Growing plants that attract birds, such as dogwood (pictured here), is a natural extension of feeding the birds in winter. It also makes a great deal of sense from a landscaping perspective, in terms of having something colorful to look at year-round in the yard.

When people select trees and shrubs for planting, they often think only of what the plants will do for their landscape design in terms of immediate visual impact. Since most people shop for plants in spring, their selection is skewed in favor of what will look good for the spring season, and perhaps for summer. In lieu of such shortsightedness, think in terms of designing for the whole year: that is, for fall and winter interest, spring flowering and summer foliage. Plants that attract birds are some of your best bets for achieving winter interest in a landscape design, because of the visual impact those colorful birds have on our senses!