Watching butterflies, hummingbirds and other wild birds is a fun part of landscaping. Create butterfly gardens and plant plants good at attracting butterflies. Included are reviews of books and landscape design ideas for attracting birds. Grow and craft gourds to make novel gourd birdhouses. Attracting butterflies to butterfly gardens means plants attractive to you, too!
Butterfly gardens are similar to hummingbird gardens -- but with some important differences. Learn about the plants effective in attracting adult butterflies. But to have optimal butterfly gardens, you'll also need host plants for caterpillars. Like birdwatching, watching butterflies is a natural extension to landscaping.
Birdwatching and landscaping can complement each other beautifully when you plant your landscape with flowering shrubs and trees. Read why dogwood makes #1 on my Top 10 list. Descriptions accompany all 10 of my top picks for spring shrubs and trees, many of which provide hours of birdwatching fun with their colorful berries.
Planting the landscape for fall is about more than just vibrant fall foliage on trees and shrubs. Don't overlook the potential of many shrubs and trees to attract birds. My "Top Ten" list will help bird watchers and landscapers alike.
Butterfly bush has a prime place in butterfly gardens, and is particularly adept at attracting tiger swallowtails. But butterfly bushes also attract hummingbirds, making them must-haves for hummingbird gardens, too. And don't forget the bees: butterfly bush will also attract the bees that will pollinate other plants in your garden.
Attracting butterflies and hummingbirds doesn't mean placing great restrictions on your gardening options. Hummingbird watching goes hand in hand with enjoying beautiful trees, shrubs and other flowering plants that act as virtual birdfeeders. Many bushes that attract hummingbirds also attract butterflies, so it's easy to combine hummingbird gardens and butterfly gardens.
Bittersweet vine is not only colorful, but attracts wild birds. Its berries provide emergency food for wild birds in winter. A landscaping must for bird watchers!
Sumac shrub is an important food source for wild birds in late winter and early spring. With its gold, red and maroon fall colors, native sumac shrub is also a boon to landscapers looking for quick and easy fall color. Enjoy watching bluebirds and robins eat this shrub's berries after all other food sources have dried up!
Ideas to promote bird watching and visual interest on the winter landscape. This list of the 10 best plants for winter focuses on such factors as drawing wild birds for bird watching, color displays and plant hardiness. Pictures included. Attracting birds with these plants "kills 2 birds with one stone," since they're also plants that attract humans!
Winterberry shrub is an important emergency food source for wild birds when winter comes. Its bright red berries also bring color to an otherwise dreary landscape. So grow winter cheer and wild bird food at the same time with colorful winterberry shrub!
Holly is perhaps the second best known Christmas cut evergreen after the Christmas tree. But holly trees and shrubs are also attractive landscape plants, whose berries attract wild birds and provide them with cover from predators. Grow holly as a Christmas present to the wild birds -- and to the the bird watchers in your family.
Chinese wisteria plants serve as host plants for silver-spotted skippers. Find more information about wisteria and include it in your butterfly gardens.
Tired of seeing squirrel pests pig out at the birdfeeder? Birdfood isn't free, after all. Learn about squirrel-proof feeders and other wild bird supplies in this resource.
Backyard bird watchers may wonder how to attract birds to their gardens. This Audubon Society book is all about landscaping to attract birds.
Growing birdhouse gourds gives you a natural alternative to hanging out conventional birdhouses to attract birds. A relative of the birdhouse gourd, namely, the bushel gourd, makes for an excellent jack-o'-lantern. Learn how to grow and craft and these gourds in this article.
William Webb writes, "Just about any shallow water feature functions as a bird bath, and setting one up can be very simple." Learn about a few different options you have for bird bath design in this article from About's Guide to Birding / Wild Birds.
