How to attract more birds to your garden
Birds can bring more liveliness to your garden and also provide a calm feeling. It is wonderful to get a visit from them and hear their chirping, but how do you get more and different birds into your garden? We have listed the best tips for making your garden as bird-friendly as possible.
Tip 1: Water during the heat
Providing water is always important, but especially during the summer, puddles of water will dry out and it becomes more difficult for birds to find water. And they need extra water during hot periods. Birds will be very grateful when they can find fresh water in your garden. They also use this to bathe and cool down, a cute spectacle to watch from distance.
Tip 2: Attract insects
Birds are looking for protein-rich food to grow their feathers for extra warmth in the winter. So, by attracting insects to your garden, you will attract birds too. For example, plant plants like lavender, the hawthorn, angelica or a butterfly bush. These are all plants with nectar that attract many insects, and therefore birds. Or place a so called insect houses in your garden. This is a very easy and effective way to get insects into your garden.
Tip 3: Plants for shelter
Birds are always looking for places where they can find shelter. They do this to protect themselves and because they want to build a nest in a safe place. If you want to help them with this, plant different plants of different heights which will bloom all seasons. That way your garden stands out as a safe space and birds will come visit more quickly.
Tip 4: Work with nest boxes
A nest box is an easy and well-known way to help birds find a good nesting place. Hang the nest box in a quiet place near plants that will bring shelter, but make sure the entrance is clear. Place your empty nest box at a minimum height of five feet so cats can’t reach it. Want to hang more nesting boxes in your garden? That’s great, but make sure they are spread out throughout the garden. Then there is a bigger chance several of the boxes will be used.
Tip 5: A shared vegetable/fruit garden
If there is one thing that makes birds happy, it is a vegetable or a fruit garden. Birds also love the insects that are attracted to it. And good to know, birds are very useful to protect your vegetables and fruits from harmful insects. In doing so, they contribute to a complete ecological system in which every animal and plant has its place.
Don’t own a garden? Create a bird-friendly balcony
A balcony can also be made into a bird-friendly outdoor space. Put up a few potted plants, such as sunflower or dill, to offer birds natural and varied food. Grow some berries so the birds can snack on fresh fruit, and you can enjoy it as well! Remember that plants on a balcony need more water. The higher your balcony is, the drier the air is. A tip: Put a bowl under the plant for extra water storage.
If you’d rather go for something easier than plants, putting out a display of food on your balcony is also a good idea. For example, you can hang strawberries from the edge of your balcony. You can also combine this with things that birds find extra tasty, such as mealworms or crumbled fat balls with insects. If you want to make the fat and seed balls yourself, take a look at the recipe here!
STRINGLIGHT
US$530.60
The Stringlight with mouth-blown glass shades provides cheerful mood lighting for indoors and outdoors. The glass shades are colored and coated and can remain outdoors year-round. The mouth-blown shades transform a classic lamprey into the charming Stringlight. The Stringlight is available in white and multi-colored. Hang the Stringlight above the garden table, under the porch, or between trees. Enjoy your mood lighting during cozy drinks evenings and dinners in the garden.The Stringlight has the following features: 12 meter added cable.4 meters from the electrical plug until the first shade.2 meters between the last glass shade and the hook. 90 centimetres between each glass shade. The Stringlight must be attached at a minimum of 5 points to avoid too much pressure on the ends.
Light bulbs are included in delivery.
LOCAL HABITAT TERRARIUM
US$96.60
The Local Habitat, designed by Floris Schoonderbeek, is a special glass bowl. With the Local Habitat you can temporarily create your own ecosystem. Go into nature and create a green mini-world by yourself or with your children. From moss, leaves, sand and insects or water, fish and an aquatic plant. The Local Habitat is a perfect way to get kids in touch with nature. The large bubbles on the side have a magnifying effect. So you can observe insects or other animals even better. The Local Habitat can also be used as a quirky vase in your interior. Put a beautiful field bouquet in it, for example.