As January winds to a close, it becomes reasonable to consider we are over the hump of another winter.

I say that guardedly and knowing full well that February is entirely capable of serving up a stint of the harshest winter weather we can get in Pennsylvania. But February is also the shortest month, and as the days grow steadily longer over its duration, a small measure of cautious optimism for winter’s demise is in order. It’s not the end of winter that most of us yearn for, however, but rather the return of springtime weather and the chance to do more things outdoors.

For folks that own land, the end of winter means getting back to work maintaining and improving their land. Whether you just have a large backyard or many acres of land, most landowners enjoy seeing wildlife on their property. And if you would like to make your property more attractive to wildlife, one of the best ways to do so is by planting native Pennsylvania trees and shrubs. Not only do these plants have the potential to provide valuable food and cover to a wide variety of birds and animals, but they also offer aesthetic value and other benefits to your property such as erosion control or the reclamation of disturbed areas.

One of the best sources for native tree and shrub seedlings at reasonable prices is the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Howard Nursery. The Game Commission began producing seedlings and other plants at this facility in Centre County back in 1954 to supply wildlife food and cover plantings on state game lands. Production at that facility now amounts to 2 to 8 million seedlings annually to supply plants for game lands projects, landowners enrolled in the Game Commission’s various access programs and the Seedlings for Schools program. Any surplus seedlings each year are then made available to Pennsylvania residents to purchase for wildlife food and cover, watershed protection or erosion control on their properties.

The selection of seedlings changes from year to year due to available seed, seedling germination, and growing conditions. “It takes three years to grow conifers and sometimes two years to grow hardwood trees from seed,” said Brian Stone, manager at Howard Nursery. “Our surplus of conifers and oaks is up even more from last year; and this year we have a very limited supply of persimmon, domestic apple and wild plum.”

The Howard Nursery is now accepting orders for spring planting. Some of the species available for 2023 are white pine, Norway spruce, white cedar, red oak, sawtooth oak, black walnut and crabapple. Seedlings are sold in units of 25. Regular price for seedlings ranges from $12.50 to $16.25 per unit, depending upon the species. Orders of 12 or more total units will qualify for applicable discounted pricing. With the discount, prices can be as low as $11.25 per unit.

An order form and information about the seedlings available and planting recommendations can be found on the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.pa.gov. Place your cursor over “Information & Resources” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, then click on “Make a Purchase” on the drop-down menu. On the “Make a Purchase” page, scroll down to “Seedlings and Wood Products from Howard Nursery” section and click on the “Purchase Now” button to find the 2023 Seedling Order Form and other information.

Completed order forms can be submitted online or printed and mailed. Orders can also be placed by calling Howard Nursery at 814-355-4434. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s advisable to get your seedling order in as early as possible, as some species will sell out quickly.

Now is a good time to do some homework about what plants would be a good fit for the wildlife in your backyard. Having a plan regarding what and where to plant will also ensure that your efforts will produce the greatest possible benefits. If you are not sure what trees or shrubs might be suitable for your property, check out the “Tree Seedlings Index” link on the Howard Nursery page of the Game Commission website. This helpful chart provides information on each type of plant along with its site preferences, what wildlife species it benefits and more. Other places to start learning about plantings for wildlife are the websites of the National Wild Turkey Federation (nwtf.org) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (dcnr.pa.gov).