Taking nature underwing!
Want to add a spark of life to a barren winter landscape? Invite some of Utah’s feathered friends to dinner at a table set near a Rainey Home window perfect for viewing.
Although it’s a fun scene to view from the comfort of your kitchen, it’s a matter of survival from a bird’s-eye view. The food you leave for avian friends arrives just as snow and cold is depleting many birds’ natural food supply.
Although suet balls and bird feeders are welcome additions to nearby branches, here are a few plants you can add to your landscape to attract a winter bird population. Forget about deadheading them: deadheads are the prime course!
- Try some Maximillian sunflower. Because it blooms so late in the fall, this sunflower variety has plenty of seeds to carry birds through the winter. Before winter arrives, its golden blooms add a touch of sunshine to your fall landscape.
- Crabapple trees offer birds a sweet treat, despite their name, throughout the winter. When spring comes around, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful apple blossoms!
- If you’re serious about giving your feathered friends sanctuary through the winter, consider planting a few junipers. Although they are not a food source, junipers—often called cedars—offer shelter through the winter months in their bush-like branches.
Use these tips to enjoy time with your feathered friends this winter.