Bird-Friendly Gardening: Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape

by Jennifer McGuinness

Bird-Friendly Gardening is the definitive guide to planting a wildlife-welcoming home landscape filled with a diversity of native plants that feed, shelter, and support birds.

With hundreds of North American bird species facing population decline or at risk of extinction, right now is the perfect time to create a home-based habitat garden that offers birds the resources they need to safely feed, migrate, breed, and thrive.

Thankfully, making your outdoor space a secure and comfortable haven for many different bird species isn’t a Herculean task. It’s a matter of understanding the needs of our avian friends and how native plants, combined with purposeful garden design, can help meet those needs. And that’s exactly the know-how you’ll find here, outlined in a simple-to-follow, actionable format by author Jennifer McGuinness.

Step beyond the seed-filled bird feeder and suet block, and learn how to further provide for birds. Some of the topics covered in the book include:

How to design a bird-centered habitat garden in spaces large and small
Advice on providing fresh water year-round
Understanding the connection between native plants and insects and the birds that rely on them
How to design and plant a fruit garden, a bird seed garden, a runoff-absorbing rain garden, or even a container garden that nurtures birds
Meet dozens of trees, shrubs, and other plants that support the insects almost all adult birds need to feed their young
18 step-by-step garden design projects and plant lists for creating a diversity of bird-friendly spaces
Tips for preventing window strikes and cat kills
Best practices for including bird feeders, nest boxes, and bird baths in your landscape

Whether your “spark bird” was a lightning-fast Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a brilliant Indigo Bunting, or a petite Hammond’s Flycatcher, it’s time to put out the welcome mat for birds in your home garden. YOU can make a significant impact on the lives of thousands of birds, whether they’re just passing through during migration or making a feather-lined summertime home for raising the next generation.

It’s time for gardeners from coast to coast to heed the call and welcome their flighty friends home with Bird-Friendly Gardening.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Birds, Nature, Animals, Ornithology, Environment

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

I began regularly blogging as Frau Zinnie in 2011 for FrauZinnie.com, where you will find my writing, photography and personal gardening experiences in my garden, along with interviews with garden experts. I follow organic gardening methods and grow both ornamental and edible plants in my garden, which faces challenges like large black walnut trees and full sun that primarily falls in my driveway only.

I like to experiment with growing compact and dwarf edibles in containers, so that way I can move them into the sun that they need. Which leads me to "Micro Food Gardening" - my first book on that very topic! This book - set to publish on April 6, 2021 - includes 30 DIY projects that feature edible plants that stay on the smaller side throughout their growing cycle. One of my favorite projects that I created includes the Strawberry Cake Stand, which is featured on the book's cover and my profile photo. It is a project that lasts the entire growing season, and can even double as a fun hostess gift.

When I am not in the garden, I work in the communications field, and I am a professional photographer, too. I am also available for gardening lectures. I have been honored to be a guest on several podcasts. The most recent was a live taping for Into the Garden (WDVR 89.7 Sergeantsville, N.J./WPNJ 90.5 Easton, Pa.) in 2020.

I've also been a guest on the following:

Down the Garden Path podcast (2018) — holiday gift ideas for gardeners.
The Vegetable Garden Show (2017) — monarchs, veggies and photography.
Still Growing podcast (2016) — three episodes. The first episode included my personal gardening experiences, and I was delighted to be invited back to participate in the Spring Bulb Party.
Back to My Garden (2014) — general gardening.

If you want it, you can grow it! I look forward to sharing "Micro Food Gardening" with you, and hope you love it!

Reviews

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This shares garden ‘tips’ for designing your garden(s), as well as sharing a love of birds, and how to encourage birds to return to visit by providing them with plants, flowers, as well as necessary sources of water.

Regarding plants that will draw birds to you, this also covers the best plants to have around you that are the most beneficial to them, which may differ depending on where you live. The best plants for each area are included. By creating a garden that offers them what they need, they will be more likely to return.

This book shares a great deal of information, and some beautiful photographs, as well, but this is primarily a lovely guide to create a setting that they will feel welcome in.


Pub Date: 19 Mar 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press, Cool Springs Press

[Abigail Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book filled with gorgeous pictures and wonderful tips that are easy to follow!

[Susan Bewley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves birdwatching and gardening, I have to say I fell in love with this charming gardening book. From the moment I opened the book, I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful charts and pictures, allowing me to quickly identify the birds in my yard and what was already drawing them to call our yard home. Along with the gorgeous pictures and charts, the information is very practical, allowing you to easily pick the perfect plants for your situation and learn about the various birds’ habits in your biome. I also loved the little personal touches of giving attention to “birdwatchers and gardeners in various locations. Overall, I consider Bird-Friendly Gardening a must for any gardener or birdwatcher.

[A.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent bird gardening book! I really enjoyed reading it, and I even learned a few tidbits. I love this genre of gardening, so the books can get a bit redundant, but I thought the author did a great job with this. The first half covers basic information and the second half has garden template ideas with plants and their native locations. The pictures were gorgeous and featured a great variety of backyard birds, not just the standard cardinal and sparrow photos. All in all I would recommend and would enjoy my own copy to keep on my shelf.

[Laurie Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bird-Friendly Gardening gives newbies quite a bit to get started, but there is so much more than what the book offers. I was hoping to find more projects for landscaping ideas. That wasn't the case I only found a few diagrams of gardening guides and hardly any for small spaces. I also felt this book failed to tell readers of the threat of invasive birds such as House Sparrows and Starlings. If you're passionate about creating a garden for native birds, you must learn how to keep these birds from killing native birds.

The upside to this book is it covers a lot of native plants to bring into your yard to help keep birds coming for years to come. What most people fail to realize is the majority of our American home's landscaping is all Asian plants that offer no benefit to our native birds or pollinators, for that matter, and Yes, your favorite Crape Myrtle is an Asian plant that gives no benefits to our birds.

Another tip I wished this book would have covered. The majority of our box stores in the US only offer Asian plants to buy, you'll have to do your research in your area to find places that sell native plants, and some natives carry crazy expensive price tags. Through the years, I have found that my Masters Gardeners offers a yearly native plant sale that I attend. Etsy is also a great resource to buy native seeds.

Go and explore a birding world that will amaze you for years to come.


Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with this title for review

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for an all-in-one reference book to help you get started gardening for birds, Bird-Friendly Gardening: Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape by Jennifer McGuinness is a great option. You will get a basic overview of the needs of birds throughout the year and lots of ideas on how to attract them to your yard or community garden. I honestly cannot think of anything the author left out. As you dive into your gardening project, you will probably want to do more research on specific plants for your area or details on how to accomplish your specific goals. There is a reference section at the back to help you do just that. I love the overall organization and feel of the book. It is fun to flip through the photos of birds in garden settings. If you plant them, the birds will come. Have fun!

[Shannon Rochester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one...I was looking for a book that would help me draw birds to my yard and this one went above and beyond, in my opinion. There were some really great pictures and charts and they pretty much tell you everything about what you need to plant or have in your garden to draw all of the available birds in the area to your yard. They tell you about the plants that will bring them, the trees that will bring them, birdbaths, feeders...everything you need to know about your particular area and what plants, trees, flowers, and grasses will thrive in your area...I took a lot of information away from this one and there is a good chance I will actually buy the physical copy down the road.

[caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice guide for beginners planning an outdoor space for birds or even looking for aid in finding birds in public spaces. As an experienced birder I did skim some sections that by now are common knowledge. This is a topic I have been interested in for a few years now, and have applied this information to my birding strategies for locating species like warblers. I did find the owl content to be particularly helpful, as that’s not information included in many of the other resources I’ve reviewed. I would like to see a more advanced and in depth work on this topic in the future, but this is a great place to start.

[Stefanie Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bird-friendly Gardening is packed full of extensive information and easy-to-follow projects to create a garden that also serves as a thriving bird habitat. As an avid gardener, I plan on tweaking my existing garden with this info to be more bird-friendly throughout the season, providing food, water, and shelter appropriate to my USDA zone and landscape.

I appreciated the clean design and layout of the book. Clearly presented tables of plant species, birds, and growing requirements makes this guide a staple for any gardener's or bird-lover's library.

I thank Quarto Publishing Group-Cool Springs Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely thorough book offering ideas, plans and information about gardening for the birds in a huge range of ways. It’s extremely heavy on charts, photos and text. There is a wide variety of information on all kinds of gardening needs, from balcony and condo gardens to southwestern and low water gardens to shade gardening to gardening for specific birds and tons more.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Garden designs to help support the birds during all of the seasons! I absolutely love my bird houses and watching the birds that stay and those that come back every year and now thanks to this book I have ideas on how to incorporate the perfect plants, flowers, water sources, etc. to keep them happy and encourage other, more rare birds to visit as well. I thank Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group-Cool Springs Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Gay Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer McGuinness' new non-fiction book on bird friendly gardens is top knotch with scads of ideas of what even condo dwellers can do to welcome and nurture birds in our environment. There are ideas for how to keep water available to birds year round, how to make habitats especially for birds, and about the interconnectivity of birds, insects and plants. The glossy page photos of birds are wonderous and the factual information is insightful.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book that is useful for anyone who loves birds and gardening. It’s filled with practical tips and plant selection advice on attracting different birds to the garden based on their feeding habits.

[Kristin Eoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only got to read the first half of the book before I had to return it to the library, but it contained lots of useful information and nice photos. Charts show what types of plants are good for attracting certain kinds of birds.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great informative book for any gardener hoping to attract birds to their garden. Lots of up to date information, beautiful pictures and ideas for plants in all areas of the country.

[Patricia A. Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing…. Provides not only bird information but planting guides too. Packed with useful data from cover to cover. Highly recommend this as an overall resource to improving your yard.