Attracting Garden Helpers

• Attract hummingbirds with a feeder. It will need to be changed every two weeks, or you can grow flowers that attract the tiny bird. Tall, tubular flowers like this aloe plant (figure A) contain a lot of nectar and are perfect for hummingbirds. Plants with bright red or orange foliage such as fuchsia and salvia are hummingbird magnets.

Materials:

clean takeout carton, liter bottle or milk carton
plastic transparency sheets (typically available at craft stores)
scissors
paint in color(s) of choice
bug-catching net (optional)
animal field guide

Steps:

1. Make a window in the container with plastic transparency sheets.

2. Cut out a hole in the container and cover it with the plastic.

3. Paint the container, using nontoxic paint that won't harm little guests.

4. To collect bugs in the box, hold the box close and tap them in, or set the box down and let the bug walk in. A net designed for catching bugs also works.

5. Don't allow your children to keep the bug overnight or for several days--they belong in nature.

6. Use an animal field guide to identify the bugs. Avoid poisonous and stinging bugs.

Other Tips

• To attract frogs, toads, or lizards (which eat pests--frogs can eat 50 to 100 slugs a day), recycle an old terra-cotta pot (figure C) by turning it on its side in a sheltered area and covering it with moss and leaf litter. A water source adds to the allure.

• Leaf litter, which holds in dampness, encourages earthworms. Earthworms are beneficial to a garden. Set a shallow dish under a dripping faucet to attract these wet-skinned animals.