Gardening for Birdwatchers

Gardening for BirdWatchers provides a wealth of information on wildlife-friendly gardening, bringing together the expertise of garden designers Ian and Barley Wilson (Natural Gardens) with that of the BTO to produce the definitive guide to improving your garden for birds and other wildlife.

The book starts by examining the different ways in which birds use gardens, identifying elements within the garden that can be used to attract birds (and other wildlife). It then gets to grips with garden basics by examining the principles and techniques of a wildlife-friendly approach. This section covers flower forms, selecting plants, soil management, planting techniques, mulching, pruning and pests & disease.

The main section of the book looks at wildlife-friendly designs for a wide range of garden types and garden elements. For example, planting plans and species lists are provided for sunny borders for insects, lawns, mini-meadows, butterfly mounds, shady areas and walls, courtyards and garden ponds. 

Other sections cover specific plants, covering those useful for nesting and roosting cover, those that provide fruits and seeds, those useful in attracting butterflies, moths and bumblebees.

Detailed lists of suitable plants, drawn from the literature, provide you with choice in which species to establish in your own garden. Other sections cover the provision of nest boxes, bird food and roosting pouches. There are also sections on hygiene & disease at garden feeding stations and how to deal with predators, like cats and Sparrowhawks.

 
The book has many planting schemes
 
Many different garden components are covered
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