Garden and wildlife experts have revealed five of the best wildflowers for attracting birds to your garden this summer.
Attracting birds to your garden is a great perk of any wildlife garden. Not only are they natural pest control, but birds are delightful to watch and listen to, too. Not to mention, declining populations within songbird species mean they need our help, too.
Planting wildflowers in your garden is an excellent way to attract birds. Mimicking their wild environments, here are five beautiful wildflowers that attract birds and make your garden look gorgeous.
1. Cornflowers
Cornflowers frequently top lists of the best flowering plants for birds. Its stunning blue flowers are not only wonderful at brightening up our beds and borders, but pollinators are attracted to the colour, too.
‘Cornflowers are loved for their vivid blue flowers. They’re not only aesthetic for humans, but for birds too. They’re not only eye-catching, but also incredibly beneficial for birds, so they’re a favourite of mine,’ says James Ewens, wildlife expert at Green Feathers.
‘The bright blooms attract bees, hoverflies and other pollinators and insects, so not only are you supporting pollinators, but you’re also increasing the amount of natural food available to insect-eating birds.
‘Cornflower’s long flowering season means they keep supporting wildlife for months. Your garden will be buzzing with activity. Once flowering time is over, the seed heads can provide an additional food source for birds such as finches and sparrows, making cornflowers useful at multiple stages of the year.’
Where to buy cornflowers
2. Asters
Asters are one of the best autumn flowering perennials, making them a perfect choice if you want to extend the period of colour and flowering in your garden, as well as attracting wildlife.
‘Asters are invaluable because they flower later than many other garden plants, providing nectar for pollinating insects well into autumn. This helps sustain insect populations during migration and as temperatures begin to fall. Once flowering has finished, the plants produce seeds that are enjoyed by a variety of garden birds, making asters a fantastic choice for extending wildlife value throughout the season,’ says Amber Tunney, Horticultural Specialist at Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
Where to buy asters
3. Sunflowers
Who doesn’t love growing sunflowers? Adding plenty of height and colour to your garden, they make a beautiful, sunny display, while birds love feasting on their seeds.
‘Few flowers are as attractive to birds as the sunflower. Its large flower heads produce hundreds of nutrient-rich seeds that are packed with oils and fats – providing an excellent energy source for species such as goldfinches, greenfinches, tits and sparrows – which is especially helpful in summer as they’re feeding their young and active for longer,’ says James.
‘The bright yellow flowers are also highly attractive to pollinators while in bloom, supporting insects that many birds feed on. Leaving the flower heads intact rather than cutting them down allows birds to forage naturally, turning the garden into a valuable feeding station well into autumn.’
Where to buy sunflowers
4. Bergamot
Bergamot is a great choice for attracting insects, which birds like to eat, to your garden. It’s a bushy perennial that provides striking red and pink flowers.
‘Also known as bee balm, bergamot is excellent for encouraging pollinators and other beneficial insects into the garden. While birds may not feed directly on the flowers, the abundance of insects they attract provides an important food source for species that rely on insects, particularly during the breeding season when adults are feeding hungry chicks,’ says Amber.
Where to buy bergamot
5. Oxeye daisy
Not only is oxeye daisy a great plant for attracting birds, but it’s a highly drought-tolerant plant, making it a great choice for gardens that receive a lot of sun, or anyone looking for low-maintenance choices during summer.
‘Oxeye daisies may have a simple appearance, but they’re incredibly effective at supporting bird populations. They have open, accessible flowers that attract a wide range of insects, including bees, beetles and hoverflies,’ says James.
‘This bustling insect activity doesn’t go unnoticed by birds, especially in early summer as they’re feeding their growing chicks. Insect-eating birds, such as blue tits and robins, frequently visit daisy patches to hunt insects to feed their young protein-rich food.
‘As a native wildflower, oxeye daisy is also well suited to wildlife-friendly planting schemes and helps create the natural meadow-style habitats that birds are naturally drawn to.’
Where to buy oxeye daisy
If you want to make your garden welcome to birds, these beautiful flowers provide not only food, but also make it look like their home, too.
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