Benefits of birds in the landscape
Inviting birds to your landscape can be rewarding, entertaining and add value to your home. Birds may also be the hardest working guests you host at your home all year! They pollinate flowers, scatter seeds and help control pests. Birds require only the basics: Shelter, food and water. Although bird feeders are the obvious choice, you can provide them with food simply by improving their habitat through landscaping your backyard.

Creating the Landscape
Start with evergreen trees such as Colorado spruces and White pines which will provide shelter and nesting places. When these trees are planted on the north and west sides of the feeding area, they serve as a windbreak as well. Plant more than one variety and use a mix of small and large trees for a natural effect. This will provide a beautiful backdrop for smaller flowering trees, like dogwood and serviceberry.

Shrubs like weigelia and viburnum, can be used for hiding places, shady resting spots, quick cover from predators, and provide a great nesting habitat for wildlife. These shrubs are useful for screens, barriers, hedges, and mixed plantings under and around the trees. Many birds live off of shrubs that have berries like holly and beautyberry. Plant them in varying heights and textures to create a more visually appealing garden.

Perennials and annuals are also perfect food for some of our favorite birds. The seed heads of many flowers such as Black-Eyed Susan and Coneflower attract and nourish some of our favorite garden birds like the NJ state bird, the gold finch. Vines offer shelter and quick cover for birds, and entice them with flowers, berries, insects, shelter and nesting sites.

Groundcovers are a key feature in any landscape by making the transition from lawns to shrubs and trees seem natural. They will also provide shelter, blossoms, and berries for food. This gardening style makes an attractive landscape and invites the birds along to provide a combination of beauty that only nature can provide, and you can enjoy.

Birdhouses should be used when you wish to add whimsical decor to your yard as well as an area for the birds. Different varieties of birds prefer different nesting sites. Many species adapt well to birdhouses, while others prefer nesting on the ground, in communities, or in the branches of trees at various heights. You can find several kinds of houses from Barlow's including the two pictured. Don't forget to provide plant material used in nest building to entice more birds to your property.

Water Sources
A source for clean drinking water is essential for birds of all species. There may be a natural source near your property or you may decide to provide it in the form of a birdbath or water garden. Ponds, fountains, or other water elements accent the garden and provide necessary moisture and drinking sources for birds. Many birds find dripping water especially attractive. You can find a wide variety of birdbaths and fountains at Barlow's at various prices, including the fountain in the picture.

Dangers to our Feathered Friends
If you do choose to attract birds to your landscape, be aware of some of the dangers involved for the birds. Cats account for about 30 percent of birds killed at feeders. If you can keep your cat indoors, it will protect the birds and keep the cat safer. Another immediate danger for birds is pesticides and insecticides. Many birds feast upon the nasty bugs that bother us. When a bird finds a dead insect, it sees an easy meal, not a poison pest. If you can forgo the pesticides you may discover the increased bird population will create a healthy balance with less harm to the environment.

With little effort and some smart landscaping, your backyard can flourish with many species of birds and a beautiful garden.