I’ll be honest. My backyard is a mess.

Trash pile or bird haven?

by Bonnie Allen

Oh, not the whole backyard, mostly the area nearest the back fence, my suburban equivalent of the back 40. This space became available when I tore down a decrepit building and removed the 5-inch-thick concrete pad it was built on. I also took out some invasive wild plum and privet trees, chopped up the limbs and piled them up, along with other yard prunings. 

Used to be, I’d cut the big pieces into stove lengths and put the smaller pieces through my electric chipper to make mulch. But I don’t burn wood much anymore, what with the drought and wildfires impacting the air quality. Now I just add it to my pile, along with any weeds I pull up elsewhere. 

This brush pile may look like a mess to you and me, but for birds, bees and small mammals it’s a haven. A place to nest, hide from predators or store food. Near the pile I’ve placed a shallow pan of water, so birds don’t have to go far to take a bath.

In the vicinity, I’ve got some baby native plants, to provide various kinds of sustenance for the birds and bees. They’re barely visible this year, but I hope that in coming years, with enough winter rain, they’ll grow and become a real source of food and shelter.

I’ll admit that I’m a lazy sort of person. The opportunity to evade yard work while benefiting the environment is too good to pass up.