Re: Attracting more birds

On 1 Dec 2003 20:25:18 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (luke) wrote:

>I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for plants that i could put in my
>garden that would attract the interest of migrating warblers, vireos
>etc.  I seem to be on a fairly good route here in SW Connecticut -

>Anybody have any good ideas for plants that will interest these or
>other birds, my local garden centre seemed dumbfounded when I tried to
>approach them for suggestions.

You're in sw connecticut, so you're probably close to some kind of
coast (whether inland river or the shore).  Plant bayberries...lots
and lots of northern bayberries :)   (myrica pensylvanica).  They will
grow in any kind of soil, but Im positive yours will be perfect.  They
are extremely salt-tolerant.

I received the same response this summer....nearly all local nurseries
(even very large ones) had no clue what I was talking about when I
asked for stuff like northern bayberries or highbush cranberries.  One
single nursery had bayerry bushes, and 90% of their selection looked
like crap (they dumped it in the back under all the shade trees).
Bayberry likes sun.

Spicebush is also highly recommended, but unlike bayberry, it enjoys
partial shade and wet woodland soil.  You can tell a plant is
spicebush by piching a leaf...if it smells like lemon pledge, it's the
correct plant.  The bright red berries (still hanging from bushes even
in this cold weather)  are also extremely pungent...the bark looks a
little like a small birch tree, but with dots instead of dashes along
the bark.  They don't enjoy being transplanted, but the only easy time
of year to find them is when the leaves are out and you can smell
them.

Here is a web page that may help:
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/whats_new/fruits/

Dan