Monroe County Master Gardener Association

This time of year one of my favorite things is enjoying the beautiful fall colors. We are particularly blessed with a wonderful fall display at the Extension gardens. Many of the trees and shrubs are four season winners and it has been great to see these seasons in real specimens, not just photos in the garden catalogs. The gardens have also made it possible to continue planning for another favorite thing, watching birds in the winter.
While bird feeders brings the birds in, planting fruit and seed bearing shrubs and trees help sustain more birds (and other critters) as their preferred choice of food for many species. It has been a joy to monitor blue bird nesting activates through the summer but I hear their song throughout the winter and want to encourage them to stay around. The cornus group is used by many birds, including blue birds, because of its high fat content which helps sustain them through the winter. What a beautiful example of a Dogwood tree we have in the hummingbird garden! Cornus sericea, Redstemmed Dogwood, Gray Dogwood, Red-osier and Silky Dogwood are bird favorites and such beautiful berries for us to view & enjoy over the winter.
Another group of multi-seasonal interest is the Viburnum group. How can you beat spring flowers, fall colors and berries for the birds? One early spring I was surprised while on my deck to see a Cedar Wax Wing hop on the railing, give me a glance, dive into my Holly bush and emerge with a bright red holly berry, one of their favorite foods as they migrate further north in the spring. (Did you get a look at the Extension gardens’ Ilex? It’s a stunner! Last year I planted a Serviceberry and a Black Chokeberry. I am hoping they will add variety to yard banquet landscape plan. This year has been amazing abundance for most Malus species groups. While it may appear that the crab apples are not being used as they hang on but after several freezes, the tart flavor becomes more palatable to our flying friends. I continued to watch my tree through the winter and thought that was the wrong variety of flowering crab but by the spring, Robins were a frequent visitor and soon the tree was empty.
Julie Zickefoose, a writer and nature artist, has explained that sometimes the only sustaining food left near the early spring is Sumac. If you have a spot in your plan for Sumac, wild grape, Virginia Creeper, Poison Ivy (only in a remote area), Pokeberry and other native fruit bearers, you will be helping to sustain many species of birds . Don’t forget leaving out squash seeds and fruit seeds like apple and unused table grapes.

For more information, here are a few good books to consult:
Complete Guide to Bird Feeding, John Dennis
Wild about Birds, Carrol Henderson
Bring in the Birds, George Adams