HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-05-07, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 7,1997
Home & Garden 199
Bird feeders educational
Backyard bird feeding is an
enjoyable, entertaining and
educational activity, and one that
can be shared by the entire family.
Attracting a wide variety of
feathered friends to your backyard
is easy and can brighten even the
dreariest winter day, provided you
select the right type of feeder.
While that may seem to be a
bewildering task, considering the
Seek garden focal pt.
Continued from page 19
competition.
For specific recommendations,
ask a landscape professional or
check information in books at your
local library. Your local agricul
tural or horticultural extension
agent may also offer some advice.
Problem areas
Almost every home has a
problem area. Often it is the north
side of the house, or a walkway
along one side of the house, or an
area behind the garage or a shed.
Frequently, a simple cleanup is the
first order of business. For
example, once cleaned up, a dirt
pathway can be spruced up with
mulch or a layer of gravel and the
addition of stepping stones. A north
wall that never gets any sun can be
brightened with containers of shade
plants grouped or lined along the
way. If there is an overhang,
hanging baskets can be used, or
they can be hung from wrought
iron hooks made for baskets.
Alternating tall and short
containers, and varying plant types
and colours can turn a formerly
drab area into a "secret garden."
Focal Points
All gardens need a focal point. A
small garden needs only one, and
larger gardens may need several. A
focal point draws the eye to a
special feature or planting and
helps give the rest of the garden a
more orderly look. Focal points can
be as simple as one spectacular
plant or planting among the others,
or a feature such as a gazing globe,
a water pond or a piece of sculpture
or statuary.
In larger gardens focal points can
be created for different areas. On a
ideal
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Wide range of thimbles, shackles,
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Accessories
Blinds
hundreds of different designs and
styles available, following some
basic rules can make your choice
easier.
To attract several types of birds
rather than just one type, select a
general feeder rather than one
designed to attract only one
species. Look for a well-made
feeder, no matter of what material
it’s made. The feeder should be
patio, for example, a grouping of
different sized pots can serve as a
focal point, with one large pot
being the center of attention. Tall
plants grouped in a mass and
surrounded by shorter plants can
create a focal point in a garden bed,
as can a contrast in colour or plant
type.
Ornamental features such as
large rocks, a pedestal, a statue or a
gazing ball are natural focal points.
A quick and easy feature to add to a
bed is a bird bath or a bird feeder.
An arbor trellis planted with
climbing plants such as morning
glories or thunbergia can be an eye
catching focal point for an entire
garden.
Colour co-ordination
A co-ordinated colour scheme
can really pull a garden together
and refresh one that may have gone
stale. Use a combination of three or
four colours to create a colour
theme. Match the colours in your
dishes or your placemats if you eat
outdoors.
Red, white and blue make your
garden patriotic. Pink, white and
green is cool and refreshing.
Yellow, blue and white is a bright
summery combination.
You can break the scheme every
now and then when you have a
great plant that doesn't fit the
"rules," and then it becomes the
exception that points out what your
theme is.
Planning Ahead
Re-engineering doesn't always
have to be a major undertaking.
Once you have a plan in place,
small adjustments every year or
two will keep you from having to
start from scratch.
Industrial
Suppliers of..
easy to clean, have a large seed
capacity to reduce the need for
filling in cold weather, and should
keep seed dry. And, although this is
often difficult, it should be
designed to discourage squirrels as
much as possible.
General feeders are made of
wood, plastic and metal, and come
in a variety of types, such as
hanging feeders, or those that
mount on a post, fence or pole.
While wood is attractive, it has
several disadvantages. It is easily
chewed by squirrels, is difficult to
clean, allows large birds to crowd
out smaller birds, and the hanging
type is virtually impossible to
squirrel-proof. This is also true of
metal.
However, plastic feeders are easy
to fill and clean, are usually
squirrel-proof, and allow all birds
at the feeder to be seen. When
selecting a plastic feeder, be sure it
has a large seed capacity, is made
of an impact grade of plastic, and
has moisture ports for drainage.
Otherwise, moisture can be trapped
inside, which causes seed to mold.
Where you mount a feeder
dictates the type of birds it will
attract. Hanging feeders attract
birds such as chickadees,
nuthatches, finches and titmice that
cling or perch while eating. Post,
Continued on page 21