Designing a garden that not only beautifies your outdoor space but also supports and attracts various bird species is a rewarding and environmentally conscious endeavor. By incorporating specific elements and practices into your garden, you can create a haven for our feathered friends. From providing food and water sources to creating suitable nesting habitats, there are numerous ways to make your garden a sanctuary for birds. In this guide, we’ll explore a range of bird-friendly garden ideas that will help you attract, protect, and enjoy the presence of these enchanting creatures. Get ready to transform your garden into a vibrant ecosystem that birds will call home.
1. Shelter
Search for spacious shrubs with an open arrangement that offers ample space for birds to freely enter and exit, as well as discover hiding spots within the shrub. Strive for a balanced combination of deciduous and evergreen shrubs to ensure your garden offers a habitat throughout the year.
#1. Cotinus (“Royal-Purple” Somke Bush)
Source: The Paintbox Garden
#2. Forsythia (Fool Gold)
Source: Green Acres
#3. Hydrangea Paniculata (Fire Light)
Source: Proven Winners
#4. Hydrangea Paniculata (Little Lime Punch)
Source: Proven Winners
#5. Hydrangea Quercifolia (Gatsby Moon)
Source: Frau Zinnie
#6. Hydrangea Quercifolia (Gatsby Star)
Source: Proven Winners
#7. Sambucus (Black Lace)
Source: Blue Grass Nursery
#8. Weigela (The Velvet Fog)
Source: Plant Addicts
#9. Rhododendron (Dandy Man “Color-Wheel”)
Source: Proven Winners ColorChoice
#10. Thuja (Fluffy Series)
Source: Arbor Day Foundation
2. Nesting
Consider selecting shrubs of substantial size that possess dense branches. This characteristic enhances the number of attachment points available for nests while simultaneously increasing the difficulty for predators and other birds to access these nesting sites. It is worth noting that the role of evergreen shrubs in providing nesting sites is not as crucial since nesting predominantly takes place during the growing season.
#11. Abelia (Sweet Emotion)
Source: White Flower Farm
#12. Chaenomeles (Double Take Orange)
Source: Spring Meadow Nursery
#13. Syringa (bloomerang “dark-purple”)
Source: Ashwood Nurseries
#14. Viburnum (Carlesii)
Source: White Flower Farm
3. Food
Attracting a greater number of birds to your yard can be achieved by offering them a food source. Numerous bird species depend on berries and seeds as their primary sustenance, making it advantageous to plant shrubs that bear such nourishment. Elderberry, serviceberry, and chokeberry are excellent choices for bird-friendly shrubs, as they produce fruits that birds find irresistible to eat.
#15. Aronia (Low Scape Mound)
Source: Garden Crossings
#16. Cephalanthus (Sugar Shack)
Source: Johnson’s Nursery
#17. Callicarpa (pearl glam)
Source: Plant Addicts
#18. Buddleia (Pugster Pinker)
Source: Lots of Plants
#19. Itea (Scentlandia)
Source: Amazon.com
#20. Symphoricarpos (Proud Berry)
Source: Spring Meadow Nursery