Give birds a nice place to rest, a cool drink, and a little food, and they’ll come back again and again.

Expanding your circle of feathered friends is easy-and a pretty way to add interest to your garden. Follow these simple tips:

Add berry- and seed-bearing plants and shrubs to your garden lineup. Besides providing food, their foliage gives birds places to hide. No-fuss favorites include purple coneflower, purple hyacinth bean, serviceberry, holly, zinnia, and viburnum. Hummingbirds are especially fond of tubular or trumpet-shape flowers, including azalea, bee balm, morning glories, hibiscus, trumpet vine, and lilies. It's fine to supplement garden meals with birdseed and suet.

A birdbath is a must-have in a garden. Besides being a source of water, baths keep birds cool and clean. A bath can be as simple as a big terra-cotta saucer filled with water.

Birdhouses are prime real estate for wrens, bluebirds, and chickadees. (Sparrows can be aggressive tenants.) Look for houses with trap doors to make cleaning them easier. (Do this in the fall).

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Chickadees, wrens, finches, and sparrows love to call this 12x12x8-inch cottage home. A trap door makes cleaning easy. Special price for Country Home readers.
Model #I0503. 309/962-3316; therustyhinge.us.