Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - April 06, 2005

From: Mechelen Belgium, Other
Region: Other
Topic: Wildlife Gardens
Title: Wildlife habitat in Gambia
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Thank you for the interesting website. We bought a plot in the Gambia and would like to change it into a habitat for different living species; hence, your kindly advise is welcome as we are definitely no experts. Thanks in advance for your time.

ANSWER:

We can offer some general suggestions for creating gardens for wildlife, but we can't offer specific suggestions for native plants in the Gambia. In the Native Plant Library on our Wildflower Center web page you will find several articles in PDF format pertaining to wildlife gardening: "Creating a Wildlife Garden", "Butterfly Gardening Resources", and "Wildlife Gardening Bibliography". You can read more suggestions from the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park. There is also a British organization, "Space for Nature", with an informative web page titled Principles of Designing Gardens for Wildlife. To determine what sorts of plants to include in your garden, you could contact someone involved in horticulture in the Gambia. For a start you can consult the official web page of the Gambia and find in the "Directory", under Agricultural Services & Production, several companies that are involved with horticulture.
 

More Wildlife Gardens Questions

Replacing Nandina with natives for a schoolyard in Washington DC
May 11, 2011 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Our schoolyard now has some invasive plants in the landscaping that we would like to replace with native plants. We have four clumps of Nandina planted at each pillar along a...
view the full question and answer

Native Bird Feeding in Belton, TX
July 04, 2011 - We recently bought a bird feeder and a huge bucket of non-native bird seed (I'm not sure if the whole seed mix is non-native, but I believe most of the mix is). The birds go through the whole bird fe...
view the full question and answer

Looking for grasses for slope around retention pond in Florida
August 02, 2011 - I live in St. Petersburg, FL on a large retention pond. Most of my neighbors on the pond have seawalls. I do not nor do my neighbors to my left and right. I am interested in colorful grasses to put...
view the full question and answer

Shade-loving plants for birds in New Jersey
March 25, 2013 - What native plants should I add to my property, Zone 6, to feed birds naturally? I have a heavily treed lot, so I'd like names of shade loving perennials. Seed or fruit bearing options would be gre...
view the full question and answer

Plant for hummingbirds shelter in Briarcliff TX
August 10, 2009 - I am looking to grow a container plant for the birds to enjoy on my back deck. A little greenery and possibly a place to rest for the birds would be great. This faces west and has no shade. There a...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.