Weeds-Seeds-Grasses and Wild Birds

Gardening is one of my hobbies.  For years after I built my house I'd spend hours outside digging,planting and mulching my gardens.  I planted for my pleasure and for attracting wild life. My philosophy was they were here before me so we'd compromise on the plants they could have and I could keep.  Too bad deer and other wild life don't read the books.  Stuff they weren't suppose to eat became dinner that evening so I learned to plant 3 plants,2 for them ,one for me.  Even the grass seed I planted for the lawn was gobbled up by the sparrows,chipmunks and turkeys.  What part of the lawn they did leave for me the snapping turtles and painted turtles dug up for the nests and egg laying.  After several frustrating attempts I came to the conclusion I really didn't need a "nice" lawn,just something green.  The lawn was very nice on the shady side of the yard but the front lawn turned into a crabgrass and whatever other weeds took over lawn.  It is always green in the summer and all that is done to it is mowing.  The lawn is actually very healthy and no one actually sees it because the flower beds surround the yard.  Because nothing is used on the lawn wild birds love it.  The robins and starlings are always poking and probing it for the worms and the grubs.  The flicker has a field day with the ants, the native sparrows eat the grass and weed seed and the swallows fly in at dusk for the gnats and mosquitoes.  As night approaches the night hawks and bats start flying in.  Several of the gardens have acquired a more natural look with many weeds and wildflowers filling in between the plants.  So I ask you what is a weed?  That was a question posed to me by my new neighbor who I don't think ever left her city apartment to enjoy the outdoors.  My definition of a weed is any plant growing in a spot I don't want it to be and is a pest.  Dandelions are considered by most people a weed.  I like their bright yellow heads and they actually look nice in some spots but I prefer them to be in my natural garden and not in my lawn or formal gardens.  Dandelion leaves when young and tender make good salad and my friends like dandelion wine maybe that's why the wild birds like dandelions too.  Buntings,finch and sparrows love this weed when it goes to seed.  The dandelion's flower turns into a soft cottony ball of seeds which as kids we'd love to blow and make a wish.  For wild birds they provide nutritional food.  If you want to rid these weeds from the lawn take a sharp forked tool or trowel and dig deep,they have a long taproot.  My lawn stays fairly green all summer long because it has a lot of crabgrass growing in it.  Crabgrass likes well watered mowed low grass.  Though I don't water the grass the summer dew is so heavy it gives this weed plenty of water.  This weed gets its name from how it grows-spidery or crablike.  It has a dense center with tendrils that spreads.  When it seeds the sparrows  have a field day.  Goldenrod is one of those weeds that looks great mixed in with purple coneflowers or Queen Ann's lace.  It's 3-4 feet  tall with yellow flowers. It likes to grow in mulched gardens and has  a good root system that's hard to pull out.  If  it's growing  in a spot where you don't wish it to be pull it out right away.  A word of caution though, if you are allergic to latex goldenrod contains latex in it's greenery and will give you a rash so wear gloves.  Many insects are attracted to this weed so look for butterflies and moths to visit the garden and help pollinate along with the sparrows and finches.  Mullein grows in dry hot areas of the yard. When I first saw this huge plant growing I thought it was a verbascum plant so I let it grow.  Was I surprised!  This weed got large and actually covered my small rhododendron bush with its furry leaves and big yellow flower. By the time I tried to pull it out the plant was propagating and had a stem that was very hard and thick.  I needed a spade to pry and dig it up.  I allowed one plant to grow by the roadside amongst some of the wildflowers, ox -eyed daisy plants and weeds.  You should have seen the show of wild birds when the seeds had ripened.  The chickadees  and downy woodpeckers were all over the plant.  Another plant I always consider a weed is poison ivy.  This weed grows as a vine with three shiny leaves and gets red fruit on it in the fall.  Birds and turtles devour the seeds and help spread this weed.  For some of us this plant is highly toxic if it touches the skin.  The oil from every part of the plant is an irritant even when it looks like it's dead.  The plant puts on a beautiful display of color in the autumn but it's too toxic for me.  According to Indian lore the counter plant for poison ivy is jewelweed.   Supposedly if poison ivy touches the skin you rub the leaves from jewelweed on the exposed area and it counters the ivy oil.  This weed spreads quickly likes moist soil and partial shade.  It gets berries on it which get munched on by the wildlife and birds. The blooms of the plant attract hummingbirds while the seeds attract rose breasted grosbeaks.  Grasses play a role in garden design and landscaping and in attracting wild birds.  Ornamental grasses planted in the right place can dress up a dull area ,cover up an unsightly spot or be a focal point in a garden bed.   Ornamental grasses and grass range in height and color.  The pampas grass are tall grasses with a plume on the top. The plumes ripen into dozens of seeds spilling onto the ground attracting doves, juncos and white throat sparrows.  Maiden grass is another tall grass which can be used as a backdrop for smaller plants ans shrubs.. Ribbon  or zebra grass is more compact  grass and forms a dense clump which allows wild life and birds to hide within the blades of grass. Many of the grasses attract insects and butterflies thus attracting insect eating birds. Swallows and bats come in at dusk eating tons of these insects and controlling the insect population. The problem with many of the ornamental grasses is they are vigorous growers and spread into the lawn.  To solve this problem pot the grasses in a container and sink it into the ground preventing the roots from spreading.  Many weeds and grasses are beneficial to wild life and birds.  The seeds the weeds and grass provide will help sustain the birds,mice and chipmunks though the winter with food.  Some of the weeds and grasses offer interesting texture to the landscaping and gardens.  Add a birdbath in the middle of an area of grass or weeds and enjoy the show.  Please visit my website www,WildBirdSeedMart.com to see birdbaths and feeders  which may help you attract even more wild birds.

Attract Wild Birds-Landscaping-Seeds-Plants-Flowers

Landscaping helps attract wild birds. The colors and odors plants and flowers give off draws them in as well as other wild life.  Every yard has the ability to bring in wild birds be it cardinals,song sparrows,finch or blackbirds.  Of course the wild birds being attracted depends on your location and the landscaping conditions available to you.  All areas of the country are able to landscape with potted plants.  Potted pots allows you to be creative in the pots design and the flowers planted in them.   The pots can spruce up any area be it a doorway,path or just an area which is considered a wasted space.  The landscape you wish to achieve can be done by adding flowers that contribute to your goals.  Planting annuals such as saliva,impatience,fuchsias and greenery will attract wild birds such as hummingbirds and wrens.  Wrens love to nest in flower pots so be careful when you go to water the flowers and of course, the hummers love the sweet treat of nectar.  Annuals planted in the yard make beautiful beds which will attract the wild birds and wild life.  Butterflies abound when certain annuals are planted.  There are many seeds available for planting annuals if you have a green thumb and patience.  I ,however, don't have the green thumb for seeds so I purchase my annuals in flats where they are already growing showing me their colors and shapes.  This saves me time and I can plan my landscaping accordingly.  Cosmo plants are a good starter plant.. They grow 3-4 feet in height with fern like foliage.  They are quite wispy looking but have pretty white,hot pink,red or mauve flowers with a yellow center.  When mature the center yields many thin seeds that attract wild birds such as goldfinch and sparrows.  The flower itself  fades quickly but they keep blooming for a long period of time so as the seed heads are being eaten by the birds more are still growing.  Many of the seeds will fall to the ground thus allowing ground feeding birds(song sparrows and towhees)to feast.  The ground feeders will forage for these seeds into the winter months.  Cosmo are self seeding so don't be surprised to to see them appear the following year in the garden.  Another good plant to landscape with are zinnias.  Their bold bright array of colors livens up even the most drab areas in a yard.  They are also easy to grow from seed if you wish.  Zinnias have a long growing season and offer wild birds tasty seeds too.  They also make a great cut flower bouquet for the house. They come in various heights so landscaping with them gives you lots of options.  Their flowers can be daisy like or more pom pom like  with  double petals.  Sunflowers with their bright big yellow heads are a magnet for attracting wild birds.  Their oil rich seeds give birds the nutrients they need for their diets. Sunflower plants come in various heights and some varieties have a branching habitat that offers multiple flowers.  Mexican sunflowers offer red as their coloring so that can add a different look to the landscaping area.  Wild birds such as goldfinch will perch on the seed head to feast and extract the delicious seeds.  Seeds falling to the ground are gobbled up by cardinals,song sparrows and juncos.  Sunflowers make good windbreakers if planted in rows of varying height. Sunflowers can be annual plants or perennial plants so be aware of the type you are purchasing if it makes a difference in your landscaping plans.  Perennials are the backbone or spine of the garden.  They should be included in landscaping plans for attracting wild birds and wild life.  They can act as accent or focal points of the garden beds. Landscaping with perennials is a little more trying in the beginning but as the plants mature you'll appreciate them more.  Once matured their dense leaf and stem structure will keep out weeds giving you more time to spend watching the birds.  We've already discussed the sunflower family of plants so what other flowers are good starting perennials that will attract wild birds.  Keep in mind perennials also offer birds more than just seeds,they offer protection for ground birds to nest and to hide.  They allow ground birds to eat fallen seeds that have been captured in their leaves also.  Black eye Susan,rubeckias and daises are good plants to start a garden bed.  These flowers offer seeds well into the fall months and come up year after year yielding formidable dense clumps for birds and wildlife to hide in.  They  attract many butterflies and other insects thus attracting wild birds that are insect eating such as flycatchers and warblers.  Coneflowers grow about 24 inches and have bee hive like seed centers which mature into thistle like seeds enjoyed by goldfinch and house finch. They come mostly in pink or white but you can find the newer varieties in oranges and yellows.   Be aware that other wild life (deer.chipmunks and rabbits) find these flowers appealing  and quite appetizing.  You may need a deterrent if you wish to keep these plants or just plant alot of them. They all are very attractive in beds.Butterflies flock to these flowers and to phlox flowers too.  Phlox flowers come in pink.orange red,purple and white.  The tubular  flowers are clustered together drawing nectar feeding wild birds to them.  Mix annuals and perennials together to get a diversified look and attract lots of wild birds to your gardens.  Landscape a few areas where you can let the plants go a little wild for birds and wild life don't care if the gardens are neat and formal they kike a more natural look.  It better suits their needs.  Add some water features(birdbaths) and some well placed bird feeders to the landscaping to get full enjoyment from the wild birds you are attracting.  Visit my website www.WildBirdSeedMart.com to find some feeders and birdbaths that may enhance your landscaping schemes.

Attracting Wild Birds -Landscaping

Attracting wild birds though landscaping can be fun,exciting and relaxing. Figuring out what shrubs or trees will best suit the yard or the area is sometimes a little challenging and over whelming.  To attract wild birds keep in mind what is needed to draw them into the yard.  What's a necessity for the birds?  As with people,birdseed food,water and shelter.  What trees or shrubs are best  or more reliable to attract wild birds?  There are many choices but limit the choices by considering the amount of area available to plant.  Shrubs and bushes are good starter plants for attracting wild birds.  Many offer dense branching for nesting and protection.  They offer fruit or berries for food and draw insects to them via the flowers and leaves thus becoming part of the food chain.  Viburnums,bayberry and wax myrtles are nice choices.  All of these shrubs get small white or pink flower clusters in the springtime that give off a slight aroma.  The flowers produce berries in the autumn attracting wild birds such as mockingbirds,catbirds,cedar waxwings and robins.  The bushes range from small (3 ft.) to tall (25 ft.) in height with no real shape.  They can be pruned easy enough but select one that is right for the area.  Landscaping with ground cover is important in attracting wild birds.  Sparrows and juncos nest on the ground so ground covers provide a place for them to hide their nests.  Ground covers provide food as in berries and insects too.  Here are some evergreen ground covers  suggestions: creeping junipers,lingonberries and cotoneasters provide thick matting of branches for protection and hiding  The berries they produce are snatched up by thrashes,titmice,jays and catbirds  Deciduous ground covers also attract wild birds.  Strawberry plants,Virginia creeper,grapes and bittersweet all offer food and protection.  Quail,grosbeaks,robins and thrushes devour the berries and forage for insects hiding in the leaves.  Landscaping wouldn't be complete without a few trees.  Big trees such as oaks,elms,and hickories are beautiful but need space.  Oak trees offer acorns which are loved by wild life and wild birds.  It's a good winter source food provider.  Oaks have small flowers in the spring attracting  wild birds to them for the insects and caterpillars.  The tall tree canopy is attractive to orioles and tanagers which like the mature trees.  Woodpeckers search the bark for an insect dinner.  Smaller trees like dogwoods and mountain ash are good choices for the small areas.  These trees have pretty flowers which yield red to orange berries in the fall.   Fruit trees come in dwarf or standard sizes to fit into most landscaping scenery.  They are a magnet for attracting wild birds.  The problem is you may never enjoy the fruit unless the trees get covered because the wild life and birds have 24/7 to watch the fruit develop and mature where you  only have a few hours to watch for ripening.  Cherry trees are irresistible to wild birds.  Catbirds.bluebirds,mockingbirds and blackbirds all will have their eyes on the soft fleshy fruit.  Apricots,plums and apples appeal to wild birds such as bushits,thrashers,grosbeaks and cedar waxwings.  A whole fruit tree can be stripped of its produce in a day.  I have seen this happen in my own yard.  Another choice for attracting wild birds is the evergreen trees. Spruce trees,firs, hemlocks and rhododendrums aid in  quality shelter  and protection for the birds while adding interesting texture and beauty to the landscaping.  The pine cones are good eating for pine siskins,crossbills and titmice.  Hemlocks attract chickadees,juncos andgoldfinch with its smaller pine seeds.  Rhododendrum flowers attract hummingbirds and offer nesting and roosting.  Holly bushes and trees give wildbirdsprotection all year round and well as food supplies for the winter season.  The diversity in holly sizes makes landscaping with them easy.  Many hollies can be used as foundation plants making it easy to attract the ground wild birds for close up viewing.  Suppliment the landscaping with birdbaths and feeders filled with wild bird seed mixes. My website www.WildBirdSeedMart.com offers wild bird seed mixes,feeders and birdbaths to enhance the landscaping and beautify the yard while hepling toattract wild birds.

Birdbaths

Most of us have used the phase "I'm going to take a quick bird bath and freshen up"meaning we're just going to splash some water on our face and get going.  In reality wild birds take baths seriously.  Just watch.  Wild birds splash water all over themselves making sure they got all their feathers wet.  If wild birds feel safe and "comfortable" they'll enter the water several times.  So what makes wild birds comfortable to use the birdbath?  What or how do we attract wild birds to water features such as the birdbaths?  Why do wild birds  need  birdbaths?  Many of us have seen sparrows or robins splashing in the puddles along the roadside.  The birdbath doesn't need to be fancy.  Wild birds don't care if the birdbath is fancy,colorful,glass,cement or plastic.  It does matter to you and the landscaping that is in place.  We all want our yards to look attractive or appealling.  Placing  birdbaths in a boring area of the yard or on a cesspool cover with a few flowers can help make those areas attractive.  Wild birds are attracted to the birdbath for a couple of reasons.  First and most obvious is it holds water an essential need for  life.  Other reasons  wild birds are attracted to birdbaths are for cooling down,cleaning and a little fun .."swimming".  Birdbaths can be used all year long but their function changes form season to season.  Birdbaths are considered water features along with ponds, streams and fountains.  The focus of this blog will be on birdbaths  because every yard can't have a stream or pond but every yard can accommodate  birdbaths of some style and size.  Birdbaths come in many styles ranging from shallow dish types to elaborate birdbaths with fountains or wigglers.  To attract a wild bird's attention or curiosity more quickly add a drip water system or a circulating water pump to the birdbath  A small solar fountain will also add a nice touch and will create noise which will attract wild birds and make them want to explore where the noise is coming from. The dish or the basin of the birdbaths should be no more than 2 inches in depth, anything more wild birds will not use it.  If the depth is more than the 2 inches a rock or dish placed in the basin will make the birdbaths more appealing.  Birds like sure footing so make sure the floor of the birdbaths are rough.  For the pretty glass dish birdbaths put gravel on the bottom.  As with  feeders, initially place the birdbath in an open space about 4-6 feet away from shrubs or trees.This allows  the birds to see a predator approaching and allows it time to fly.  A wet bird is heavy so the short distance to fly to safety is crucial.  In choosing a spot for the birdbath keep in mind you want to see the birds being attracted.  Placing the birdbaths at various heights will draw different birds.  Songbirds tend to prefer birdbaths and feeders at the height of a shrub or small tree.  A pedestal birdbath or a  dish mounted on a stake works well to acheive the "shrub" height  This group includes cardinals, jays, bluebirds and vireos.  Ground birds such as towhees, doves, robins and quail prefer their birdbath(shallow dish  type) on the ground  or about 1-2 inches off the ground so it resembles a puddle  Hummingbirds and goldfinch like to fly through fountains, sprinklers and misters to get their bath.  Some wildbirds like dust or dirt baths. So for these birds offer a birdbath with dirt or sand or mud in a shallow dish.  With the exception of drinking water a dirt bath offers the same functions as a water bath.   Wild birds throw dust or silt over their feathers to rid themselves of parasites, lice, mites and excessive oils.  While doing this the bird preens itself aligning their feathers into the right places.  Change of seasons changes the main usage of the birdbaths.  In the cold winter months when fresh water is hard to find the birdbaths  become a drinking station. To keep water from freezing  a de-icer or heating element can be added to the birdbath.  The bath water does not need to be hot,just tepid will do.  If it's hot the chances of cracking the birdbaths are increased as well as harming the little guys.  In the springtime the birdbaths will attract wild birds that are migrating, offering them a stop to drink and refresh themselves.  This is a good time to make sure the seed feeders are filled too.  The heat of the summer will have birds looking for a place to drink and cool off.  The birdbaths will aid them in this situation.  There is a good chance of seeing grosbeaks and warblers taking advantage of the birdbaths.  The insect eating avians which normally do not come to bird feeders may visit the birdbaths for a cool  drink.  Due to the summer heat the bath water will grow algae and fungus so make sure the birdbaths are emptied and cleaned frequently.  A water to bleach solution of 10:1 parts is good to use. A bottle brush or a toilet brush will help get into the nooks and crannies.  A little trick to help slow the growth of algae is to take sprigs of lavender wrap 2 day lily leaves around them and place the bundle into the water. The birdbath should be rinsed well before returning it to duty.  Fall sees less of our feathered friends at the birdbaths.  Migration once again takes place and the birdbaths become once more  a drinking station.  Wild birds tend not to use the bath  to bathe due to all the rainfall and the natural puddles created. This is a good time to do maintenance on the birdbaths and ready them for the next influx of wild birds.  Please visit my site www.WildBirdSeedMart.com to see some very nice birdbaths and feeders. I also offer wild bird seed mixes and identification books.  Hope the blog's information on birdbaths could be of some service.