Is something missing from your garden? Is it a little too quiet out there? How about drawing birds to your garden? They are a source of endless entertainment, dashing, fluttering, feeding, jumping, bathing, and eventually flying off. Make it a joyful place to spend your leisure time. Birds have a way of making the garden come alive. These foraging creatures are independent spirits, wild at heart, but if you provide what they need — food, water, shelter, and nesting spaces — they will return to your urban garden again and again.
Bird feeders provide instant gratification to bird and human alike but require regular cleaning and refilling. A complementary and sustainable approach is to plant shrubs with berries that our feathered friends find irresistible.
Plant Instant Bird FoodToyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia). An evergreen shrub to eight feet that produces brilliant red berries in November and December. Flocks of cedar waxwings and other birds gorge on the berries until they disappear. Attractive in flower as well as fruit, this native, noninvasive alternative to firethorn or cotoneaster is a must for bird-friendly gardens.
Blue elderberry (Sambucus mexicana). I call this plant an avian cafeteria for the sheer variety and quantity of songbirds that visit it in July and August to snack on the pale-blue berries. (Yes, the berries are edible by humans, too.) By nature a large shrub, this fast-growing deciduous plant can be easily pruned and shaped as a multi-trunked tree to 20 feet.
Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica). This handsome shrub looks good year round, with dark green foliage and stems that mature from mahogany to brown. Tiny flowers attract hummingbirds and native bees in spring. Berries go from green to red to chocolate in fall, and are consumed eagerly by birds.
Holly-leaved cherry (Prunus ilicifolia). You can train this lush green shrub as a hedge or allow it to grow to a 20-foot tree. Flowers attract insects (therefore birds) in spring; fruit attracts birds in late summer and fall. Slow growing and drought tolerant.
Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium). The state shrub of our neighboring state thrives in partial shade. Shiny green leaves and yellow flower clusters adorn it in spring. By fall, the flowers have turned into purple berries that the birds love. Cold weather brings red color to the leaves.
In addition to food, birds need a steady source of water, especially during the dry summer months. Include a water feature in the garden: a simple fountain or a more elaborate stream or pond, or something as basic as a bird bath that is refilled by hand every few days. If you provide it, they will find it.
Shelter is a critical component of bird habitat. Densely branching shrubs thwart larger predators and provide safe haven to small birds. Shrubs that provide food as well as shelter do double duty, and are preferred choices.
Each species has its own unique nesting requirements, and it is best to include trees and shrubs of varying sizes in the garden to provide a range of options for nesting sites.
Sloat Garden Center carries these plants, as well as a wide range of bird seed. Stop in!
We wish you & your family health, happiness and good gardening in 2010!
