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After perusing the aisles of Tom Best Ace Hardware in Lewes, Milton resident Don Voth randomly picked up a gardening book, which he says changed his life.
“It got me interested in a natural habitat and that’s what I followed through on,” said Voth. Today, he says, he’s a fanatic.
Over 100 herbs and plants grow behind his home. He’s spotted dozens of birds. Brown bats swoop from a shelter attached to his home. Praying mantises robotically skulk within his garden.
A year ago, Voth received certification as a backyard wildlife sanctuary by the National Wildlife Federation.
But self-contained refuges like Voth’s are becoming more commonplace. In 2006, the federation certified 70,000 such gardens nationwide and the numbers are climbing. In order to become certified, a habitat must include four basic elements needed for wildlife to survive: food, water, cover and places to raise their young.
In 2004, Voth moved to Milton after buying an Atlantic Street home built in 1876.
“I just liked the small town, quiet life and yet I’m still close to Rehoboth, the beach, the excitement of Rehoboth,” Voth said.
For the first time, he said, his double lot at the corner Atlantic and Walnut Streets presented an opportunity to build a garden – one the retired prison architect never had before.
When he bought the property, the back yard was a run-down dog run. With the help of Milton’s Garden Carvers, Voth created a continuously blooming refuge by removing six inches of earth and bringing in topsoil. “I really started from scratch,” he said.
Instead of pesticides or fertilizers, Voth uses natural predators such as ladybugs, Praying Mantises and nematodes.
A friend in Lewes gave him egg cases to increase his Praying Mantis population. From California, Voth imported ladybugs, which are indigenous, but no one sells them locally, he said.
Two Frank Lloyd Wright sculptures are featured in his garden too:
The Urn and the Water Sprite.
Daily, Voth documents the time, temperature and location of birds and other mammals.
One entry reads, “Sharp-shinned Hawk. Beautiful! Caught a Mourning Dove and ate it in the backyard – innards, bones and large feathers. No birds for three hours. Amazing!”
A red-bellied woodpecker was one of his most treasured sightings, he said. His most unusual sighting was a fox. Passersby often knock on his door to ask about his Coneflowers, which, in August bloom rising to nearly seven feet.
“It’s dramatic. Some ask for cuts,” he said.
“I love the bats because they take care of the mosquitos. They’re the only mammal that can fly,” said Voth. Squirrels, he said, can be problematic. “The squirrels are kind of a nuisance. They raid the bird feeders, but, they’re animals too,” he said.
Since establishing his sanctuary, he’s joined the Milton Garden Club and often gives lectures. “Others have become certified too – it’s spread.”
“Before the development of my garden, my favorite spot was on the wooden deck outside the dining room, but I’ve given that over to my birds,” said Voth. For more information, go to www.nwf.org.
Contact Kevin Spence at kevin-spence@hotmail.com
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