An Empty Backyard...

[photo_luver]

Plan this one out for me... my backyard is as follows...

the red is fence and the grey is cement or patio.... the yellow is buldings...

this is in my backyard and i live in a city so its nice to have a great backyard...

Its completely bare at the minute... just cut down a tree in the back so...

ive got some ideas and i forsure want elderberry on the top edge of the fence at the top corner....

Now i also want to have nesting boxes for sparrows and chickadees against the garage... facing the growing area...

Right now its grass and i want to know what i need to make it into a bird SANCTUARY!

Feeders and bird bath placement is great to and nesting box areas too...

If youd like and i hope you do... save the pic and open it in paint and draw where you think certain plants and feeders should go! Please do this cause i need to look at something to know what i should do and how itll look...

Thanks alot...

Garrett :h?:

Just click on the BMP file underneath and itll give you a layout of my backyard!

[photo_luver]

Noone hmmm... well i better say that we have in the area... juncos, house and chipping sparrows, blue jays, american robins, and thats it for my area maybe some finchhes and other things but thats it...

Please Help!!

Garrett

[Tim42]

Right now its grass and i want to know what i need to make it into a bird SANCTUARY!

I don't know what kind of bookstores you have over there but we have a Barnes and Noble here in N. Carolina, there's even one on-line. Look up he Nature section and there are books on how to create your own bird sactuary. Or, you may search forums and go to the one titled 'Garden Birds, Bird feeding and Nest boxes'. I'm sure it will help you out! Happy birding! :flyaway:

[samuel walker]

Hi Garrett I too have a small backyard.When we moved here a year ago I noticed that no one else in the area was feeding birds. We decided to make the yard bird friendly. The yard already had a small pond that we focused on to improve with more water plants.Many annuals and perrenial flowers have been planted.The feeding station has three feeders. One tube for thistle,a tube for mixed seed,a house feeder for seed and a suet cage.Holly bushes are under the feeders.Customers include junco in winter,grackle,cardinal,goldfinch,starling.redbell y and downey woodpeckers.Since we are the bird friendliest yard on the street we get the most birds.
Sam

[snowyowl]

I can't tell you what or where to plant things. I think, however, that the first thing to do is to put in some foundation planting. By foundation planting I mean shrubs and trees. Give the positioning of them a lot of thought because even though they can be moved later, that's lot of work and risks killing the plant. If you want to attract birds or other wildlife you need cover for them, food and water.
I have a large garden (probably an acre plus) in a very different climate but the same principals apply to my garden as will to yours. I'm attaching a couple of pictures to try to illustrate what i mean. Most of the shrubs in the first picture are only two years old so have a lot of maturing to do. The hostas don't attract alot of birds but do attract toads etc which are areal boon to a gardener.

[photo_luver]

okay thanks guys for your help i was waiting when someone would reply...

im thinking about getting alot of berry producing bushes and trees like mountain ash, elderberry, maybe some sweedish aspen and cedar trees would be nice...

but i would plant the shrubs and trees around the outside of the area and have like a little rock area going around them... maybe a pond on the top right since i love fish lol (ive got about 10 tanks up and running at the moment).

ill try and plan this out since i want a bunch of berry producing plants since we have lots of nesting sparrows and robins around...

Shrubs and bushes to cover the area will be nice...

Thanks alot...

Anyone got a list of some canadian NATIVE or american native berrying plants and trees like the elderberry?

Garrett

[A CHAPLIN]

Hi Snowy Owl,

You may get bad weather in winter but it must be good the rest of the year, if the planting is only 2 years old. It is absolutely fabulous it looks mature already and I am dead envious of your Hostas I start with one that comes up every year but the slugs and snails devour it as the leaves grow.

From a very envious lady.

Ann

[snowyowl]

Hi Snowy Owl,

You may get bad weather in winter but it must be good the rest of the year, if the planting is only 2 years old. It is absolutely fabulous it looks mature already and I am dead envious of your Hostas I start with one that comes up every year but the slugs and snails devour it as the leaves grow.

From a very envious lady.

Ann
The hostas are older, I was referring to the shrubs in what I call the new bed.
Phot_luver: I've been planting Common Elder, Saskatoon Berry, grapes, Highbush Cranberry (one of the best shrubs for encouraging birds). Red Elder grows wild all around my place as do Mountain Ash and raspberries. I've also been planting things like gooseberries and Barberries, almost anything that has a berry.
I plan to add sumac but haven't done so yet. You might consider American Holly as well as native Hawthorne (the English Hawthjorne isn't as good).

[Vultur]

Thick cover plants for nesting...

We used Wisteria and have had 2 Mourning Dove nestings (1 unsuccessful, probably predators) but that probably won't grow in Edmonton.

[Katy Penland]

Here's one of the most useful things you could have in trying to decide what to plant in your yard:

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

Lots of landscape nurseries classify their plants by their "hardiness" factor, how well they withstand certain climates. I'd never heard of this until I moved to this extreme elevation (well, for me being from the beach and all). Most interesting.