‘Feed the birds, tuppence a bag/ Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag.’
Oh dear – I’ve probably given you an earworm that’ll annoy you for 24 hours.
But that’s my sermon today, although you don’t need to pay anything.
I’m on my ancient knees in a long, curving flower border, wondering which dead perennials to cut down and which to leave. So many have seedheads, avian larders for the approaching cold months.
To provide seeds for birds, many plants with prominent seedheads, such as teasels, sunflowers, coneflowers (echinaceas) and cosmos, allow their flowers to mature and dry on the plant to form nutritious seeds. These provide natural, protein- and fat-rich food sources for various bird species throughout autumn and winter, supplementing their diet while offering shelter for overwintering insects.
We didn’t come to this garden until late August. So I’m having to guess what the buff and fluffy remains – snapped, bent and sticking out in awkward angles – were in their summer magnificence.
The peonies were resplendent when we first viewed the property in June. By moving day, their dying but still attractive foliage was spiked with stout stems bearing open capsules filled with glossy black seeds.
Alas, peony seeds are not safe for birds and considered toxic to most animals, owing to the presence of paeonol, a compound that can be harmful if ingested.
So, moving on… Ah, buddlejas, no longer waving fragrant, come-hither pink and mauve racemes. Instead, they’re dangling brown tassels filled with minuscule seeds.
Here’s food aplenty for sparrows, bullfinches and many another garden bird.
If you’re without buddlejas and want one for its summer beauty and nectar-rich flowers to attract butterflies, be careful not to choose any of the sterile (seedless) or poor-seeding forms, such as ‘Miss Ruby’, ‘Miss Molly’ or any of the Lo & Behold hybrids.
Echinacea flowers will also attract butterflies in summer, along with an assortment of bees and other pollinators. Their seeds are rich in protein and beloved by many members of the finch families.
Echinacea purpurea, the purple coneflower, is the most common of the brigade and a reliable buffet-provider if you forget to refill the bird-feeder.
Sunflowers provide birds with a nutritious food source – especially black oil sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts, which are rich in fats, proteins and essential vitamins and minerals for energy and survival.
They’re easily grown annuals, fast-growing with enough of a spurt to keep the grandchildren amused throughout the long summer holidays.
If their large, seed-filled, decaying ‘faces’ annoy you, simply cut the old stems and hang them upside down under a sheltered eave to provide a safe takeaway service for our feathered friends. Helianthus annuus ‘Mammoth Russian’ sunflower can be grown specially for bird food – its 12-to-14-inch-wide flowerheads will provide bags of fun for the kids and pounds of seeds for the birds.
Teasels are crucial. Wildlife artist Hannah Longmuir says, ‘Their brown, prickly stems can reach the height of a person and beyond, providing a dramatic and architectural element to a garden design. Goldfinches have beaks that are specially shaped to be able to extract the seeds from between the spikes.’ We have for many years planted them close to our windows.
The jewel-like goldfinches’ comings and goings provide hours of pleasure on the most dreich of winter days.
As difficult as it may be, especially to the tidy-minded among us, the secret is to adopt a hands-off regime. Let the plants wither in their own time, feeding an abundance of wildlife during the most taxing of seasons. Tweet, tweet.
David’s Instagram account is @hortusjournal
