Bird feeders often create challenges for gardeners, resulting in bare soil, excessive seed spillage, and the attraction of unwanted pests. Strategic planting transforms the area beneath the feeder into a functional, beautiful, and safer feeding station for birds. By understanding the unique environmental conditions created by a feeder, you can select plant species that thrive in the space while providing natural cover and improving the landscape.
Essential Plant Criteria for Feeder Areas
Plants placed directly beneath a bird feeder must withstand unique environmental stresses that would quickly kill standard lawn grass or garden flowers. One challenge is the high nitrogen load from concentrated bird droppings, which can quickly build up to toxic levels for most vegetation. The repeated physical disruption from birds scratching on the ground and necessary maintenance also causes severe soil compaction and physical wear.
Another major obstacle is the chemical toxicity released by decomposing seed hulls, particularly those from black oil sunflower seeds. These hulls contain phytotoxins that exhibit allelopathy, inhibiting the growth of competing plants. Therefore, plants chosen for this spot must demonstrate a high tolerance for concentrated nitrogen, resilience against traffic, and resistance to these allelopathic compounds.
Low-Growing Ground Covers to Manage Spillage
The immediate ground beneath the feeder pole requires plants that can withstand the highest density of waste while concealing spilled seeds and hulls. The focus must be on robust, low-maintenance ground covers that naturally resist the allelochemicals found in sunflower hulls.
Recommended Ground Covers
Hardy, low-growing plants form a dense mat that quickly hides accumulating debris and prevents the area from looking unsightly. Good choices are generally unfazed by soil conditions and physical disturbance:
- Mother-of-Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
- Various Sedum species, such as Sedum spurium (Stonecrop)
- Creeping Myrtle (Vinca minor) or various Clover species
- Low-growing native grasses, such as certain fine-leaved fescues, which tolerate concentrated nitrogen
While these ground covers are tough, they are not impervious to the constant germination of spilled seeds, often called “volunteer plants.” The dense canopy helps shade out many unwanted sprouts, but it is important to select plants that will not be entirely choked out by the sprouts that do manage to emerge.
Strategic Planting for Bird Safety and Aesthetics
Moving outward from the immediate feeder area, planting larger, strategically placed vegetation shifts the focus to providing safety and enhancing the landscape design. Small songbirds are highly vulnerable to predators like hawks and cats while feeding, making quick access to dense cover a matter of survival. Placing shrubs or small trees approximately 5 to 10 feet away from the feeder provides a safe, immediate refuge without offering predators a hiding spot directly beneath the feeding station.
Dense evergreen shrubs, such as Hollies (Ilex spp.) or Thujas (Arborvitaes), are recommended as they provide year-round shelter and thermal protection from winter weather. Thorny or densely branched shrubs, like certain species of Shrub Roses or Barberries, offer a thick tangle of branches that is effective at deterring larger predators. Native berry-producing shrubs, including Viburnums or Dogwoods, serve a dual purpose by offering shelter and providing a natural, supplemental food source, which encourages birds to remain in the area.
Another option is to incorporate tall, clumping native grasses or perennials with rigid stems, such as Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) or Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.), positioned a short distance away. These plants offer vertical cover and provide additional seed heads that birds can forage on later in the season. Utilizing native plants ensures the vegetation is adapted to local soil and climate conditions, making them more resilient and often requiring less maintenance.
Long-Term Care of the Feeding Garden Area
Maintaining a healthy feeding garden requires periodic intervention to counteract the buildup of organic matter and chemicals. The accumulation of seed hulls and droppings enriches the soil with nitrogen and can lead to a buildup of allelopathic compounds. Lightly raking or sweeping the area beneath the feeder every few weeks helps remove the majority of the hulls before they significantly affect the soil composition.
When volunteer seedlings sprout through the ground cover, they should be pulled promptly to prevent them from shading out the desired plants. The high concentration of nutrients necessitates periodic soil refreshment to prevent toxicity. Adding a thin layer of fresh compost or soil amendment once or twice a year helps dilute the concentrated materials and maintain a balanced growing medium. Protective plantings, such as shrubs and dense evergreens, only require occasional pruning to maintain their dense structure, ensuring they remain effective as escape cover for the visiting birds.