This guide by garden writer Jen McGuinness explains how to design and plant a backyard garden space that both attracts and supports winged wildlife, from tiny hummingbirds and stunning woodpeckers to raucous crows and reclusive owls.
Creating a bird-friendly garden is easier than you think. Leave some garden spaces a bit wild for insects, as insect-friendly gardening is hummingbird and bird-friendly gardening. Insects are an important food for baby birds.
Think beyond traditional bird feeders and suet blocks and focus on creating a haven for birds with nest boxes, bird baths, and a year-round supply of fresh water.
“While fresh water is important throughout the year, providing unfrozen clean water for birds to drink from in the winter will not only help your resident birds, but may attract others in the area,” McGuinness points out.
This book includes 18 step-by-step bird-friendly garden design projects with accompanying plant lists for species like Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).
“As you begin to work native plants into your garden and landscape plans, you will find there’s a lot of diversity and generally there’s a plant for every specific growing spot.”