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Anyone who has had a flower garden has probably noticed some birds hanging out around the flower bed, but did you know that there are certain things that you can do to actually encourage birds to come to your garden, and to stay?
Birds require three things to take up housekeeping in your yard: food, water and shelter. The shelter takes two forms, first as a safe refuge from predators and secondly as a place to nest. You can supply nesting sites by strategically placing birdhouses in various parts of your garden with the openings faced away from the prevailing wind. Flowers that grow in tight clumps, providing a hiding place on the ground form the refuge. Some good flowers to plant are Aster, Cleome, and Cosmos. Placing a birdbath within the perimeter of the garden easily provides the water and the food comes from a variety of sources. In the summer, birds will enjoy the insects that invade your garden. As summer turns to fall, however they will need your help. There are a variety of shrubs and trees that provide edible berries, such as blueberries, Winterberry, Bayberry and Holly.
During the late fall and through the winter months you will probably want to supplement these berries with birdseed. There are a variety of seeds available on the market, as well as feeders. To prevent larger birds from dominating the feeder, you may want to provide several feeders, and scatter some shelled corn on the ground as well. This will provide amble food for all of your feathered friends.
Probably one of the most important things to remember about your bird watching garden is to not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides on it. Chemicals range from fairly innocuous to downright dangerous for birds. There are so many organic methods of pest control and fertilization available on the market that it just makes sense to use those methods. For minor bug problems spray your plants with water that you have added a little lemon scented dish soap to, and for fertilization you can use bone meal or fish emulsion. If you need anything stronger than that, contact your local extension agent and ask about additional organic methods. By following these simple guidelines to get started, you should soon have birds flocking to your garden.
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