Certified Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Garden
Gardening for Wildlife
We can have a multipurpose garden that we and the local wildlife such as bees, butterflies and other important pollinators can enjoy by providing water, food, shelter and place to raise the young. The National Wildlife Federation will certify your garden if it contains these elements – https://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Certify.aspx.
The Certified Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Garden
The Helena Garden Club in conjunction with other local clubs and partners planted a Certified Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Garden at Montana Wild, 2668 Broadwater Avenue, Helena, MT in 2012.
The garden is a collection of plants native to Montana that provide food, shelter, water and a place to live for wildlife which can be used for educational purposes. It is divided into a five areas: Meadow, Charred Forest, Mountain, Prairie and a Landscape for All Season Interest. Download the brochure to learn more – Garden Tour Brochure.
In 2016 we became a Certified Monarch Waystation – http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/certify.html.
Garden Observations
We would love to hear or see what you find in the garden when you visit it. Please share your observations with us by using the comment section at the bottom of this page or post your observations on the Helena Garden Club Facebook site.
Gardening with Native Plants
Plants have been labeled to assist visitors in identifying Montana Native plants in the wild and seek out plants for home landscapes. The Montana Wild Plant List includes the plant names, growing conditions and interesting uses of the plant. If there is a Y in the L&C column the plant was discovered by Lewis and Clark. If there is a E in the E column, the plant or portions of the plant are edible and if there is a M in the M column, the plant has been used for medicinal purposes. In the actual garden blue flags indicate new plants added this year. All plants and seeds were purchased from native plant nurseries in Montana. To learn more about landscaping with native plants or find a native plant nursery visit the Montana Native Plant Society’s web site.
Additional Resources
Attracting Pollinators to your Garden with Native Plants
Building and Installing a Bat House
Butterflies and Moths of North America
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Montana
Guide to Bumblebees of the Western United States
How to Attract Bats to your Garden
Ladybird Johnson’s recommended Native Plants for Montana Landscapes
Montana Bee Identification Guide
Montana Natural Heritage Program
National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Montana Native Pollinator Friendly Plantings
Native Wildflowers and Bees of Western Montana
Selecting Plants for Pollinators
Plants in the Pollinator Pathway
Pollinator Conservation – Three easy steps to help Bees and Butterflies
Xerces Society Nests for Native Bees
Special Thanks
We would like to say a special thanks to all who made this garden possible: Montana Wild Staff, Montana Native Plant Society, Lewis & Clark Master Gardeners, Becoming an Outdoor Woman, Montana Department of Agriculture, MT State General Services, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena Women’s Club, Helena Bat Group, Butterfly Properties, Fort Missoula Conservation Society, Blackfoot Native Plant Nursery, Windflower Native Plant Nursery, private volunteers and several professional consultants/experts who donated their time and provided resources at a discount for the project. This garden continues to be maintained by the Lewis and Clark Master Gardeners and Helena Garden Club.
Helena Garden Club Blog 