Over the last few years, one of the most rewarding photography projects we’ve ever undertaken hasn’t involved travelling to an exotic destination or photographing a rare species. It started right here at home.
When we moved to our property in Michigan, much of the area around the house was little more than gravel driveway and open space. Rather than simply landscaping it, we decided to create something that would benefit both wildlife and photography.
Our goal was simple: build a garden that would attract as much wildlife as possible while creating beautiful opportunities to photograph it throughout the year.
If you’d like to create a wildlife garden for nature photography, as we have, in this article we share tips and a video is below that shares tips and advice.
How To Create a Wildlife Garden for Nature Photography
1. Start with Native Plants
One of the biggest decisions we made was to use native plants wherever possible.
Native plants provide food, shelter and breeding habitat for the insects, birds and other wildlife that naturally occur in our area.
Nicole spent countless hours researching the butterflies of Michigan, identifying the host plants needed by caterpillars as well as the nectar plants required by adult butterflies. That research became the blueprint for our meadow.
Today, our property contains well over 100 species of native woodland and meadow plants.
2. Make and Design the Garden with Wildlife in mind
The project quickly became much more than a flower garden.
We created several different habitats, each designed to support different wildlife.
Our woodland garden includes spring wildflowers such as trilliums, lady’s slippers, bloodroot, Jack-in-the-pulpit and many other woodland species.
The meadow was planted specifically for butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
We also added a pond, which immediately attracted frogs, salamanders, dragonflies and countless other creatures.
Of course, once the frogs arrived, so did predators such as Barred Owls and Red-shouldered Hawks. This is a reminder that healthy habitat supports the entire food chain.
3. Consider the Photography Opportunities
As nature photographers, we couldn’t help thinking about the photographic opportunities while designing the garden. Now, our garden is a nature photographer’s paradise!
The meadow has become an incredible location for macro photography, filled with butterflies, bees, dragonflies and wildflowers throughout the growing season.
Our woodland paths provide opportunities to photograph native spring wildflowers.
The pond attracts amphibians and aquatic insects.
We’ve also incorporated bird feeding stations and photography blinds into the landscape, allowing us to photograph birds throughout the year without disturbing them.
Instead of travelling to find subjects, many of them now come to us.
You Don’t Need Acres of Land To Create A Wildlife Garden
One of the nicest things about creating a wildlife garden is that it can be adapted to almost any space.
Whether you have a few containers on a patio, a suburban garden or several acres, you can make a positive difference by planting native species that support local wildlife.
Even a small patch of milkweed can provide valuable habitat for Monarch butterflies. Every little bit helps.
The Rewards of a Wildlife Garden Keep Growing
One of the most exciting moments came when we recorded 25 species of butterflies on the property in a single day!
Watching Monarch butterflies lay eggs on the milkweed we’d planted, and later finding the tiny caterpillars, made all the planning worthwhile.
And the project continues to evolve every year as the plants mature and new wildlife discovers the habitat we’ve created.
Watch the Wildlife Garden Tour
In this video, we take you on a tour of our property, showing the woodland garden, the native plant meadow created specifically to attract and support butterflies and other insects, the pond and the bird photography blinds we’ve built over the last few years.
We also explain why we chose native plants, how the project developed, and share some of the wildlife photography we’ve already been able to create as a result.
So, take a stroll though our meadow and backyard pond, and discover the rich habitat that we created to support wildlife and provide great subjects for our nature photography.
If you’ve ever thought about creating a wildlife garden for photography, we hope this gives you a few ideas.
By creating your own wildlife garden, not only will you be helping local wildlife, but you’ll also create a place where photographic opportunities continue to grow year after year.
Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve & Nicole
Related: Backyard Bird Photography: How to Create Your Own Bird Photography Studio