Birds and Community Gardens
Creating An Enticing Habitat For Birds In Your LA Garden
Of all the birds in the US, nearly one third are in significant decline largely due to loss of suitable habitat. This is yet another great reason to create an attractive community garden, not only to bring people together to grow plants and produce but also to provide a safe haven for one of the widest selection of birds on the North American continent. A garden is an ecosystem reliant on insects for pollination and native birds to keep them under control and it also serves as a safe breeding ground or waystation for migrating butterflies and birds. Adding attractions to your garden is quite simple and provides benefits for the neighborhood and local wildlife.
Add some water
Water is vital to birds and it is important to supply a source in your garden if you want them to visit. A water feature with a fountain is ideal to draw birds to your garden. As well as being attractive and soothing for humans, moving water stays cleaner and prevents the build-up of bacteria and algae. Birds will be particularly drawn by the sound and movement of flowing water and the noise of other birds splashing as they fly by. The birds can then drink from the fountain but will also use the bowl to bathe themselves and cool down in excessive heat.
Choose the right flowers and plants
To feed the birds and offer them shelter give some thought to which plants to include in your garden in order to maximize its appeal. Placing trees and shrubs at different levels provides safe cover and nesting opportunities or you can add boxes to encourage breeding. Native plants will attract more wildlife to your garden as they are adapted to the area. Sunflowers will attract finches and chickadees and hummingbirds are particularly attracted to red flowers like those produced by the Californian figwort.
Apart from birdsong, here’s what you’ll get in return
In return, hummingbirds are great pollinators and, because they are so active, also have to eat an enormous amount which is great for controlling unwanted bugs in your garden. Garden pests are at their peak in late spring and early summer just as birds are busy feeding their chicks. The western bluebird’s diet consists entirely of insects and it will happily eat caterpillars, weevils, and snails, all destructive forces in the garden especially when you are trying to grow produce for eating. Some birds like sparrows will also help keep weeds at bay by eating their seeds.
Taking a little time to include attractive features for birds in your garden will enhance your garden greatly. Not only will it be filled with color and song, your plants will flourish as the birds eat pests from your vegetable garden and pollinate the trees and shrubs.
