About the Owner
My name is Virginia Rettig and I have lived in Cape May County for over 20 years. I have a passion for improving the landscape to benefit wildlife. I have won multiple awards for habitat creation as a national wildlife refuge manager and am now pursuing landscape design with a focus on homeowners. We can make a difference!
The Journey
I was first introduced to the concept of gardening for wildlife in the early 1990's. After installing a dripping hose into a pan in my Lafayette, Louisiana yard, I attracted a migrating Swainson's Warbler in just 2 days. That changed everything and I have been creating gardens filled with native plants for the last 30 years.
Today, I take that knowledge, gathered from my own trials and successes, to help others attain the joys I have experienced from having a garden for wildlife.
Wildlife Needs Food, Water and Shelter
A successful wildlife garden contains native perennial forbs, shrubs and trees. Wildlife uses all of these plants for their flowers, fruits, and cover. Water is a critically important component of a native garden and is most easily created by use of a dripper and/or mister. Water is needed in winter too, so plan to provide heat to have a spot for drinking and bathing. Other features such as branch piles, fake snags, and natural features are very attractive. A fake snag provided a suitable resting spot for a baby Blue Jay in my yard one summer afternoon.
Dedication to Wildlife
I have dedicated my life to providing habitat to native wildlife and migratory birds. With Cape Nativescapes, I intend to create more habitat in Cape May County and educate people about how to maintain these habitats in the long term. All photos on this website were taken in my Cape May yard.
