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Reasons to Make a Bird-Friendly Garden

If you love gardening, here’s why you should consider making your garden a bird-friendly one.
Paisley Hansen
A garden offers you a gorgeous sanctuary. It provides your yard with a special touch of beauty. Gardening, as an activity offers physical exercise and can help to lower your stress levels. If you plant your garden right, you can even attract visitors.
There are numerous species of birds. Watching them flit around your garden can be quite entertaining and can provide you with some incredible photo opportunities. You might even encounter birds you’ve never had the opportunity to see before. In addition to being pretty to look at, birds can also be quite beneficial.

Plant Pollination

Pollination is essential for flowers and other plants to produce seeds or fruits. When most people think of pollination, they typically think of bees. While bees are effective pollinators, they aren’t the only ones responsible for aiding your garden’s growth. Birds can be just as effective at helping to pollinate your plants.
Hummingbirds and other nectar-sipping birds (such as orioles and sunbirds) pick up pollen from different plants and transfer them as they move around. This can result in more flowers and more colors, giving you an even more beautiful garden.

Natural Pest Control

One of the biggest issues gardeners face, is pests. Insects like aphids, caterpillars, snails, and slugs can destroy flowers and plants, ruining your gorgeous garden. Some insects, like the Cricket, can be beneficial in small numbers but can be devastating in larger populations.
Birds act as a natural form of pest control. Many species consume insects, which helps to keep pest populations under control. Attracting birds to your garden with specific flowers and plants encourages them to take advantage of this natural food source. While birds enjoy what they like to eat, you have benefit of keeping your garden safe.

Weed Management

Pests are one of the biggest problems gardeners face. Weeds are another common problem. They compete with your existing plants for water and nutrients. They can block your flowers from the sunlight they need to grow. No matter how many you pull, they never seem to disappear.
Rather than spraying your garden with potentially dangerous weed killers, encourage birds to stop by. Some species (sparrows and finches) love to eat weed seeds. These birds enjoy a tasty treat and you don’t need to spend hours pulling weeds from plants.

How to Make Your Garden Bird-Friendly

Now that you know having a bird-friendly garden is incredibly beneficial, your next step is turning your garden into a haven for your feathered visitors. How exactly do you make your garden bird-friendly? There are a few things you can do to encourage birds to visit your garden.

Choose Plants, Keeping the Birds in Mind

Birds like to eat seeds of many different plants. Common favorites include zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers, thistles, and poppies. You can also encourage birds with trees and shrubs that produce fruit during different times of the year. This way, the birds always have something to eat no matter what season it is.

Provide a Source of Water

Water offers more than just something to drink. It gives the birds a place to bathe. It also attracts bugs, which can provide an additional food source.

Provide Shelter

Birds need shelter. Shrubs and trees offer protection from sun, wind, and rain. They can provide a place for birds to hide from predators. Birds may even build nests in some trees or shrubbery.
Making your garden a haven for birds (and yourself) gives several benefits. You get to see different birds as they come to your yard and birds have a place to rest, eat, and relax. While in your garden, birds help to pollinate plants and get rid of unwanted garden pests. It’s a mutually beneficial relation for all to enjoy.