Planting Flowers that Attract Birds
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Gardening in an Environmentally Friendly Way - Chemicals and toxins in our environment hurt wildlife and us.
Landscaping for birds begins with trees and thickets, but garden flowers will attract birds, too. It's not the blossoms themselves that most birds want. It's the seeds that follow after.
It is best to include flowers that produce the seeds that are prized by birds, such as the sunflowers, as birds love sunflower seeds.
If possible, plant your sunflowers (in full sun) where you can easily see them, so that you can watch the birds dining on them. You can save sunflower seed for the winter by putting each seed head into a grocery back and tieing around the stem. Make sure to leave some of the flower heads uncovered so that the hungry birds will not be driven to peck through the paper. When the seed heads have dried, cut them from the stems and store them in a metal container so that mice won't get into them.
In winter you can wire the seed head to a tree or a feeder for the chickadees, cardinals, goldfinches and blue jays to enjoy.
Other garden flowers treasured by birds love include cosmos, snapdragon, zinnia, cockscomb, aster and larkspur. After these flowers have finished blooming, don't cut off their heads. Let them dry where they stand. In winter your garden will bloom again with the gold of finches and the red of cardinals.
You can create a heaven for birds by planting native wildflowers. This can be -- depending on where you live -- purple and yellow coneflowers, monarda also know as bee balm, larkspur, black-eyed susan, and maximilian sunflowers.
Please remember that native flowers will attract native birds. Native flowers are also more resilient to diseases and are usually easier to care for as they have adapted to your climate and soil. Your local nursery should be able to recommend garden flowers that are native to your area.
At this website you can find out what plants are right for your area.
Gardening to Attract Wildlife:
Gardening in an Environmentally Friendly Way - Chemicals and toxins in our environment hurt wildlife and us. This step is an important in having your garden certified as a Wildlife Habitat ... Landscaping to Attract Birds (Baltimore Bird Club) ... What Bird Feeders to Use ..... Backyard Wildlife Planting for Habitat (NebGuide) ... Attracting Hummingbirds to your Garden (Hummingbirds.Net) ... Hummingbird Feeders ... Backyard Habitat: Make a home for birds, butterflies, and nature's other creatures ... From Trash to Treasures - Projects to Attract Birds to Your Backyard ... Managing for the Most: A Landowners Planning and Planting Guide to Conserving North Dakota's Wildlife Legacy ... Build a Wildlife Pond ... Furnishing a Backyard B & B
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