Birds not only enhance our surroundings with their beautiful songs, colored plumage, and lively antics, but they also consume large quantities of insect pests, especially grubs and caterpillars.

If birds could describe their vision of a perfect garden, it would include big trees; berry-laden shrubs; fruit trees; many kinds of flowers, clovers, and grasses; weeds allowed to go to seed; a running brook or pond; and feeders well stocked for much of the year.  This paradise would exclude cats, dogs, snakes and other predators, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and all kinds of chemical sprays and dust.  Such a habitat appeals to many other creatures as well, so you would also attract bees, butterflies, and moths as well as other insects, squirrels, and chipmunks.

To attract different species, you need diversity in varieties, sizes, and densities of trees and shrubs on your property.  A common misconception is that a few shade trees on the property is all that is needed to attract birds.  To be most effective in attracting birds, the home landscape must relate closely to the edge of the woods in concept.  Such a setting provides a wide variety of trees and shrubs for birds during various times of the year and, hopefully, for all seasons.

Knowing what attracts birds to an area needs to be understood to be successful.  The homeowner must provide food, water, adequate shelter or cover and, suitable nesting places for birds.  Cover is shelter, safety, a place to hide, breed, cool off, warm up and dry out.  It is a stand of dense evergreens, a hedge, a clump of shrubs, a big leafy tree, or a briar patch; thick vines on a wall; or an unmowed strip of grasses and wildflowers for ground-nesting birds, pheasants, and other game birds, and millions of insects.  Cover should not be far from food and water sources.  Low brush between ground level and 10 feet above the ground provides nesting for most songbirds.  Fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, and vines attract birds and provide nesting habits.

Some landscape trees and shrubs for home areas helpful in attracting birds would include:

(TREES) Amur Maple, Japanese Maple, Red Maple, Serviceberry, Birch, European Hornbeam, Pagoda Dogwood, Flowering Dogwood, Kousa Dogwood, Hawthorn, Green Ash, Honeylocust; Juniper, Sweetgum, Crabapple, Mulberry, Spruce, Pines, Cherry, Oak, and Canadian Hemlock.
(SHRUBS) Red Chokeberry, Barberry, Dogwood, Filbert, Euonymus, Holly, Privet, Spice Bush, Honeysuckle, Northern Bayberry, Buckthorn, Sumac, Blackberry and Raspberry,Yews, Blueberry, and Viburnum.

Annuals can be used in a multitude of places and ways; containers, edging, borders, masking fading foliage of spring bulbs, to fill in spaces between perennials, or massed in groups.  Their colorful flowers and seeds attract many varieties of  birds, butterflies and insects.  A few that work especially well include: Amaranthus, Bachelor Button, California Poppy, Cleome, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Geranium, 

Impatiens, Marigold, Nasturtium, Nicotiana, Petunia, Portulaca, Salvia, Sunflower, and Zinnia.  Since annuals grow, bloom and set seed all in one season, they must be well cared for with proper sun, water, and nutrient requirements met. 

Perennials  are the backbone of the flower border.  They are an important investment in color, fragrance, and become places in the garden for wildlife to enjoy for years to come.  They can live for many years and many can be divided and replanted or passed along to friends.  The lush blooms on a diverse variety of plants, and colors attract all kinds of wildlife.  Most have a shorter bloom periods than annuals, however they can be chosen for a succession of bloom.  By planting a varied spectrum of perennials you can provide a continual source of nectar and pollen for butterflies, bees, other insects, and humming birds, and food plants for insect larvae.  Some to select include:  Aster,  Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly flower, Cardinal Flower, Chrysanthemum, Columbine, Coral  Bells, Coreopsis, Golden Rod, Globe Thistle, Purple Coneflower, Scabiosa, Showy Stonecrop, and Statice.  Also valuable in attracting birds to your landscape would be the use of ornamental grasses. 

If have other gardening questions that you would like to have answered, contact the ABE Center’s Horticulture Hotline at 1-800-358-4678.  Hotline hours are Monday - Friday, from 
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 pm. 
 

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