6 simple things you can do for your garden's wildlife

3. Fill a bucket with water and leave it by the hose or spigot for an easy-to-fill sipping station. Change water frequently to keep it clean and free of mosquitoes.

4. Tie a wad of string or bits of cloth with yarn and hang it from a branch to provide nest material. Or nail a can filled with loosened cotton balls to a fence.

5. Create perches by nailing a 2-by-4 to a vine-covered post for a nest site. Place tall, twiggy prunings or trellises near birdbaths so birds can preen and dry off.

6. Hang up a birdhouse or several, spaced around the garden. This one, made from a hollowed birch log, is the perfect size for a chickadee brood.