
Bring Birdwatching Back to Your Own Backyard
There exists an antidote to the hectic, synthetic, stressful aspects of modern life, and it can be found right in your own backyard. The birds that flit from tree to tree are calling you to slow down, sit still, and take in the nature that surrounds you. If you answer the call, you’ll find there’s a special serenity to backyard birdwatching. The combination of being physically calm yet mentally focused elicits a meditative state, your senses become alert and fully present in the moment. While you can birdwatch anywhere, doing so in your backyard comes with all the comforts of home.
You don’t need much to start birdwatching, just a place to sit and view the outdoors. That being said, as your interest grows you may wish to actively encourage birds to visit your yard. You can start simply, with a feeder or bath. If your passion continues to grow, you can shape your entire landscape to attract and entertain flighty friends. To inspire your efforts, we’ve provided a free landscape design, sample plant lists, and advice on using bird houses, feeders, and baths. Feel free to incorporate any or all of these ideas in your garden as you have time and resources. Stop by the nursery for more plant recommendations, or schedule a consultation with one of our award-winning designers to create your own blissful birdwatching backyard.
Trees and Shrubs
As the largest plants in your landscape, trees and shrubs have a huge impact on both the aesthetic and function of your garden. Functionally they provide food, habitat, nesting materials, and hunting grounds for the birds in your yard. Trees that produce seeds, nuts, berries, and fruits provide an abundance source of food while each is ripening. A diverse mix of these plants will ensure food is present through much of the year. Other plants provide an equally important source of food, insects and other small animals. A large tree can be teeming with caterpillars, ants, beetles, lizard, and any number of other small creatures upon which birds feast.
Aesthetically, an informal arrangement of trees and shrubs will realize the greatest benefit to your backyard birds. Replace traditional, tightly clipped hedges with a dense, diverse mix of shrubs and let them grow together into a lively thicket where birds can safely perch, hunt, and nest. You don’t need to turn your yard into a jungle, but the more you are able to increase the diversity and density of trees and shrubs around the perimeter of your yard, the more birds you are likely to attract.
Small Shrubs
Dwarf Blue-stem Palmetto (Sabal minor)
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Strawberry-bush (Euonymous americanus)
Blueberry (Vaccinium spp. – pictured)
Runner Oak (Quercus pumila)
Virginia Willow (Itea virginica)
Blackberry (Rubus spp.)

Large Shrubs / Small Trees
Dwarf Blue-stem Palmetto (Sabal minor)
Figs (Ficus carica)
Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)
Wild Olive (Cartrema Americanum)
Sumac (Rhus spp.)
Chapman’s Oak (Quecus chapmanii)
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
Walter’s Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum)
Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria)
Cherry Laurel (Prunus caroliniana)
Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia – pictured)
Simpson’s Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans)

Large Trees
Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto)
Florida Maple (Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum)
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine – pictured)
Naturally Occurring Holly Hybrids (Ilex x attenuata)
Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
Sweet-bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
Mulberry (Morus spp.)
Tupelo (Nyssa spp.)
Pines (Pinus spp.)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Oaks (Quercus spp.)
Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)

Perennials, Annuals and Grasses
Planting colorful perennials and ornamental grasses can enrich your landscape with beauty and charm while also providing valuable benefits to wildlife. These plants offer shelter, perching spots, nesting materials, and food sources for birds and other animals. Many perennials and annuals, some of which may already be in your garden, produce seeds or attract insects and caterpillars that birds feed on. Allowing flower heads to mature and go to seed, especially in the fall and winter, provides birds with essential nourishment when other food sources are scarce. By incorporating a mix of spring, summer, and fall-blooming plants, you can extend the seasonal offerings of your garden. Ornamental grasses add contrasting textures to the landscape and also serve as cover and habitat for birds and small creatures. Many native grasses produce flower stems late in the season, offering both visual interest and additional seed material. Choosing to plant with birds and other wildlife in mind is an easy way to have a lasting effect on your local community and ecosystem.
Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)
Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.)
Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosa)
Tick Seed (Coreopsis spp.)
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Native Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Native Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella)
Oxeye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Rosinweed (Silphium asteriscus)
Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)
Zinnias
Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.)
Cosmos
Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis)
Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
Cordgrass (Spartina bakeri)
Fakahatchee Grass (Tripsacum dactyloides)




Feeders, Houses and Baths
A bird feeding station is an excellent way to draw birds to your garden quickly. And if you keep your feeders filled with quality food, the birds will keep coming back for more. You can attract a wide range of birds with the right set up in your garden. Picking a bird feeder can be daunting, there are so many types to choose from. Here are some of the main types, and their purpose:
- Tube Feeders: Designed for general mixed seeds, these feeders are the most common for good reason. They are relatively easy to clean, and most birds will be happy to eat from one.
- Platform or Tray Feeders: Compatible with most seed types as well as nuts, fruit, and mealworms. These feeders are great for larger birds such as mourning doves.
- Suet Feeders: As the name suggests, these feeders are for holding suet. Suet is loaded with protein and fat, and especially good for birds during the cool months.
- Hummingbird Feeders: Hummingbirds do not eat bird seed, but they do appreciate a supplement of nectar! You can make your own or use a dye-free hummingbird nectar to fill your feeder. Combine an array of feeders on a pole with multiple hooks for a daily feeding frenzy!
When choosing a location for your feeder(s), there are a couple of things to consider.
- Viewing: You’ll almost certainly want to pick a spot where you can watch the birds gather. Try to make your feeding station visible from a window and/or your garden seating. But, keep in mind that most birds like their privacy! Try to choose a location that is quiet and not too close to high traffic areas.
- Pest restriction: Bird food is not only tasty to birds! Squirrels, raccoons, and rodents may try to get to your bird feeders if they are too close to trees or other objects that the animals can jump from. While these animals need to eat, too, they will hog the food and drain your feeders in no time. It
is best to let these critters get their fill elsewhere.
Once you’ve picked the perfect spot for your feeding station, it is helpful to set up some extra pest control. Squirrels and raccoons have no problem climbing up a straight pole, so the most common defense is a simple baffle. Go for a baffle that is both squirrel and raccoon proof if you live where raccoons are prevalent, as they are capable of climbing over baffles that are suited to just defend against squirrels.
Looking for the perfect bird seed for your new bird feeder(s)? Coles brand Blue Ribbon Blend, available in-store, will attract all of your favorite songbirds.
Water
In your bird garden, don’t forget to include a refreshing water source for your feathered friends.
Essential for wildlife during the hot summer months and during droughts, you might be surprised just how much action you will get at a simple bird bath.
When choosing a bird bath, opt for one that is not too deep. You may have to fill it up more often, but birds will be more inclined to use a shallow bath. The addition of a dripper or mister is also a good way to draw a crowd, and these devices can be an easy way to keep your bird bath full.

Shelter
While many bird species will be perfectly happy to nest in trees and shrubs, some will appreciate the addition of a nesting box. Bluebirds in particular are more likely to flock to an area if appropriate shelter is provided. A bluebird nest box is built with very specific dimensions, so look for a high-quality box that is built for bluebirds.
Be sure to mount the feeder you choose in the optimum spot for the type of bird you are trying to attract.

Have additional questions? Send us an email by clicking HERE or come in to chat with us about birds and birdwatching!
*This article was written by Jonathan Burns (Tallahassee Nurseries Outdoor Manager, FNGLA Florida Certified Horticulture Professional)