Insights
Fall is harvest season—and it’s even better when our local garden visitors can enjoy some of the bounty, too. Plants that provide food for birds are one example.
Along with colorful leaves, fall brings an abundance of delicious treats. While restaurants serve game dishes, the “wild fall” in our gardens is entirely vegetarian: wild fruit, berries, and other natural treasures add fresh, healthy, and surprisingly versatile ingredients to our plates and kitchens.
We benefit from the abundant harvest season just as much as birds do as they prepare for winter. Sharing fruits and berries from our gardens with birds is a win-win: it’s good for our health and for garden biodiversity.
So-called bird-friendly shrubs are true all-rounders: they provide food for wildlife and are also wonderful ingredients for home cooking. At the same time, they bring color and life to the garden. Grapes, currants, and elderberries, for example, are a sweet fall treat—for birds and for us. Hazelnuts and maple seeds are also popular with garden owners and their wild visitors.
You’ll find a selection of tried-and-true bird-friendly shrubs at our partner, Haemmig Nursery . If you have a garden designed by us, you may already have one or two of these plants growing there!