "There are some fences that are getting better and better. It used to be chain link fence with shiny aluminum poles, but now they have strips of colorful plastics or cloth or even you know woven material so see which one is best for you."
Check with your local nursery before buying any plants to find out if they are something that is going to attract to animals into your garden - ones you want or ones you don't want. If you find that a plant you wanted to include is a delicasy for rabbits, you may want to substitute it with something less appetizing.
There are products on the market that will also help deter some animals or pests from your garden, you can talk to your local nursery or garden center about these too and ask them to recommend something.
Another way to keep unwanted animals out of your rock garden is to divert their attention elsewhere. Set up a small area of your yard away from your rock garden with things just for these animals. includ food and water in a sheltered area so they will feel safe coming there. The key to making these work however is going to require some work on your part. For starters you will have to find something more tempting to them than what it is in your garden and you are always going to have to make sure you have it in good supply so animals don't show up and find nothing there. If that happens, they will soon find your rock garden and take it over for themselves.
You may find there are certain types of wildlife you do want to attract to your rock garden though - butterflies and hummingbirds are both very popular. Check with your local nursery on plants to provide for them, and hang nectar feeders to bring these creatures to your garden.
