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Birds fill our garden with life and song. They pollinate our plants, control insects, and provide us
with entertainment. How can we get them to visit? By providing food, water and shelter.
Perching birds like those lovely red finches and the bright, bold chickadee love sunflower seed. Put it into a Tube Feeder;
add a tray to catch the shells and a dome to keep the weather off and they will brighten your yard year round.
Goldfinches have small, pointed beaks that need small seed like Nyger or hulled sunflower. Put this into a
Thistle Feeder and watch your garden glow with brilliant gold!
Ground Feeders like Juncos, Song Sparrows, Towhees and Quail like millet and cracked corn. Feed this seed in
a Hopper or Tray Feeder.
Feed everybody (except the woodpeckers) with a mixed seed placed in a tube or hopper feeder with a large tray attached.
Woodpeckers and Nuthatches like suet. They cannot perch or sit on a tray and have to have a special Suet Feeder to cling to.
If you want to feed on a deck or patio,
use Sunflower Chips (Hulled Sunflower) to prevent mess and wastage. In the garden, use "No Mess Gardeners Mix" to prevent waste and sprouting.
Water is just as attractive to a bird as any type of seed; birds are drawn to the sound of running
water, which can be provided, by a small fountain, solar birdbath or even a water garden. Having birds come to your yard to drink
and bathe can provide added entertainment and life to your garden.
Birds require protection from neighborhood cats and other predatory animals while they feed and drink.
Thick evergreen and deciduous shrubs can provide this shelter when feeders and drinking sites are placed in fairly close proximity.
Some shrubs can even provide extra food and nesting sites, which can help attract even more birds to your yard
Hummingbirds are always a welcomed visitor to the garden. Hummingbird feeders and colourful flowers
like phlox and dahlias are a great way to attract these species. A 4:1 mix of water to sugar is just what they need to keep
active, altering this ratio too much might result in unhappy or sick hummingbirds.
Come visit one of our many ornithologists here at GardenWorks. They’ll be happy to provide tips
and solve any problems you may be having.
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