Published by BC Living, September 1, 2002
Feeding the birds certainly has its rewards, and most of the time, the rewards are immediate: put out the seed, and the birds will come. Providing natural food for the birds in your garden, however, is a bit more of a challenge. The plants that birds depend on to sustain them do not grow overnight, and so we have to engage in a little forethought when it comes to planning our gardens. If your garden is healthy, it will already draw birds, but you can make it even more attractive to them by planting for their needs. Plants that attract birds can be placed loosely into two groups: those that provide shelter, and those that provide food.
Birds are not particularly fussy about which shrubs they perch in or build their nests in. The important thing when you are considering your plantings is to allow for a variety of shrubbery. Deciduous shrubs and trees provide cover for part of the year, while coniferous species will also provide shelter from the elements in the cold months. Some connectivity between plantings will allow birds to avoid the open areas that expose them to attack by predators; there is nothing better for housing birds than a tangled hedgerow. When choosing plants...[READ MORE]