BirdLover Needs bird friendly Ideas...

[BirdLover72]

Ya I am a newbie here... Hoping to get some ideas for my backyard area..
I would like to have some native plants for the birds that are colorful and cool though I know nothing about growing or selecting them..Here are some pic of the area I have to work with..Note-pic 1 has a pine tree at the far left side of the picture that will be coming down and that area will become a gazebo...[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CountryLisa/yard/DSCF0005.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CountryLisa/yard/DSCF0007.jpg[/img]

Oh- any ideas for this area would be great also..[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CountryLisa/yard/DSCF0008.jpg[/img]

Thanks,BirdLover72

[NEWisc]

Welcome to the Helpful Gardener Forums!

Good pic's to work with, that really helps. Can you give us a little more info to help zero in on the best choices:

What zone or state?

How much lawn do you want to keep?

In pic 3, which way are we looking - N, S, E, or W? (To figure out how much sun that area gets)

Would you say your soil is dry, average, or moist for most of the year?

[NewjerseyTea]

BirdLover,
It looks like you have a fun project ahead of you. You have so many possibilities it might seem overwhelming. I have a few more questions to add to the ones NEWisc has already asked. Do you have a feeling for how you would like the yard to look?
Do you want suggestions for trees and shrubs that would screen your view and make your yard more private?
When I look at the first 2 photos I immediately want to plant a hedgerow of mixed shrubs (some evergreen) and small trees along the fenceline and form an interior hidden garden. The birds will love that type of planting because it provides food, (berries, insects ) cover and places to nest. The interior could be planted with herbaceous flowering plants. But that"s what I see, what do you want?

[BirdLover72]

NEWisc- I am near the boarder of ur state and mine within walking to Lake Michigan:))
I have no idea what kind of soil I have..I guess average
All pictures are facing East..The 3rd pic get mostly sun.
I would like to stop at the fence post and keep the rest grass...
Here is more of an idea where I want to stop...[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CountryLisa/DSCF0007.jpg[/img]

[NEWisc]

Good thing I asked that grass question - I already had visions of planting the whole area racing around in my head!

I really like NewjerseyTea's idea of a mixed shrub and evergreen screen. Something for the birds year round. Depending on whether you want to go rustic or more formal, the interior could be a sort of mini-prairie or a nice design of flower beds using native flowers and grasses. A small water feature for the birds would supplement either approach nicely.

[imagardener2]

I love the colored twig dogwoods, [url=https://www.inthegardenonline.com/plant_redtwigdogwoodsB20.htm]red[/url] ([url=https://gardening.yardener.com/RedTwigDogwood.html]Cornus sericea/stolonifera[/url]) and [url=https://www.djroger.com/brilliant_yellow_twig_dogwood.htm]yellow[/url] ([url=https://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.nsf/709359cd399269ec8825684d0078b8fd/d871dca7f2f148728825684d007106c3!OpenDocument]Cornus stolonifera[/url]), because they offer something interesting in the winter in the form of colored twigs, but they also make nice screening shrubs in the spring, summer & fall, as well as have berries for the birds.

The New Hampshire State Forest Nursery has a [url=https://www.dred.state.nh.us/nhnursery/seedlings/dogpack/dogwoodpack.htm]Dogwood Package[/url], consisting of 25 assorted seedlings (5 plants of 5 species), available on their site for $25.

Sadly I live too far south to grow them here...

[Jess]

For the area in the third picture you posted (narrow strip between the building and the fence) I would go for a gravel path and just grow self twining climbers up the fencing. This will allow you access for maintenance but still give you something nice to look at.

[NewjerseyTea]

BirdLover, I think Jess had an excellent idea for the 3rd photo narrow strip. I might even add a few simple trellises attached to the fence and grow a few native honeysuckles. Be careful you get natives and not Japanese honeysuckle since those are invasive weeds very difficult to get rid of. I grow Lonicera sempervirens and it is a big hummingbird magnet. If you have a fairly sunny spot it will bloom from early spring until fall. In a shadier spot it will just bloom in the spring. I had 5 Lonicera sempervirens scattered through my small property last year and 2 were used for nesting sites, one by a catbird and the other a cardinal. I made very simple trellises from 3 10' rebar rods covered by bamboo poles wired in place.

I suggest you get the soil tested, either one of those inexpensive kits or send a sample to your local county agency, so you will know what to plant.
If your soil is on the acidic side and you have a moderately sunny spot blueberries are beautiful berrying shrubs.

That looks like a nice area you marked off in the last photo. How deep is it?

[Betsylvania]

THere are umpteen possibilities for your garden and congrats on trying to enhance habitat for native creatures.
Basic preplanting considerations for any garden are
Sun- Some plants must have "Full Sun" to grow. Full sun is a minimum of 6 hours steady sun in summer. Winter sun doesn't count. Buildings may cause permanent deep shade.
Soil- don't guess, soil test! Call your local agriculture cooperative extension service for free soil test kits and tons of gardening resources
Water- all plants need extra watering attention the first 6 weeks after planting and for their first warm season in a new yard.

The basics to remember for any animal and birds particularly are


Cover
Water
Food

Google audobon society for some good info on bird nesting needs, and food in your area.

I would suggest their importance, for birds, in that order.

While it is nice to plant bird food shrubs, birds can meet many food needs via flying around the area. OR if you are dedicated, to bird feeders. IN my opinion, more critical is cover. Cover for them to have respite between feeding and drinking, cover from predators while eating/drinking and resting, cover during cold, wet and winding days and nesting cover, Multilayers of shrubs, including something evergreen will help give them multi layers of shelter options.
Bird predators include the neighbors cats but also birds of prey that will quickly learn you have a bird feeder or bird bath. You do not want to establish your bird bath/feeder as a one stop fast food joint for diving birds of prey. ( which often happens when we simply locate baths/ feeders out in the open for our viewing convenience)
Be sure to consider plant cover near the bird bath ( a yard or two or less ) and feeder. Otherwise, this will leave your birds open to easy targeting by predators.
DO a little research about birds in your area, the native birds you wish to encourage and their nesting needs - to encourage them to choose your yard as a nesting sanctuary.
For example... some birds like to build a nest relatively low in dense thorny evergreen shrubs while others love a built birdhouse.
Since your space is limited, you may wish to focus only on food source shrubs that birds seek in winter and doubles as winter cover.
That may be where you wish to begin your study of birds.... overwintering native birds and their needs.. Followed by early spring nesting birds. Evergreen shrubs like many of the ornamental Hollies are excellent cover in winter and offer late winter berries.
A tall growing "pyramidal" holly is nellie R stevens... It is also an excellent screening small tree.. variety ( readily available at any nursery) It can be planted 6-8 feet apart for screening and will grow 10-18 feet in 5 years and spread to 5-6 feet across in that time. It responds well to pruning, makes lovely winter fruit as well. Remember to plant these small trees at least 4 feet inside your fence line so they can spread naturally. In front of the "back bone evergreens" of your garden, you may wish to plant another layer of shorter shrubs- evergreen like Holly Needlepoint, or rhododendrons ( suited to your conditions) or evergreen azaleas. A very nice deciduous shrub are the many native vibernums or cultivated vibernums, hydrangeas or other part shade loving shrubs whose growth tops out around 6-8 feet tall.

Birds often appreciate a small tree just by or growing over the birdbath as it offers some security from diving raptor birds ( hawks, falcons) and a get away from cats. Good old dogwood may work here.

Hats off to you for your considerate efforts. Don't be afraid to plan before you plant. Start small and take on one small project at a time ( unless you have large monetary and labor resources)

GOOD LUCK!

[NewjerseyTea]

Betsylvania gave you some excellent advice.
While I was poking around the internet I found the Brooklyn Botanic Garden site for wildlife friendly gardens.
www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/wildlife
Two articles in particular would be interesting to you.
Songbird hedges and Inviting Wildlife into Your Winter Garden