Gardening for birds is easier than you may think. We are so lucky to have such great biodiversity in South Africa. Perhaps your garden is just kicking off or perhaps well-established but, whatever the case, you can rest assured that you are creating a unique ecosystem and encouraging biodiversity.

There’s nothing better than the birds singing their beautiful songs in the morning. A wild bird presence can bring a positive atmosphere to your garden and for many, bird watching can become a great hobby. So, what are some other benefits you can achieve?

• Birds Help Eat and Control Bugs
• Birds Pollinate Plants
• Birds Help Control Garden Weeds

In order to attract birds to your garden you need 3 things:

• Water
• Food
• Shelter

Here are a few plants that will help to attract birds to your garden:

• For the seed eaters – Sunflowers, Pennisetum grasses, Carex grasses, Papyrus, Wheat and Juncus
• For the fruit eaters – Nandina, Kiggelarea, Myrthus, Celtis and Murrya exotica
• For the nectar eaters – Aloe, Strelizia, Leonotus, Phygelia, kniphophia and Tecomaria

Create a healthy ecosystem in your garden. Everything from soil to plants, insects, birds and reptiles are linked in the food chain. Once you have your bird party on the go you can start identifying your visitors and find out a bit more about their habits.

A garden with birds is a happy garden.