Garden for Birds #3

Well, another week is passing us by.

I want to thank everyone who writes me back.

Gardens and birds can bring total strangers together.

ISN'T IT GREAT!

I feel as though I'm getting to know you and we are becoming neighbors.

You may have fledglings by now.

None for me just yet.

Even with Michigan weather, things are changing in the yard everyday now.

Birds come and go.

Plants seem to grow a foot some days.

New blooms, new plantings.

Chipmunk is still on the loose.

Karen is in a battle with some rabbits munching down her pansies.

Baby powder works wonderful until it rains.

Same with ammonia water.

I may have to break down and get some liquid fence.

Oh well.........................

Last week I was pointing out ways to attract more birds by building under the tree canopies.

There are birds that live in all levels of a forest and our yards.

By gardening with this in mind, attracting several birds will be easier for you.

PERENNIAL GARDENING

Perennial gardens can be a bit of a challenge, yet fun in many ways.

Trees and shrubs become more permanent fixtures in out yards.

As with trees and shrubs, write in on your plans where and what you maywant to plant.

Consider bloom time, how tall your plant may get.

What kind of spread will your new plants have?

Will it be invasive?

Do you want to color coordinate by planting several shades of pinks or yellows?

What about reds and blues?

What will grow in shade and what requires sun?

WHEW! ! !

So many questions I think I'm getting a headache.

FEAR NOT MY FRIEND!

One thing nice about gardening for birds.......

IT'S YOUR YARD!

You can do what you want and however you want to do it.

If you have enough of the attractors planted, birds will come.

Let's go ahead and get started.

Now I know I said it's your yard, but I'm going to help you spend some ofyour money.

You get the rest of the fun.

You get to plant and watch things grow.

You get the rewards of watching nature come to life in your yard.

GETTING STARTED

Once again, go to your zone maps and see what is hardy in your area.

Check out the local nurseries and garden centers.

Look in specialty catalogs.

I like to have something a bit unique if possible.

You know, that one plant that no one else has.

In landscaping, plants are done up in odd numbers.

1....... 3........5 etc.

One is an accent plant, something you want to show off or highlight a certain area.

Groupings are attractors.

Groupings can brake up a mundane landscape.

Highs and lows.

Breaks in the landscape force the eyes to follow more closely.

If you noticed on our walk, your eyes followed every up and down.

You were able to catch colors and wildlife you would've missed if you were watching and walking a straight path.

So it goes in your yard.

WHAT TO PLANT

Some very common perennials are:

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia).

Goldfinches love the seeds from these late summer bloomers.

Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea).

Finches and other small seed-eating birds are attracted to the seed heads late into the fall.

Did you know there are several other seed-producing plants that you may have in your yard right now?

How about daylilies (Hemerocallis).

Yes, if let go, nice seeds can form on these perennial favorites.

Blanket flower (Gailardia)

Again, season long seed heads.

Crocosmia (Crocosmia 'Lucifer')

Besides being great hummingbird attractors, Crocosmia have seed pods

similar to daylilies that open up to show their delights to the birds.

Perennial sunflowers (Helianthus multiflorus)

In late summer into early fall this plant continues to bloom and will fill up with goldfinches.

LOSE THE CLIPPERS

It is so tempting to want that nice groomed look in our yard.

Yet, to make it bird friendly, you will need to lighten up on the clippers and pruning sheers.

Keep some of those old faded bloom stalks standing.

Don't be so quick to cut back that branch.

Your work of art is on going and you will figure it out.

It's fun when you can add a planting or move them around.

Birds will find your yard more friendly when they have a place to rest and feed.

Think of the nesting possibilities.

Another bonus is strangers that will stop just to peek at your masterpiece.

That will give you a warm fuzzy.

An important part to any yard is of course your personality.

Be sure to put plenty of your personality into your yard.

time to go.

Until next time my friend.

Be sure to smile, you might confuse someone

Ron

http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Ron Patterson has been feeding and caring for backyard birds for the past 40 years. He is always looking for better and safer ways to fees and garden for birds. Ron is a Michigan Certified Nurseryman as well. This gives him the expert experience and knowledge needed to garden for birds. You can find Ron's weekly newsletter "Backyard Birding Tips" at: http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

---

Landscaping Design - The Primary Principles

Principles refer to standards or prescriptions for working with or arranging various elements to produce the intended landscape design. Good landscape design follows a combination of seven... Read More

How To Prevent Damping Off

Damping off is the single term used to describe underground, soil line, or crown rots of seedlings due to unknown causes. The term actually covers several soil... Read More

Gardening for Birds Part 2

We've had some well needed rain this past week, though it makes it a bit difficult to get chores done outside.We're past the last frost date for... Read More

Wild Flower Garden - Recreate the Splendor of Nature in Your Own Backyard

A few years ago I made the decision to create a wild flower garden within my existing garden. I had been working to develop a more earth... Read More

Growing Orchids as House Plants

One of the long standing myths that I still hear is that orchid house plants are difficult and finicky to grow. Well, plain and simple, the answer... Read More

Storm Damage and Mature Tree Pruning

One winter evening I was working on the computer when the power went out. The freezing rain that had been forecast must have been the culprit. It... Read More

Dont Roll that Lawn

Every spring some mysterious hormone hits the male of the species and the urge to "do lawn work" strikes.One rite of spring is act of rolling the... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Landscaping Schemes - Do They Add Value-Is It The Chicken Or The Egg?

Have you noticed how everything looks great at the moment - in the garden and parks I mean. Everything seems in bloom, full of colour and life.... Read More

Add Rich Color To Your Garden With Blue Perennial Flowers

Blue flowers are some of the most striking plants around and can add a rich splash of color to any garden. Plant them in a cluster of... Read More

Xeriscaping is Waterwise Gardening

What is xeriscaping? You may have heard of xeriscaping as a way of landscaping in the Southwestern United States. You may picture xeriscaping as a lot of... Read More

Get your Garden Cooking with Friable Soil

Oh sure, fried green tomatoes are ok; but I'll take an extra helping of friable soil any day! This is the desire of any gardener who attempts... Read More

Vegetable Growing for Beginners

If you have never grown vegetables before the first thing that you need to decide is where to plant them in your garden. Most vegetables need 6-8... Read More

Garden Makeover On A Budget

There's been a huge increase in the popularity of garden makeovers. Teams of people come in and transform your garden in less than a day. But how... Read More

Five Tips For Garden Sanctuaries

The design of your garden has an amazing affect on your family's health and well-being. Here is how you can create harmony in your garden-which is considered... Read More

June Gardening Tips

These are just a few gardening tips for you to consider here in late June. Many people seem to think that just because all the plants have... Read More

Landscape Wallpaper

Landscape wallpaper can be a great addition to your computer's desktop. Since most of us always have our PCs running, it is refreshing to see a beautiful... Read More

Are My Grapes Ready to Harvest?

This is the time of the year that I keep hearing the question "When do I harvest my grapes?" Or sometimes the question is phrased "Are my... Read More

Feng Shui in the Garden

"The Ancient Art of Placement" called Feng Shui (pronounced phung schway) literally means 'wind' and 'water.' The Chinese believe this cosmic energy, called Chi or 'the green... Read More

Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses

Set in a broad expanse of lush green lawn a length of split rail fence forms a corner. Carpeted with a thick layer of soil preserving and... Read More

Hydroponics Gardening verses Organic Gardening: Which Grows the Best Cannabis?

Copy-write 2005 Jan Money.Hydroponics gardening offers many advantages to the cannabis grower. In fact hydroponics gardening is probably the number one source all cannabis that is cultivated... Read More

Outdoor Furniture: Exploring the Benefits of Teak

Of the many types of materials that are available for the construction of outdoor furniture, teak is often overlooked. This beautiful wood ? of tropical origin ?... Read More

Orchids Plus More Newsletter - December, 2004

Newsletter Name Change?After several of you made suggestions to me to shorten the name of the newsletter we have decided that it may be a good idea.... Read More

How to Control Poison Ivy

Poison ivy is found throughout southern Canada and most of the United States except Alaska and Hawaii. It is readily found along road sides, fences, railroads, and... Read More

Plan Before Buying Rose Bushes

So, you have decided to plant rose bushes in your yard or on your patio, porch or balcony. Now all you have to do is go out... Read More

All about Tulip Gardens

As the curtain of winter lifts, tulips are one of the first flowers to take the spring stage. As the last drifts of snow seep into the... Read More

9-11 Changed Everything for the Garden Tractor Business

While traveling the US and occasionally taking the back highways one might have seen an interesting trend. That is the proliferation of the Lawn Garden tractors. They... Read More