Before plants took over my life, I was obsessed with non-human animals. Of particular interest to me were birds. Whether I was tending to the birds on my shoulder at home or stalking birds in the wild, the moments of my life devoted to avian pursuits far outnumbered the non-avian ones. When I was a child, my father always put out bird feeders to attract the birds. As I learned more about gardening, I learned that you can cut out the middleman so to speak, by growing plants that are useful to birds.
Since I was already an unabashed plant collector, it was obvious that I should start gathering plants useful to birds. I had read that various types of berry-producing plants such as, dogwood, bayberry, holly, and viburnum, were good food sources for birds. I took the suggestion as a challenge and started collecting with renewed fervor. Did you know that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have intense and/or very restrictive interests and may love to collect? If not, you may want to watch a delightful new children’s show on PBS called Carl the Collector. It’s about a group of neurodivergent animal friends. Carl is an adorable raccoon with ASD. I find him so relatable! For the first time, I am seeing that there may be more to my obsessive gardening than I thought! I did not know about how these traits and so many others fit into ASD until I was diagnosed. But it explains a lot! Now, the things that made me feel like an alien are starting to make me feel more like a superhero. My intense passion and focus have enabled me to make an enormous amount of progress toward making Warden’s Woods a bird haven in just 7 years.
Back to the objects of my obsession-the plants. These berry-bejeweled plants with a purpose definitely performed their job-to attract birds. In the future I hope to share more about the feathery friends who come to visit and live here. But today I wanted to talk about the plants who have important jobs here AND look amazing doing them. So now I plant them not just for the birds, but very much just for myself. As the leaves begin to drop and the snow and ice lends their glitz and glitter, I just have to stop and stare at these colorful jewels.
I cannot take credit for planting all the viburnums. Some were already here. My favorite bird-friendly shrub has to be the maple-leaf viburnum. You had me at pink-purple fall foliage! But it is also tough enough to thrive in dry soil and in deep shade which is a very useful trait to have.
Just look at the color of these berries! Other than porcelain berry, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such beautiful blue berries. The leaves also take on some nice fall color. The berries don’t last long though because they are snatched up quickly by birds. It’s a race to just get photos.
Here’s another Viburnum. They are so indispensable in my opinion. They offer berries, brilliant fall foliage, and many of the Asian varieties have incredible fragrance that can fill your yard.
Admittedly, Callicarpas are not much to look at the rest of the year. But neither are forsythias, and everyone has those. Callicarpas wait for the end of the season to put on their show, and I think their prolific white, pink or purple berries are well-worth the wait. I often wonder if I could bend a branch into a loop and wear it around my neck like a necklace. If I try it, I’ll let you know.
I am always looking for plants that can thrive in varied conditions. Some portions of my yard are shady and wet. Winterberry hollies are perfect for these areas. They also add splashes of bold color during the 6 months of the year when the color palette is much more subtle, and most branches are bear. I have learned that the birds start with the red winterberries first. So, I have started adding yellow and orange winterberries because the birds leave those for me to enjoy a bit longer than their red-berried counterparts.
Last but not least, dogwood berries are a favorite of birds and other animals alike. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, flowering dogwood is a good source of fat and calcium.
This is post is dedicated to a very special bird who shared his life with me for over 21 years and who also loved berries, the spectacularly amazing Pikachu.
