Attract Birds to Your Garden with a Few Easy Additions

Are you an avid bird watcher? Would you like to see more bird activity in your garden? It’s easy to turn on the welcome sign and attract birds by simply changing up a few things.

We detail the best tips to attract more birds to your garden below.

Food, Water, and More!

To start, one of the best keys to attracting more birds to your garden is providing a bird feeder. Make sure your bird feeder is clean by washing it with soap and water first.

If you’re reusing an older bird feeder, inspect the feeder for any holes or blockage and repair these areas. Next, stock the feeder full of birdseed. Be sure to continuously refill your feeder so the birds regularly return to your garden.

Adding a birdbath will also attract birds to your garden. Birds love to bathe and drink the water. It is also recommended to add a feature that makes the water trickle or bubble, so the birds can hear there is water nearby.

In addition, providing nesting supplies in your garden will also attract birds. Leaving items such as fabric or string in an area of your yard or garden will attract a variety of birds and you will be likely to start seeing a nest or two in the trees nearby.

For more tips and pointers on the basics of attracting birds to your garden click here.

How to Attract Birds with Flowers & Trees

Birds are more attracted to your garden when you have flowers and trees that contain nesting materials or food. We gathered our favorite types of plants to beautify your garden and attract birds for both the spring and summer season.

Be sure to check your hardiness zone and chose suitable flowers and trees for your geographic location.

To learn more about the importance of finding your hardiness zone, click here.

Spring Birds

The rainstorms of spring make it the perfect time to plant flowers or trees. To attract birds, we recommend adding any of these plants in early spring so you can see them bloom this year.

Pine Trees- Planting pine trees is the perfect way to attract birds to your yard or garden. They provide a great source for shelter and material for birds to create nests. (Zones 3 to 8)

Bachelor’s Buttons- This type of flower can be planted in zones 2 to 11. They typically bloom in the late spring and throughout the summer.

Bachelor’s Buttons add beautiful bluish-purple color to your garden. These flowers attract sparrows, buntings, and finches. Bachelor’s buttons can be invasive, so make sure you take the necessary precautions to keep them in their place.

Viburnum- Viburnum bushes attract birds because they make a great nesting space, and provide nesting materials. They are very easy to grow and attract many different species of birds. (Zones 3 to 10).

Butterfly Weed- This plant will not only attract butterflies but birds too! Goldfinches, hummingbirds, and orioles love this plant the most. Birds can also use parts of the butterfly weed for nesting materials. (Zones 3 to 9).

Columbine- Add some color into your garden with columbine! This spring-blooming plant attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds. To allow more blossoms to form in the summer, remove spent columbine blossoms. (Zones 3 to 9).

To specifically attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden, check out our blog post here.

Summer Birds

Growing the following list of flowers in your garden this summer will attract a wide variety of birds. Many of these plants bloom into the autumn and continue to attract birds throughout the seasons.

Purple Coneflower- This bright flower makes a beautiful addition to any garden. Purple coneflowers attract birds, bees, and butterflies! It is recommended to plant purple coneflower in zones 3 to 10.

Liatris- It’s suggested to plant liatris in the early spring to see them bloom the same year. Goldfinches and tufted titmice are attracted to liatris because of its seed heads. (Zones 3 to 9).

Black-Eyed Susan- This type of flower will bloom from summer into autumn. The black-eyed susan’s seed heads attract chickadees, American goldfinches, and house finches.

Also, most avid gardeners suggest growing black-eyed susan in light shade or full sun. (Zones 3 to 9).

Zinnia- Hummingbirds and butterflies are most attracted to these colorful flowers. Zinnias require little care and will bloom into the fall.

Furthermore, it is ideal to plant these flowers in late spring to early summer in zones 4 to 8. Want to learn more about zinnias? Check out our blog post all about zinnias here.

Primrose- To add a little bit of fragrance in your garden, planting primrose is a must. Furthermore, primrose fragrance attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. It is recommended to plant primrose in partial shade. (Zones 4 to 8).

For more information on which plants to add to your garden to attract birds in any season, click here.

Overall, bird watching will be much more fulfilling after using our tips for attracting birds to your garden. It’s as simple as adding in a clean bird feeder or birdbath to start. Then adorning your garden with beautiful flowers to attract a variety of birds.