Birds Benefit Gardens!

It is such a joy to wake up to the whimsical, sing-song melody of birds outside our windows and a plus ...

Attracting Birds To Your Garden

We are bird lovers in our house! While it is such a joy to have colorful, lively birds fluttering through our gardens, it is also a benefit to our gardening plan! When you eliminate the chemicals and let nature take it's course, you'll see they do a great service by removing the harmful pests from the plants. You can even plan well and attract birds to eat those pesky mosquitoes! We have such a great time, they will even greet us on our deck in the mornings looking for their feeders to be filled! They are happy, my children are happy and my garden is benefiting!

Attract Wild Birds

How do birds really help gardens?

Seed eating birds are always looking for seeds on plants such as broad-leaved weeds and grasses. Experts believe that insects and birds eat more than 90% of the weed seed that grows every season.

Swallows demolish flying pests.

They turn over leaves, dig into bark and soil looking for harmful insects, beetles and grubs.

Attracting Birds In Winter

They aren't the only flutter-bys we invite in... we need those bees too! Our fruits, vegetables and flowers benefit from the bees. Bees move pollen from flower to flower and pollinate our plants. And, generally speaking, the bees will leave you alone if you leave them alone, provided that you do not wear sweet smelling perfume or lotions!

Colors That Attracting Birds

Attracting Birds to Your Backyard!

Many yards are already equipped with some necessary elements (trees, shrubs and flowers) for attracting birds. Yet some homeowners have that beautiful new home, with that unbelievably barren yard. I have been there! Here are a few things you can do to attract birds and bees to your home:

Attract Birds To Feeder

Bird Shelters

Provide natural shelter for birds. Trees, shrubs and even some flowers will provide natural shelter and protection. A variety of building bird houses also will provide protection from chilling rains, winds and predators. Work on keeping cats away from feeders. If you own a cat, be sure to put a bell collar on your pet to alert them!

If you want to attract backyard birds for kids AND have the kids enjoy the process. We're currently featuring gourd craft ideas for kids, which includes complete directions for making a gourd birdhouse, gourd painting and gourd decorating ideas. These are great winter craft ideas for kids to make in preparation for spring time! If you're looking for a great homemade hummingbird nectar recipe to create with kids, we've got a great one!

Plants for Birds

Plant flowers that attract the birds you are wanting to draw to your garden. We plant tall red cannas to attract the hummingbirds and golden sunray coreopsis to attract the golden finch birds. And the butterflies love both of those choices!

Bees are attracted to flowers with blue or yellow petals.

Food for Birds

Provide natural food sources as well as a variety of food in feeders. You can try suet and traditional bird food for the majority. Golden finches will come for the thistle seed bird feeders. Hummingbirds will come for the nectar, if you use decorative hummingbird feeders, just be sure there is enough red on the feeder! Watch for the ruby throated humming bird in your backyard- what fun! Berries and fruit are great too, just be sure to net the fruit that you want for yourselves!

Attract Birds Of Prey

Bird Baths

Offer a bath! There are many ways you can provide water for birds. The best would be a water feature with running water, to avoid freezing in winter. We don't have the room for the water feature that I would want, so we use a polyresin bath. If you are in a northern climate, don't forget your birdbath water heaters for those chilly winter days ... frozen water will not keep your feathered friends through the winter!

Remember that birds benefit gardens and include some plants for our feathered flutterbys!

 

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