Bird Garden - in progress

Creating a Bird Garden

INTERNET IMAGE Example ONLY

One of the many items I have noticed on the internet are painted poles and I happen to love bird houses and feeders. I decided to put the ideas together based on images I found online.


(If only mine were this fancy!  I imagine they had to paint the designs before putting the poles into the ground. I'm a bit impatient.)

 Earlier this summer I started the bird garden near the Filbert tree that hangs over the back fence line (aka Hazelnuts) While I have not finished painting the poles due to the arrival of wet, cold weather, this is a very easy project.

1. Picked a location
2. Purchased round poles ( $7 each) and quickcrete from the local hardware store
3. Placed poles and painted with primer so they would last longer (same day)
4. attached metal flashing to keep cats and squirrels from the feeders
5. started painting and attaching feeders and houses (with more to come!)

Suggestions - be sure to have various levels of plants, shrugs and trees nearby to encourage the birds. Mine like to fly from the apple tree in the center of the yard where I've attached suet to the "bird garden" to the neighbors lilac tree over-hanging the north fence to a new feeder I put in by my Japanese Maple.

To attract more birds and bees and create shade, I intend to plant another low tree or high bush in addition to the Eastern Redbud we planted this year. 

A Successful bird feeder in action! 

(As of Thanksgiving, I am filling this feeder every 3-4 days.)

Year One - changes and improvements

While there is no doubt that a low-maintenance yard can be appealing to some and certainly at different stages in life- I like to think I'll be able to work for at least another 20+ years before I have to tone down the workload. In the meantime, so much fun creating and changing! Front yard and back yard changes since home purchase 2013

The BACKYARD - NOVEMBER 2014

There is still lots to do! Re-level the water tanks (there was some soil compression) We hope to build a greenhouse in the next two years and enlarge the garden beds. Bamboo fencing is sitting in my living room waiting to be placed in front of the water tanks and cedar chips remain on the driveway needing to be moved somewhere in the backyard.

Below are some pre-purchase images for comparison - the firepit above is located where the pond below used to be.

 Here's hoping that next year is as successful!

1st year check-in - Front yard progress