Turn your backyard into Birdland.

We've made some big changes in our garden center at Strange's! Stop by to visit Birdland and the wide variety of feeders, food, and baths that our feathered friends need to survive this frigid season. Bluebirds, wrens, finches, and woodpeckers in particular require adequate shelter and water that become scarce in the winter. Lend a helping hand to your local wildlife and follow these tips to welcome native species to your yard.



Trees: This will be the penthouse of your backyard sanctuary. Try to plant a variety of canopy tree species in your backyard. While space will probably be a concern for most homeowners, proper planning should also take into consideration tree size at maturity and other concerns such as the provision of shade, litter accumulation and root interference.

Mid-Story/Understory Trees: A few stories down from the penthouse lies the understory. This layer is where many species like wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina), Swainson's thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) and rose-breasted grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus) will go to refuel during fall migration as they head to warmer climes south of the border.
Shrubs/Vines: These are the efficiency apartments in your backyard sanctuary. Shrubs will provide many species with nesting and escape cover, and food. Not only will species like northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), gray catbirds (Dumatella carolinensis) and brown thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) nest there, these and many other shrub varieties will provide fruits as added benefits.
Open Ground/Lawns: This is the basement of your yard. Open ground and grass lawns are common components of suburbia. Unfortunately, they provide relatively little for songbirds. It is true that American robins (Turdus migratorius) and a few other species such as eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) require open habitats in suburban landscapes. But unless you are planning to farm the back forty for hay, why not give yourself a break time- and money-wise by reducing the size of your lawn? You will have more time to invest in watching birds instead of mowing, feeding and watering the lawn.



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