Add native plants that feed the birds and you'll enjoy a nonstop show in the garden. Don't be hasty about cleanup in the fall: Leave annual and perennial flowers to go to seed to provide food, cover, and a perching place for the birds.
The Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) reaches 5 feet tall and spreads into a thicket; it's perfect for a native-plant landscape. Its single pink flowers are followed by pear-shape red hips that are important as a source of grit for juncos, grosbeaks, and thrushes.
Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), grows about 4 feet tall. In late summer, sprays of tiny, sunshine-yellow flowers cover the tops of stems, followed by lots of seeds for the birds.
Farewell-to-Spring (Clarkia amoena) is a 2-foot-tall annual bearing 1- to 2-inch-wide pink flowers in late June. The capsules split open to reveal lots of seeds. Birds eat some; others will fall to the ground to become next year's flowers.
Bigleaf lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) prefers damp sites and reaches 4 feet tall. Its violet flowers develop into hairy pods, which then split to reveal seeds for birds.
Top Brands
Related Links
