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Hi Everyone!
I had such a good response to my Wild Flowers post for attracting butterflies that I thought I would ask about plants and shrubs for birds. I already have a bird table and love watching them feed, but I would love to attract more. I've been successful in encouraging Blue Tits to nest in the two nesting boxes I have, and I want to do more.
Thanks
Jayne
Hi Jayne, Bare root native hedge plants are really good value and of course birds and insects love them, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, field maple, dog rose are just some of a whole host. Rowan is good too, also spindle is great. Garden berry bearers such as cotoneaster, pyracantha, crab apple, honeysuckle all go down well. Rosa rugosa not only has those gorgeous, highly scented flowers that insects love but their big, fat hips attract blackbirds, thrushes, both song and mistle.
Seed bearing plants that birds love include verbena bonariensis, evening primrose, teasel and sunflower of course and if you leave the seed heads over winter not only will the birds be grateful for the feast but ladybirds and other insects and their laravae will hibernate in them ready to munch your aphids early in the season. Also the various tits will be poking about looking for larvae.
Hi JustJayne
I did a UK only Google search for 'plants that attract birds', and plenty of ideas came up
Here are some ideas
Some of them attract other wildlife as well as birds, but there are plenty of choices.
Best wishes Chris
Click Here to see my photos
Kezsmum said: Hi Jayne, Bare root native hedge plants are really good value and of course birds and insects love them, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, field maple, dog rose are just some of a whole host. Rowan is good too, also spindle is great. Garden berry bearers such as cotoneaster, pyracantha, crab apple, honeysuckle all go down well. Rosa rugosa not only has those gorgeous, highly scented flowers that insects love but their big, fat hips attract blackbirds, thrushes, both song and mistle. Seed bearing plants that birds love include verbena bonariensis, evening primrose, teasel and sunflower of course and if you leave the seed heads over winter not only will the birds be grateful for the feast but ladybirds and other insects and their laravae will hibernate in them ready to munch your aphids early in the season. Also the various tits will be poking about looking for larvae.
Hi Kezsmum,
Some great suggestions there thank you. My only problem being that I have nowhere to plant a hedge sadly. I would love one...unless they would thrive in planters? The yard is tarmac and my garden area is along two walls about 3ft wide.
I love the idea of seed bearing plants because so many look nice over winter too, so thank you for that as well!
Woodpecker said: Hi JustJayne I did a UK only Google search for 'plants that attract birds', and plenty of ideas came up Here are some ideas Some of them attract other wildlife as well as birds, but there are plenty of choices.
Hi Chris,
Do you know, Google is usually the first place I look when I need to know anything, so why I didn't do it this time is strange! Although I have to admit to enjoying the welcome I have received here, everyone has been so helpful!
Thanks for the links I'll look now.
Hi again Jayne.
If you only have planters I have had visually gorgeous results by planting corn marigolds in one, field poppies in another, cornflowers in a third and finally, corn chamomile - group the pots together and it looks stunning and of course they all seed, so you may get birds noshing on the seeds and of course, you can save some to plant the next year. Insects love them all and may attract insect eating birds. This is a great wheeze for all sorts of native annuals. The point of planting each variety seperately is that they don't compete and so all do well. Limnanthes douglasii (poached egg plant) attracts hoverflies and other insects and they could help keep your pots clear of aphids. Rosa rugosa may do ok in large tubs, again if they are grouped birds may be more likely to find them. Oh yes, and honeysuckle can thrive in large pots. Some of the shrubby type plants may do well in planters but they'd have to be big planters, will take a lot of care, watering, feeding etc because the compost will lose nutrients in no time flat, so it's a high maintenence solution and won't last for more than a few years until the shrubs outgrow their space. Good luck!
Hi Jayne, I bought this book at my local garden centre and it's been very useful.
Sarah
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GARDENS-BIRDS-AURA-GARDEN-GUIDES-/120675271035
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/
Hi Bramble,
Thanks I'll have a look on Amazon!
Kezsmum said: Hi again Jayne. If you only have planters I have had visually gorgeous results by planting corn marigolds in one, field poppies in another, cornflowers in a third and finally, corn chamomile - group the pots together and it looks stunning and of course they all seed, so you may get birds noshing on the seeds and of course, you can save some to plant the next year. Insects love them all and may attract insect eating birds. This is a great wheeze for all sorts of native annuals. The point of planting each variety seperately is that they don't compete and so all do well. Limnanthes douglasii (poached egg plant) attracts hoverflies and other insects and they could help keep your pots clear of aphids. Rosa rugosa may do ok in large tubs, again if they are grouped birds may be more likely to find them. Oh yes, and honeysuckle can thrive in large pots. Some of the shrubby type plants may do well in planters but they'd have to be big planters, will take a lot of care, watering, feeding etc because the compost will lose nutrients in no time flat, so it's a high maintenence solution and won't last for more than a few years until the shrubs outgrow their space. Good luck!
Hi again!
Brilliant, thanks for the tips! I hate the tarmac so lots of pots to brighten it up is the obvious answer!
Keysmum - I agree! the wild flowers in tubs sounds gorgous.