Have you ever walked around your garden admiring what was coming up from the dirt? Feeling pretty proud of yourself for turning the dirt, adding compost, raking rows, and planting and nurturing the chosen seeds? The glory of seeing future produce! Only, one day you notice something in the fence line of your garden. Being an adventurous gardener, you decide to let it grow for a while to see what it becomes, foe (weed), or friend (something good to eat).

This happened to me in my early gardening days. It was a lovely cane-looking plant.

But it wasn’t planted by me. It was lovingly deposited by a bird. And it wasn’t just a cane-looking plant, it was a black raspberry cane! Glory of glories! A raspberry cane! Being that adventurous gardener I continued to let it grow.

The first year we were able to beat the birds to the handful of berries. The second year I noticed the cane tip had touched the earth and was growing another cane. A few more berries. But each year the raspberry “patch” grew and spread. Each year I noticed the actual vegetable section of the garden becoming smaller and smaller. Until one year I was planting tomatoes between raspberry canes!

I have to wonder if that bird was as proud of his “planting” and I was of mine. But his garden had to go! And go it did, to another section with wires and poles to keep those tips from touching. I learned that wild plantings aren’t always something to be proud of in my garden. It is good to be in control of what goes in your garden.

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Wild birds can be some of the most entertaining and sweet characters to watch. I have had the pleasure of viewing many such characters, as we live part-time on a small acreage near a shallow lake that is deemed a bird sanctuary. Our bird feeder is a realistic caricature of a miniature log cabin that we were fortunate enough to come across in the city on one advantageous garbage day. We set it up in our back garden surrounded with well-grown spruce trees.

Our garden has attracted a variety of birds and we found it necessary to deter our cats by attaching the feeder to a four-foot pole wrapped in metal sheeting. The most common guests are a nervous downy woodpecker and a small crowd of chickadees. In the summer a pair of American Goldfinches often make themselves at home, and Cedar Waxwings sometimes stop for a quick bite. As we have a room opening onto the back garden, it is easy to sit and watch the birds in comfort, and to take pictures.

For our birdseed we use a pre-bought blend designed to attract a variety of wild birds. We also hang a cage of suet that seems to be a particular attraction for woodpeckers. Although it is very relaxing to sit and watch the birds through the window, or watch them from underneath the elder tree, I felt like trying something new this winter. Having read a very sweet book about how an older fellow would attract wild birds to eat right out of his hand, I was intrigued. As I recall, the best time to try this trick is on the coldest days of winter, when there is fresh snow and the birds are particularly hungry.

Although this task involved sitting outside for several hours in the coldest weather (and in the process almost freezing my fingers), I was

perseverant. It was a childhood dream of mine to have a wild bird come and sit on my hand. So I grabbed a little plastic stool, grabbed the whole bag of birdseed, put on the biggest winter parka I could find, and went to sit out under the bird feeder. I sat there for almost an hour just to let the birds get used to me. At first the chickadees spent a good deal of time scolding me, but gradually forgot I was there and went on eating from the bird feeder. Next I took some seed from the bag and held it out on my hand. Eventually I realized they would never eat from my hand as long as they had the alternative of eating from the feeder.

So I scooped up all of the food from the feeder (to an even louder scolding from the birds) and went back to statuesque silence on the stool. After cleaning up all of the remnants from under the feeder, and hours later, a cautious chickadee flitted onto my hand, and promptly stole a sunflower seed. For three days after this momentous event, I sat patiently and the birds became more used to my presence. Now they will actually come and jump on my jacket when I am sitting in the garden, in the hopes that I will have some birdseed with me.

Although it’s more relaxing and warmer to enjoy bird watching from a distance, I found it nothing compared to the excitement of the little titmouse landing on my finger. Anyone with time and a little patience can try this, and you can do it anywhere you find birds. In places where birds are already used to people, like city parks, or other areas where people have hand-fed birds before, you can try the experience with little waiting at all. Just carry a little birdseed in your pocket, and give it a try.

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Birds need five basic things from life. Cover to hide them from their predators, shelter to protect them from the elements, food to provide sustenance, water to drink and to bathe, and nesting sites to raise families. For those bird lovers who want to attract birds to their gardens, they should ensure that their garden has all of the above features.

When a bird is making a decision to live in or visit your garden sanctuary, it is basically asking itself these questions. And will make its decision based on it’s instinct.

Where Can I Hide?

In the average cityscape, birds have one major predator – cats. Domesticated and homeless cats kill millions of birds throughout the U.S. every year. Additional predators include other birds such as owls, hawks, and falcons. We also can’t forget predators such as snakes, raccoons, squirrels, and chipmunks.

So one of the first things a bird is asking itself is “where can I find cover” to hide and protect myself from predators? You can help the bird make the decision to choose your yard by putting up cat proof fencing. You can also plan your garden so that it has widely spaced open areas to deny cover for predator where they can mount a sneak attack.

Is There Available Shelter?

Evergreens and other bushes planted against garden and house walls provide a natural shelter to shield birds from rain. You can also place a combination bird house and bird feeder in the garden which not only supplies food, but includes a pitched top and side walls that can protect them from rain, heavy storms, and harsh winds.

Is There A Place Where I Can Raise A Family?

During the breeding season, this is one of the primary features that birds are looking for. They are looking for a place where they can settle down for a while with their partner and raise their young ones. Depending on the birds you are trying to attract to your garden, you can plant the appropriate trees, shrubs, hedges, and so on where they would normally nest if they were in the wild. If you are more ambitious, you can buy or build them a custom birdhouse which will meet all of their housing needs.

Is There Plenty Of Food And Water Nearby?

Natural food sources are the best. Birds will look for their natural food sources before attempting other foods. So find out the natural types of foods that your birds of choice like and populate your garden with them. In the winter time when the natural food sources have dried out and birds are having a hard time scrounging up food, bird feeders can be their friend. Populate a bird feeder with seeds, suet, and other alternative food choices that you know they would enjoy. And don’t forget water. Birds love and need water and a birdbath will do wonders to attract birds to your yard, In colder climates, an added investment of a few dollars to buy a heated birdbath will pay great dividends in the winter months.

A bird’s life is fragile and their existence is fraught with danger for nearly all of their lives. The more you can do to help them beat the odds the better for them and the better for you as you enjoy their presence all year round.

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Creative Meadow Gardens

Meadow gardens are one of the hottest trends in garden design. They have the wind swept natural look that never loses its appeal. Gardens and people share something in common – looks can be deceiving!

Meadow gardens may seem that they have been forever part of the landscape. Meadow gardens, however, are actually the result of very creative garden design!

Grass in all its glorious shades provides the perfect base for the best meadow garden design. Its color remains for most of the year until it is replaced by rustic seedheads. Grasses of different varieties, colors, and textures can be used in creative garden design.

Growing grass requires skill and thoughtful planning. The creative gardener doesn’t want to plant grass at exact and regular intervals or in a straight line. Nature’s grass does not have such a manicured appearance. Grasses which grow tall can’t be planted where they will dwarf their shorter relatives.

Meadow gardens also need wildflowers. The best wildflower displays will come from local wildflower seeds. Local flowers will thrive in their own comfort zone.

Select flowers with different bloom times. Some plants will then bloom in spring or in summer. Hardy plants can last well into autumn.

Match your flowers to the scale of your garden. Good garden design dictates that you use small flowers in a small garden. Larger gardens can handle bolder displays.

Plant wildflowers that grow well together. American wild flowers and daisies are excellent partners. Any flower which self-seeds or just needs minimum maintenance will work well in a meadow garden.

Wildflowers, however, deserve tender loving care at the beginning of their lives. Care must be taken with proper soil preparation and adequate watering. Weeding and thinning out undesirables will be two later steps.

Wildflowers must also be planted so they will grow and appear to be natural growth. An appealing garden design will have lots of color, deep contrasts, and tons of variety. An occasional daisy, the odd aster, a sprinkling of wild roses – all will help create the perfect meadow garden.

Everyone loves a meadow garden. They are beautiful. They provide cooling shade. Meadows gardens trap pollutants. They are also a gardener’s friend and afford infiltration of rainwater.

Meadow gardens are also a friend to birds, butterflies, and bees. The diverse garden design is a perfect habitat for such fascinating creatures. A bird bath will provide an extra incentive for visitors.

And don’t forget to provide comforts for human visitors! Comfortable benches, tables, and chairs will entice vistors to spend time in the midst of your beautiful garden design.

Creative meadow gardens are places of aesthetic beauty. They are also places of peace, pleasure, and tranquility. Meadow gardens require a love of and a dedication to garden design.

“In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.” ~Abram L. Urban

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Kids and gardens can be a lot of fun, especially when you are combining the two. Most children have creative natures. They love to make things and help out when they can. Even at a young age, they can enjoy the feeling of pride when they do a good job.

The first thing to consider when you are thinking about doing a gardening project with your child is their age. Kids of all ages can get involved with tasks but on different levels. Obviously a twelve year old will pay more attention to detail and be more nurturing than a two-year-old.

You may also want to think about space. How much area do you have to use? What area will the child be in charge of? When you pick the area, make sure that it is very sunny and not a spot where your pets or animals might enjoy wallowing. You don’t want the plants to get ruined before they have a chance to sprout.

Now, you need to decide what type of plants you want to plant or what type of project you want to do. Think about how much time and work the project will require and make sure that you and your child will be able to handle this task. You may even want to consider adding simple duties like watering the garden to your child’s chore lists so that those things don’t get forgotten.

When you are picking out flowers or vegetables, you should find some that are easily maintained and don’t require lots of attention. Tomato plants are simple to raise and grow pretty quickly. This is a good project idea for preteens and children who understand how things grow.

Wild flowers (such as black-eyed susans or daisies) can be bought in large shakers and don’t even have to be buried in the dirt much. All your child has to do is sprinkle the canister in the area where they will grow. Once they have emptied the shaker (or used the amount you want them to) let them dance or stomp around in that area and poof, you are done.

Another good flower idea for children is a sunflower. All your child has to do is tuck the seed in the hold you have dug and then cover it back up with dirt. Sunflowers are great because they can get as tall as the child and they also double as bird food.

Coordinate art projects with your new garden. Let your child paint medium size rocks to line around the beds. You may also want to buy a plain bird feeder or house at a local crafts store and let your child decorate it any way they want. Hang the bird’s new spot somewhere near the sunflower so that one compliments the other.

The last and most important thing to remember when allowing your child to do gardening tasks is that you should praise and encourage them. Tell them what a good job they have done and how proud you are. When their garden has grown, have them pose in or next to it at snap a photo. The flowers may wilt and die but the memories will last forever.

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