Planting A Sun Garden to Attract Wild Birds

As previously discussed (refer to Planning A Garden Blog ) there are several fundamental issues that need to be addressed before planting a garden.  In quick review they are: the plant hardiness zone temperature, drainage, light exposure soil type and the type of garden you wish to have.  For the sake of this article I am going to plant a full sun garden with average soil and drainage.  It will be an informal garden with various heights,and colors.  The garden bed will be approximately 20 x 20 ft. and exposed on all four sides .  The soil is slightly on the dirt side so will need some remediation with manure, garden soil, peat or topsoil.  The plant hardiness zone is 6b and will be created to attract wild birds and wildlife.  I prepared the dirt with garden soil and manure turning and raking the soil until all the big clumps are out.  I've taken the winter weeds out also.  I am going to plant on one side towards the back a kousa dogwood and opposite that a weeping crabapple off setting the plants  Both trees grow well in full sun  and offer three season appeal.  The weeping crabapple gets profuse amounts of pinkish flowers attracting wild birds, butterflies and bees.  As the seasons change the tree yields small red fruit which provides food for wild birds such as mockingbirds, jays, robins, and cedar waxwings.  The leaves turn brilliant red in the autumn.  The kousa dogwood blossoms are white four petaled flowers with a 'wolf eye' in the center.  Nectar sipping wild birds and butterflies are attracted to the nectar rich flowers .  In the fall the tree bears plump red raspberry like fruit devoured by woodpeckers,thrashes and sparrows.  Before planting the tree make sure you read the nursery tag  for directions.  When planting trees and shrubs make sure the hole that's dug is twice the size of the root ball or container.  This allows the roots to grow without exerting extra energy to set roots.  Once the hole is dug place the tree in it to ensure the size is correct.  Next untie and cut  the burlap and remove it carefully.  Many planters or nursery personnel tell you the burlap can stay on , just untie it and it will disintegrate.   I have never had any success with the burlap disintegrating; thus the roots don't spread, they fail to thrive and tend to rot.  I strongly recommend burlap removal.  Back fill the hole adding whatever corrective soil medium the ground needs with water.  Take time to dislodge any air pockets working the soil to keep the roots and tree in place.  Tamp down the soil around the tree to secure it. Most of the time the tree's crown ( where the trunk meets the roots ) should be exposed.   Next plant the shrubs in the same manner placing them where they will not interfere with the trees.  Both trees grow 15 ft. tall and wide so stagger the bushes accordingly.  Working from the middle of the garden out to the periphery plant shrubs that will stay smaller or lower in height to give depth to the garden's look.  Hollies, dwarf conifers, blueberries or roses are all good choices offering berries, pine seeds or rose hips to attract wild birds.  These plants provide shelter and protection for our feathered friends too.  The next section should be lower in height and flower at a slightly different time so the garden is continually having color and interest.  Maybe some flowering quince that bears quince  which are good for human consumption or for the wildlife would and some nice color and interest due to its leggy habits.  This is a good place to add plants and flowers that thrive in the sun.  Echinacea (coneflowers) come in various colors and yield lots of seeds in the fall for goldfinch, buntings and many other songbirds.  Group plants in a bunch to give the flowers their due justice.  Garden phlox are liked by butterflies especially by swallowtails.  Hummingbirds will frequent phlox too.  Plants need the same attention as trees when planting however you may need to do one other thing before planting them.  Many plants or flowers in containers become root bound so it may be necessary to score or cut the root.  This allows the roots to spread .  Just make one or two cuts and tease the roots before setting the plant in the ground.   Near the perimeter plant low growing plants,Daisies, candy tuff, creeping phlox and lavender work well.  Butterflies and moths are always landing on these plants. Lavender smells so good when you pass by it.  Walk on me plants such as thyme or oregano emit nice scents when they are crushed and stepped on. These plants make great hiding spots for garden toads and ground birds.   Ornamental grasses can be used to give a different look and added texture to the garden.  My concern with many of the grasses is they spread and take over the garden.  To avoid this from happening plant the grasses in the pots containing their roots.  Wild birds (quail, buntings and bluebirds ) eat many of the seeds throughout the season.  The grass seeds will get eaten by other critters well into the winter.  Many insects besides butterflies and moths like these plants and flowers.  They help cross pollinate and pollinate the plants however they well become part of the food chain with swallows or purple martins munching them up,  After all the plants and flowers are in assess the garden.  If there are a few bare spots that need addressing use annual flowers ( cocks comb or salvia ), garden art, bird feeders or bird baths to make the garden more eye appealing.If you wish to keep the weeds at bay, place newspaper down in the unplanted spots and cover with mulch. Cardboard works well too.  Water the garden well  now and then probably 2-3 times a week till the plants start to grow.  For any birdbaths or bird feeders please see the website at www.WildBirdSeedMart.com.      .

Basic Thoughts For Planning A Garden

Springtime is a great time for planting a garden.  Yes the daffodils and hyacinths are up as are other early Spring flowers but the rule of thumb for planting a flower garden is to wait until Mother's Day.  Why?  In most areas the hard frost has past so it won't harm the plants.  If you are trying a flower garden for the first time or have been unsuccessful in the past here are a few tips before getting started which hopefully will save time and money. 
  First look at the area where the flower garden is going to be made.  Decide if this is going to be a garden just for the season or for many seasons or years.  This decision makes a difference in the plants needed for the garden.  If you can't decide do an experimental garden.  For this type of garden choose annual plants to give you an idea of how the flower bed will appear.  Annual plants do not come back year after year; they are a one shot plant but they do tend to re-seed themselves. These flowers tend to be cheaper by buying them in flats giving you many flowers to plant with.  A perennial garden is one where the flowers or plants come back every year.  These plants mature with age and need room for growing and spreading.  When planting a perennial garden most people tend to plant alot of plants in the space because it doesn't "look right" or "full enough".  Don't over plant, it will just lead to a waste of money time and frustration.  If the spaces bother you put a few annual flowers in between the perennial ones to give the garden a fuller look. 
  Secondly for at least a week observe how much light or sun the area gets.  If  the area gets 8 hours or more of sun  it is considered to be a full sun area.  Plants which need full sun tolerate the heat better than a part shade plant.  The full sun flower will not wilt or melt in the heat where as the shade plant will and will probably need more attention,such as watering much more to survive.  Part sun plants usually require 6-8 hours of sun while part shade plants need 4-6hours.  Full shade flowers need very little sun light.  These plants mainly have small or inconspicuous flowers but their leaves usually add texture or color to the garden.
  Thirdly check the zone you live in.  How do you do that?  This can be done by using the computer or looking on the back of a seed packet.  The back of the packet shows a map with colors on it.  Find the color of the area where you reside and look at the number which corresponds to it.  That is the zone number and tells you the average temperatures the plants can tolerate.  Plant flowers for the area's zone.  They will be more successful in growing.  Some plants will grow outside their zones if the zones are close such as zone 7 to zone 6.  These will be successful if there is a micro climate or sheltered ares in the garden.  It is best to stay in the plants hardiness zone. Once you get experience d or daring try these plants. 
  Next check the soil the garden has. Here's where the experts tell you to test the soil for it's pH.  I have never done this and have beautiful gardens.  Maybe I just got lucky.  What I believe is more important is the type of soil the plant is going into.  Does the water drain or does it sit there on top of the soil for a period of time.  Sand drains quickly where clay doesn't drain well at all.  This is how I believe plants get lost because their roots either dry up like a prune or rots because it doesn't like wet feet.  The soil may have to be remedied with additives such as manure, compost, topsoil, peat or mulch. 
  The next decision to be made is what type of garden do you want to achieve.  Do you want a formal looking garden or a wild untamed one, which wild life loves or a focal garden.   The choice of gardens will determine the look you need to achieve which will in turn determine the plants and flowers needed.  It will  dictate the amount of work, time and energy needed to get to that goal. 
  All gardens initially take time and energy.  They all need some attention to get started and mature.  You, the gardener, are the only one who knows how much time and work can be devoted to the project.  Start small.  The garden can evolve and can be added onto if need be.  To me the garden is therapeutic.  After working a stressful job it was nice to spend time in the garden mindlessly pulling weeds.  As seasons pass  the plants mature and there is less work to keep them looking good.  Now I pass that time enjoying the gardens with my friends and wild life.  Remember think big but go small at first.  Be successful in you endeavors and if you need accessories for the garden please visit the website www.WildBirdSeedMart.com

Attraction to Wild Birds-Spring Attention to Attracting a Mate

What is it about Spring that makes us desire it to come?  What's its real attraction?  Is it we're fed up with winter and its weather or are we tired of staying in the house and need a change?  When is Spring Spring?  If we go by the calender Spring arrived March 20-21st but to me Spring starts to arrive when the snowdrops and crocuses start to bloom.  The discovery of the first Spring flowers popping up in the garden attracts our attention and starts us thinking about  Spring.  The awareness of change, but wait,something is missing!  The main attraction hasn't arrived yet, that of the wild birds flying overhead migrating to the new destinations to breed.  Here in my area (Long Island,New York) early Spring starts with the arrival of the red-winged blackbirds coming to the feeders and the males flashing their intensely vibrant red wing patches  The Ides of March has us searching the skies for the familiar wild birds to arrive.  It's now past St.Patty's Day and still no symbols in the sky of Spring.  Where are they?  Then the familiar calls and cries and the attraction we've been waiting for has arrived, The Ospreys! Our eyes are attracted to the sky searching for their whereabouts.  Spring has now officially arrived here   The wild birds grab our attention. The male cardinals wear their vibrant red coats proudly hoping to attract a mate.  Yesterday for the first time I actually experienced seeing a male turkey puff himself up and display his tail feathers to impress the ladies in the flock.  He puffed himself up so much he looked twice his normal size and definitly looking to attract a mate.  It was really quite impressive.
  The attention to wild birds may be in their coloring and songs.  Many of the male wild birds have attractive and brilliant colors to attract a mate. For instance the Baltimore Oriole or scarlet tanagers males have beatiful lively oranges and red respectively to attract a mate. To hear a familiar song draws our attention to the treetops to scan for the wild bird who owns the song. The songs are usually sung by the male to attract a mate or for staking out his territory.  The songs can range from short and simple to complex and lengthy.  The female is searching for a mate who is a better singer. In the wild bird world the more complex the song the better the males chances because it shows maturity and strength to the female.  Thus leading to better brooding success.
  The real attraction to wild birds is observing their courtship rituals. Many wild birds use different behavior to attract a mate.  Sometimes they use a combo of behaviors to achieve this.  Besides color and songs some wild birds perform dance routines, head bobbing, wing flapping or bill  clicking to get the girls.  Many hawks and birds of prey sky dance.  Hawks put on a fabulous sky show to attract a mate.  They fly high in the sky and then dive to earth as if they were free falling.  Once attracting a female they mate in the air also while performing these maneuvers.  Western grebes neck bob and then simultaneously  dance and skip across the water.  Cranes and birds of paradise wing flap and dance on the ground to attract a mate.  The albatross bill clicks with its mate to asure pairing.  All of these routines  displayed by wild birds are fascinating to watch if you ever get to experience them.
  Wild birds will also display their colors and feathers to attract a mate in different ways .  For instance the peacock will spread his tail feathers displaying the circles of colors on the tail( the "eyes" so to speak). Who would not be attracted. The woodcock will strut his stuff and fan his tail shaking it and doing a little dance.  Frigate birds puff out their air sac so a potential mate can see his red sac displayed
and choose him.
  Other birds use preening as their ritual.  They preen each others feathers and lean into their mate to show there is no aggression towards them and to bond.  Sounds familiar .  Humans do the same thing .  Birds such as cardinals will feed their mates seed by placing it in her beak or mouth to show he is a good provider and would make a good "husbird" in rearing a brood.
  Nest building and nest selection can be viewed as a courtship behavior.  The male arrives in Spring earlier than the female and starts his architectural  expertise in nest building and placement.  When the females arrive they check out the nests and its placement. If they like the nest, the male has attracted his mate.  Many times the female will add to the nest or select to build a new nest with the Male's help.  This can be seen with ospreys and wrens.
  Now we can say Spring has arrived and renewal of life has begun again.  Some wild birds mate for life while others need to attract a mate. No matter what, all of them partake in their courtship rituals and setting up house   Maybe we humans should follow suit though many of us do Spring clean and get our homes in order.  Now is the time to attract wild birds to the yard and gardens by turning our attention to what these wild birds need.  Set out a bird bath with fresh water. Clean, repair or replace feeders and fill them with the food for the wild birds you wish to attract.  Provide nesting boxes or houses for the birds to start their housekeeping  and give them shelter and protection.   By providing these basic necessities attracting wild birds to the backyard will increase your odds. If you need any of these products please visit my website  www.WildBirdSeedMart.com.

The Ability To Attract Wild Birds

    The ability to attract wild birds has for a long time been a fascination, passion and business.  Wild birds have been symbols or gods in many  cultures.  They have represented love, strength, evil, good and prosperity.  The Indians respected wild birds such as the eagle and the crow while other cultures recognized the dove as a symbol of peace and friendship.  Even in our own culture before the eagle was chosen as the nation's symbol Ben Franklin proposed the wild turkey should have that honor.  Depending on the culture's belief to have a symbolic wild bird in your area or yard was often used as a prophecy,omen or future telling.  For example in North American Indian culture  the turkey is an earth diver.  This is a bird that dives from the earth's upper levels into the bowels of the earth and retrieves something to save the people.  In this case the turkey saved seeds when the big floods came, there by giving the people a chance to grow their crops again.  So if you saw a turkey in the area you would have good fortune.  Many an emperor was placed on the throne by the prediction of a golden eagle or a raven.  Though depicted as evil doers the raven in many cultures presents gifts to humans such as light  and names of plants.  The raven  was both a trickster and a hero in legends.  The Celtics and Irish believed  crows, ravens and vultures were symbols of death and destruction.  If a Celtic war goddess appeared before a battle as a crow or raven  the army she appeared to would be defeated.  Knowing this information many armies tried to attract wild birds in the crow family to do their trickery.
     The ability to attract wild birds to cage them goes back many centuries.  The Chinese captured nightingales to bring harmony and peacefulness into their homes and palaces.  These birds were captured for their beautiful songs.  Attracting wild birds for companionship was also desired.  We all have seen the pirates of yesteryear with a parrot on his shoulder or a macaw on his arm.  Teaching parrots and macaws to talk was a way of passing the time.  The ole Polly wants a cracker  has been used to depict parrots as pets for many years.
     The fascination of birds being portrayed as tricksters or evil doers has made its way into many a story.  Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" draws chills down one's spine when reading it on a dark dank night. The horror movie by Alfred Hitchcock "The Birds" with millions of birds flying at you  made you want to scream in the theater.  In childrens'stories the other extreme is portrayed.  In Hans Christian Andersen story of the "Ugly Duckling"the ugly duck turns into a beautiful swan.   Storks delivered babies in many fairy tales and in modern tales too.  In Milne's story of "Winnie the Pooh" Pooh and friends seek out the Wise owl for his knowledge and wisdom.  These wild birds have attracted alot of attention though the years.
      In Mid Evil times knights and noblemen attracted wild birds for hunting companions.  They used and taught hawks and falcons to hunt for rabbit and other food.  They followed wild birds for food gathering such as berries and nuts.  Homing pigeons and doves were taught to deliver messages to people in other areas.   Attracting  wild birds was not always good for our avian friends. Attracting wild birds for food in the past as in today still exists.  Wild duck, grouse, turkey and pheasant hunting are passions for some and necessity for others.
     Attracting wild birds for plumes and feathers to decorate dresses and hats was quite fashionable at one time.  A feather in your cap meant you did something good.  Ostrich were hunted for their huge feathers while peacocks and birds of paradise were attracted and killed for their colorful feathers.  The practise of decorating clothing put a terrible strain on these wild birds causing some to go into extinction and others to near extinction.
      People still have a passion for attracting wild birds and owning them.  The market for wild birds such as macaws, myna birds, parrots and cockatoos for pets is still strong.  Many countries have banned the practise of attracting birds into these huge nets and selling them.  For the most part  these birds are now raised in captivity for the pet market.  This has stabilized the population of some of these birds in the wild.        
      Bird watching tours are becoming a  big industry.  The tour guide is well trained to attract wild birds to increase the chances of you seeing the birds of that area.  Sometimes it's just a matter of knowing what time the birds eat or the availability of their food supply.  Sometimes when you go on these tours the places you stay at have set up a few feeders or have landscaping to attract wild birds to make your experience more enjoyable.  The natural landscape of the area attracts many birds making it easier for you to view our feathered friends.  Photographing wild birds is a big industry also.  Sometimes to get the picture you want props are needed to attract the desired bird or birds.  Wild birds will be attracted to water features and feeders so these maybe used to help get the perfect picture. Please visit my website  www.WildBirdSeedMart.com to view some birdbaths and feeders that could help you attract wild birds.

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.