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Do-It-Yourself Garden Projects

Grow Your Own Birdseed

Plant some seed in your yard; it will grow into more seed. You are probably familiar with sunflower pants, but have you ever seen the spiky stems of safflower? You will be amazed by the amount of seeds that just one plant produces. Most people leave most of the crop standing for the birds to enjoy. Some people harvest sunflower and safflower and store it in a cool, dry, rodent-free area until they need it for winter bird feeding. Some other excellent seed-producing plants include coneflowers, coreopsis, primroses, marigolds, poppies, and flax.

Start Your Own Nursery

Over an exposed, tilled soil area, string a line between two poles. Birds will land on the wire after feeding. As the seeds they have eaten pass through their system, they will defecate into your newly tilled area. This natural process gets more plants going. You are manipulating the system so that the birds drop the seeds where you want them. Also, by tilling and exposing the soil below the wire, you are increasing the percentage of seeds that will germinate. In a few months, you can transplant these seedlings to other areas of your yard. Two cautions to bear in mind about your bird wire: string it above head height and away from any paths people use; and watch your seedlings for invasive non-native plants, such as multiflora rose, Russian olive, and Japanese honeysuckle. These invaders can quickly take over much of your yard.

Install a Natural Snag

Dead or dying trees are an important part of a bird-attracting treescape. Snags are generally short, broken-off tree trunks that provide homes for cavity-nesting birds and insect food sources for other species. To find a tree trunk to use in your yard, check with your local recycling center or tree service. When installing a snag, remember that one-third of the total length of the trunk should be underground. As the snag decays, this will prevent it from falling over.

Put a Path Through Your Yard

Backyard paths add the feeling of size to backyards, and they provide a chance to see what birds use your yard. Length doesn't matter; the path gives the illusion that the yard is bigger. Most of the paths I have laid out have been either through a woodland or a meadow area. For woodland paths, I use pine bark chips for a walking base. Meadow paths require no material, just weekly mowing during the season to keep the path open and walkable. Paths keep stickers from grabbing your legs and ticks from latching onto you from high grass. If you build a long path, consider placing benches at good resting/bird-viewing spots along the way.