How to Attract Birds & Bees Into Your Garden
Invite the buzz, whirr and tweet of some colourful guests, and discover the joys of gardening on a different level
Bees and birds add beauty and excitement to gardens, but those aren’t the only reasons to invite them in. Many ornamental and edible plants rely on these colourful creatures to transfer the pollen within their blooms, an act crucial to their development into fruits and seeds, and from that, the next generation. It is for this reason that the birds and the bees are also known as pollinators. Almost all our fruit and vegetable farming depends on them, as do the the plants in the wild. Find out how to invite them to be part of the garden and do your bit to conserve the environment.
Birds
Planting the right plants can attract anything from 50 to 100 species of birds to your garden. Native and naturalised plants attract native species. Birds like eating nectar, berries, fruits and seeds, so planting plenty of these delicacies is the way to go. This provides them with plenty of foraging opportunities.
Will bees and birds come to any size of garden? The answer is yes. Even the smallest of gardens can attract species of birds and even bees. As long as they find food, shelter and water, these little friends are sure to visit the gardens we create.
Planting the right plants can attract anything from 50 to 100 species of birds to your garden. Native and naturalised plants attract native species. Birds like eating nectar, berries, fruits and seeds, so planting plenty of these delicacies is the way to go. This provides them with plenty of foraging opportunities.
Will bees and birds come to any size of garden? The answer is yes. Even the smallest of gardens can attract species of birds and even bees. As long as they find food, shelter and water, these little friends are sure to visit the gardens we create.
Variety of flowering plants
The more the flowers, the more likely passing bees, hummingbirds and sunbirds will spot them – although you can attract them with a single potted plant, or a group of potted plants too.
A few good options for flowering plants are shrubs like Galphimia glauca (thryallis or gold shower), Plumbago (neel chitrak), Stachytarpheta indica (Indian snakeweed), and creepers like Jasminum officinale (common jasmine) and Quisqualis indica (madhumalati or Rangoon creeper).
Find a landscape architect from the Houzz directory to design your garden
The more the flowers, the more likely passing bees, hummingbirds and sunbirds will spot them – although you can attract them with a single potted plant, or a group of potted plants too.
A few good options for flowering plants are shrubs like Galphimia glauca (thryallis or gold shower), Plumbago (neel chitrak), Stachytarpheta indica (Indian snakeweed), and creepers like Jasminum officinale (common jasmine) and Quisqualis indica (madhumalati or Rangoon creeper).
Find a landscape architect from the Houzz directory to design your garden
Bird bath
As well as food, it’s important to provide water for birds and bees. If a traditional birdbath doesn’t take your fancy, you could just put out a shallow dish, or fashion a more utilitarian one, such as this hanging bowl.
As well as food, it’s important to provide water for birds and bees. If a traditional birdbath doesn’t take your fancy, you could just put out a shallow dish, or fashion a more utilitarian one, such as this hanging bowl.
Perches and nesting opportunities
Give your bird friends a place to perch and land by providing garden accessories and plant enclosures that are safe from prying eyes. A few big trees such as Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree) and Caesalpinia pulcherrima (chhota gulmohur or dwarf Poinciana) are good as nesting places for common birds like sparrows, sunbirds, weavers and hornbills.
Give your bird friends a place to perch and land by providing garden accessories and plant enclosures that are safe from prying eyes. A few big trees such as Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree) and Caesalpinia pulcherrima (chhota gulmohur or dwarf Poinciana) are good as nesting places for common birds like sparrows, sunbirds, weavers and hornbills.
Basking opportunities
A small sunny spot in the garden will go a long way in attracting birds to bask in the early morning sun, after a heavy breakfast of fruit and nectar.
A small sunny spot in the garden will go a long way in attracting birds to bask in the early morning sun, after a heavy breakfast of fruit and nectar.
Bees
Bees are especially attracted to purple, violet, blue, blue-green, yellow and white flowers, and like them even more if they are scented. Plants like Lantana camara (West Indian lantana), Tabernaemontana coronaria (chandni), Buddleia (butterfly bush), and Plumbago (neel chitrak) are good choices to attract plenty of bees.
Plant flowers that bloom at different times of the year to keep the bees well-fed round the year. Additionally, most plants that attract birds also do a wonderful job of attracting bees.
Bees are especially attracted to purple, violet, blue, blue-green, yellow and white flowers, and like them even more if they are scented. Plants like Lantana camara (West Indian lantana), Tabernaemontana coronaria (chandni), Buddleia (butterfly bush), and Plumbago (neel chitrak) are good choices to attract plenty of bees.
Plant flowers that bloom at different times of the year to keep the bees well-fed round the year. Additionally, most plants that attract birds also do a wonderful job of attracting bees.
Full sun
Like butterflies, bees are cold-blooded, so they need the warmth of the sun to move around. Like our morning coffee, a sunny garden spot gives bees the boost they need to wake up and get going for the day.
Like butterflies, bees are cold-blooded, so they need the warmth of the sun to move around. Like our morning coffee, a sunny garden spot gives bees the boost they need to wake up and get going for the day.
Bee bath
A bee bath needs to be shallower than a bird bath. A shallow tray is ideal. Add some marbles or pebbles in a shallow pan and fill it with water, so that the bees will have somewhere to land and drink from.
Read more:
A Beginner’s Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly Garden
An Introduction to Terrariums: Must-Have Mini Gardens
Tell us:
What species have you observed in your garden lately? Tell us in Comments below. Join the conversation!
A bee bath needs to be shallower than a bird bath. A shallow tray is ideal. Add some marbles or pebbles in a shallow pan and fill it with water, so that the bees will have somewhere to land and drink from.
Read more:
A Beginner’s Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly Garden
An Introduction to Terrariums: Must-Have Mini Gardens
Tell us:
What species have you observed in your garden lately? Tell us in Comments below. Join the conversation!
It’s not easy being a pollinating bird or bee these days. In cities, gardens are broken up by roadways and other obstacles that make it hard for them to forage effectively. But our home gardens have a tremendous potential for fostering their habitats and ensuring their health, safety and existence of future populations. With simple gestures, our gardens can serve as homes for these wonderful creatures.