
Laura Erickson’s book, 100 Plants to Feed the Birds, offers information and plants lists for creating a bird-friendly landscape in your own backyard. By planting a variety of native species, bird lovers can provide food and shelter that can be enjoyed year around by both birds and their caretakers. If you are looking for trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants to appeal to birds, Erickson’s book offers suggestions that will be beautiful as well as effective in bringing our feathered friends into the garden.
An introductory chapter gives suggestions for starting a bird garden. While acknowledging that bird feeders are important, it shows that the feeders are limited to birds that eat seeds and suet and do not provide nesting sites, shelter, or protection. The chapter discusses the intimate relationship between some birds and their environment, warns against some harmful and invasive plants, and lays out a guide for attracting a variety of bird species over a relatively long period of time. Special attention is given to meeting seasonal needs, providing clean water for bathing and drinking, and furnishing protection from predators, pesticides, and accidents.
The bulk of the book is devoted to profiles of native plants that provide seeds, fruits, nectar, or host caterpillars and other insects, and/or those that provide nesting materials or nesting and roosting sites.. The profiles are divided into 8 groups: confers (9), broadleaf trees (20), grasses (7), herbaceous plants (30), plants that grow on trees (3), shrubs (23), vines (4), and cactus and yucca (4). Within each group the plants are listed by genus and one to several recommended species are described. Each entry includes a map of the natural range of the genus in the US, the birds that are attracted by the plant and why, uses, water and light requirements, most useful season, color, and maximum height. Icons of bird-attracting features of the plants facilitate quick assessments and photographs of the plant and some of the birds it attracts enhance the text. End materials include a chart of favorite plants of common North American birds with nesting choices and preferred food, a list of North American Native Plant Societies with contract information, and an index.
100 Plants to Feed the Birds is a valuable guide to starting a bird garden based on ecologically sound principles. The emphasis on the interelatedness of plants and birds, use of native plants, and avoidance of introduced species sets gardens up for success that will be rewarding to both the environment and the gardener. Erickson brings the possibility of a bird garden into the reach of both newbies and experienced gardeners almost everywhere in the US.
To buy 100 Plants to Feed the Birds from Amazon, click here.
c