Landscaping for the birds

Landscaping with birds in mind is good Feng Shui

Inviting birds into your yard brings good energy. Feng Shui teaches us that energy is attracted by movement, colors, sounds and living things. Birds bring all of these things into our gardens. Birdfeeders aren’t the only tools for attracting birds. By choosing the right trees, shrubs and perennials, you can create a habitat that will draw birds and other wildlife.

• Conifers provide cover, winter shelter and summer nesting sites. Some also provide sap, buds and seeds.
• Grasses and legumes provide cover for ground-nesting birds if the area is not mowed during the nesting season. Some also provide seeds.
• Nectar-producing plants attract hummingbirds and orioles. Hummingbirds especially like tubular red flowers, such as bee balm, coral bells and penstemon.
• Summer-fruiting plants include cherry, honeysuckle, raspberry, serviceberry, grape and plum. Birds attracted include brown thrashers, robins, thrushes, waxwings, woodpeckers, orioles, cardinals, and grosbeaks.
• Fall-fruiting plants include dogwoods, mountain ash, and cotoneasters. They are used by both migratory birds preparing to leave and non-migratory species preparing for winter.
• Many winter-fruiting plants are not palatable until they have frozen and thawed numerous times. These include chokecherry, snowberry, sumac and Virginia creeper.
• Nut and acorn plants provide food and nesting habitat. They include oaks, hickories, and sunflowers.

In addition to food and cover, birds and other wildlife need water. Water features (without chemicals) and bird baths are essential.