Get Your Garden Ready for Spring Birds
Spring is in the air. We’re sure you can tell by the flurry of birds that are reappearing in your garden. Some are still grateful for the winter feeders you’ve been putting out, but new feathered friends are joining the old, and some of the old are about to migrate to new places. It’s like the changing of the guards, and you need to start preparing your garden for new guests.
Put out specialty feeders for hummingbirds in the spring
Clean up old winter bird food and put out your specialty feeders to attract hummingbirds to your garden.
Photo By USFWS Mountain-Prairie
Your garden is like a resort for animals. And just like people, birds appreciate showing up to a clean bed…or a clean birdbath. They also want all new food. Don’t expect your winter bird feeders to satisfy the spring birds that are heading your way. How would you like it if you showed up somewhere for an exclusive Spring Break experience in a Colorado garden, only to find you were going to bathe in last seasons bath water, and eat last season’s food? Not good, right?!
Sticking with the idea that your garden is like an all inclusive resort experience, the two biggest fears of anyone in the hospitality business is poisoning their guests with bad food, and having a pest problem. Nothing like a few rats and some rotten food to send your guests running. Or in this case, flying, over to your neighbor.
Remove old seed shells and seed to protect new birds
The American Goldfinch will want its own specialty food to stay in your garden.
Photo by Mdf
If you want to keep birds coming back and staying for the whole season, you need to do a little spring cleaning. You need to clean up the mess from the winter birds. Seed shells and dropped seeds that are lining the ground underneath bird feeders needs to be swept (or raked) up and disposed of before new birds arrive. Old food can get moldy and make your spring birds sick. And, seeds that have been dropped to the ground can also start to sprout and attract rats, mice, and other pests to your garden.
One thing that guests often look for on the resort menus is whether the chefs prepare seasonal meals with seasonally fresh produce. Don’t be afraid to break out the specialty feeders for VIP guests like hummingbirds and goldfinches. Some of these feeders are quite beautiful and will add charm to your garden, as well as be attractive to finicky birds.
Custom made boundary fences in Colorado
And of course, birds love nothing more than to perch on a custom made boundary fence, so if you don’t have one of those, or you need to give your fence a little makeover, give us a call.
