Attracting Birds into Your Garden with Flowers Can Be Easy and Inexpensive

Here are a few tips for a bird-friendly flower garden:

There are a variety of flowers for attracting birds into your garden.
• Use plants that will flower at different times of the year. This will provide you with blossoms and the birds with seeds all year around.
• Let at least some of the blossoms to go toseed. As the blossoms and their seeds fall to the ground, just leave them. The birds will clean them up for you.

Contact your local garden club, nursery or home center forinformation about flower gardening.

Here is a list of a few of my favorite flowers for attractingbirds.

• They are all easy to grow.
• They will thrive in most conditions.
• Some bloom from spring to fall.
• They include a wide variety of colors.

Aster: The Aster produce large clusters of delicate daisy-like flowers in white, purple, lavender, pink or red. Asters should be planted in moist, well-drained soil in full sun, but they will tolerate light shading. Perennial: zones 4 through 9.
Marigold: The marigold is a fast-growing annual. They grow as single or double flowers ranging in color from orange to bronze to red. Marigolds they will grow in all zones. Marigolds require full sun and well-drained soil. Annual
Coreopsis: Coreopsis is a bright and colorful perennial that will last and last. Seed-eating birds love the seeds the coreopsis produces as the yellow blooms fade. Coreopsis will work well in any type of border. Because of their long bloom time, they make great fillers or edgers. Perennial:zones 3 through 9.
Cornflower: The cornflower (Bachelor's Button) is a drought tolerant annual. The upper half of the plant is multi-stemmed, producing many flowers. Leaves are covered with small white hairs causing the plant to have a blue-gray appearance. The original flower color is blue, but it is now available in white, pink and red. The cornflower prefers full sun and grows in various soil types. Perennial: zones 4 through 9.
Cosmos: Cosmos are annuals that produce daisy-like flowers in shades ofcrimson, rose, pink and white with yellow centers up to 3 1/2" across. They will bloom all summer. Cosmos prefer full sun, regular water and well-drained soil. Deadhead flowers for repeat bloom. Their size at maturity is 3 to 6 feet tall and 18 inches across. Annual
Larkspur: The Larkspur is an annual that looks identical to perennialdelphiniums. They have tall beautiful spikes with pedaled flowers. They come in a variety of shades of blue, purple, lilac, white, rose and pink. They are said to grow about three feet high. Plant them at the back of your garden, use them as a border or grow them along a fence. Annual
Portulaca: Portulaca or moss rose is an annual that produces flowers in bright reds, oranges, yellows, purples and pinks with green, succulent leaves. Portulaca grows 4 to 8 inches tall and spreads up to 2 feet, making it a great ground cover. Annual
Purple Coneflower: Purple Coneflower is easy to grow, blooms across a long season and has beautiful flowers. It is a native perennial and attractive to birds, if allowed to go to seed late in summer. The purple coneflower is perfect for attracting birds and butterflies. Goldfinches love this plant in late summer as long as the gardener can refrain from deadheading aftermid-July. The purple coneflower requires full sun and well-drained garden soil rich in organic matter. Perennial: zones 4 through 9.

Sunflower: The sunflower is the perfect annual for attracting birds. Watching birds feed from the mature flowers can be really special. It may be stating the obvious, but sunflowers love the sun. Sunflowers grow in almost any type of soil. Choose soil that's rich and well drained, but if you don't have that kind of soil, add peat moss or other humus and mix thoroughly before planting. You can save some of your sunflowersfor winter by putting a paper grocery sack over the seed head and tying it around the stem. Annual

Zinnias: Zinnias are old-fashioned easy to grow annuals. The birds are attracted to their brilliant colors. This annual takes off if planted directly in the ground or started in flats. Zinnias will attract many wild birds including hummingbirds and Goldfinches. Annual