July 2008

Attracting Birds to your Garden

Watching birds in the backyard can be the most amazing experience for any gardener. Many people design their garden in a way that attracts birds. Birds have a peculiar mindset and it can be difficult to lure them to your garden. But by following these simple steps, you can easily get the perfect bird-friendly landscape.

One, provide food for the type of bird you would like to attract. Two, provide shelter from the weather, and predators. Three, provide a source of water for drinking, and bathing.

You can make your landscape "bird-friendly" by planting conifers, seed and fruit bearing deciduous trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Birds that eat fruit are attracted to gardens that offer ripe fruit. Since most trees produce fruit only once a year, having these trees in your garden won’t help to attract birds all year round. If you have enough space around your garden, planting trees that produce fruit at different times of the year can help you attract birds all year round. If you have less space in your garden then you can plant small flowering shrubs. Here are some plants, shrubs, and trees to include in your garden as they provide good nutrients to the birds: holly (shrubs that provides berries in the fall and winter), blue spruce, firs, and pine trees (provide great shelter year round and seeds for winter diet), hazelnut, walnut, and chestnut trees (provide nuts for a late fall, or winter snack), sunflowers, and cockscomb, native perennials like black-eyed susan, purple coneflower (provide seeds to the birds), etc. For a complete list, see Mondus Special Plants Section.

If you are not able to plant big trees or have large flowering shrubs then you still have the option of adding birdfeeder. You can find various kinds of birdfeeders but the choice depends on which types of birds you want to attract. The most important factor of birdfeeders is that they should be placed in a prominent position within the garden to attract more birds. Make sure you put your bird feeders in the open, so cats and other predators cannot sneak up while they are eating.

You can also attract birds to your garden by providing shelter. Plant some evergreens, and bushes for your favorite birds to nest. During the summer provide nesting boxes, and birdhouses in safe places for your feathered friends to raise their young.

Also provide a source of water, such as a birdbath, or small stream. Birds love to bathe and preen themselves. They need a fresh source of water to keep themselves clean and healthy. Clean your birdbath regularly.

If you are interested in getting hummingbirds to your garden then you have to make sure you have a variety of colors present within the landscape and nectar-rich flowers. As hummingbirds have no sense of smell, the variety of colors is required. In selecting flowers to attract hummingbirds, you are not limited to using red flowers, although the color red is notorious for attracting hummingbirds. The best types of flowers to attract hummingbirds are wall climber and bell-shaped flower on tall stems such as foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) to collect their nectar. Asters, Snapdragons, Larkspur, Bee Balm and Goldenrod all provide also nectar for hummingbirds. For a complete list, see Mondus Special Plants Section. You can also attract hummingbirds to your yard by providing a red accent hummingbird feeder with a sugar water mixture. Cleaning the birdfeeder needs to be done no less than once a week.

When planning a garden to attract hummingbirds, it is important not to use pesticides or anything else that might be harmful to them. These pesticides kill garden insects that are an important protein source for hummingbirds.

Having birds in your garden can be the most delighting experience for a gardener, but it takes time and dedication. Experiment with plants, shrubs and trees that attract birds and see which ones end in your garden. Enjoy your visitors!

Here are our 3 most popular items this month:

View our latest newsletters:

May Newsletter

June Newsletter