Gardens Sure to Attract Feathered Friends

When planning your spring garden, create a design that will provide hours of enjoyment by attracting birds and butterflies. There are specific shrubs, flowers and design principles that can be used to make your garden a magnet for our feathered friends.

Add Plants Wisely - Whether you're creating a new garden or adding to an existing one, be sure to include plants that attract birds and butterflies. Some good examples are Purple Coneflower, Sedum, Iris, Butterfly Weed (Monarch's love this), Butterfly Bush, Asters, and Bee Balm (always a hummingbird favorite). Many of these plants are also late summer bloomers and will keep your garden shining all summer.

Make a Prairie Habitat - Native plants are not only easy to maintain, but they attract birds and create habitats for other wildlife. Effective prairie plants include False Blue Indigo, Wild Petunia, Prairie Blazing Star and Indian Grasses.

Create a Bird Rest Stop - Design a large area that give birds a place to rest, nest and feast. Include at least one shade tree, a source of water, Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans, ornamental grass and some small fruit producing shrubs.

Add Some Fragrance - Not only humans are attracted by fragrant flowers. Bees and butterflies are also drawn to the sweet scent of Dianthus, Phlox, Russian Sage, Catmint, Lavender, and Nicotiana.

Location, Location, Location - Plan the location of your garden based on your viewing platforms. If you want to view visiting birds out your front windows, then these gardens need to be located in your front yard. If you want to sit on your back patio, then surround this area with plants that birds love, sources of water and shade trees.

Give Your Birdhouse a Boost - If you have a bird house perched on a tall pole, make sure the the birds are attracted to it by planting a circle of bird and butterfly loving plants around the bottom. It also provides a pretty border that will save you some weed whacking.

Take It to the Water - You're certain to attract birds and other types of wildlife with a source of water. The bigger your water source, the bigger the wildlife. A pond surrounded by water plants and perennials make a nice spot for birds and a peaceful setting for a quick retreat.

Bees & Hummingbirds - Adding nectar-rich plants will surely attract big fat honeybees and delightful hummingbirds. Some of these include Phlox Paniculata, Penstemon, Bee Balm, Butterfly Bush, Coreopsis, Sedum, and Daisy.

Wildlife Garden in a Container - Sometimes for the sake of convenience it's easier to create your bird garden out of a container. This fits easily on a deck or under that special window and is easy to maintain. Some plant ideas include Black Eyed Susan, Russian Sage, Pink Verbena, and Purple Coneflower.

Give Me Shelter - These plants are designed to provide habitats and shelter for our feathered friends: Fat Albert Blue Spruce (it's compact and bushy), Pyramidal Arborvitae, Saybrook Gold Juniper, Vernal Witchhazel, Chinese Lilac, Dark Knight Bluebeard, Dwarf Arctic Blue Leaf Willow, and Catmint.