A garden planted with birds in mind brings year-round activity and color, and needs surprisingly little beyond the right plant choices and a water source.
Planting for Food
Native berry-producing shrubs like elderberry and serviceberry, along with seed-heavy perennials like coneflower and black-eyed Susan, provide natural food sources through the seasons. Leaving spent flower heads standing into fall and winter, rather than deadheading everything, gives birds a valuable seed source when food is scarce.
Attracting Hummingbirds
Tubular red and orange flowers like salvia, bee balm, and trumpet vine are especially attractive to hummingbirds, whose long bills are well suited to reaching their nectar. A hummingbird feeder filled with a simple sugar-water solution supplements these plantings nicely, especially during migration.
Water and Shelter
A birdbath or shallow water feature draws in far more species than food alone, and dense shrubs or small trees give birds safe cover to nest and shelter from predators. Skipping pesticides preserves the insects many birds rely on to feed their young.
