Many
gardeners enjoy bird watching and reaping the benefits the birds provide by keeping populations of insect pests under control. To attract birds to the garden, it helps to
provide water for drinking and bathing, as well as a supply of wild bird seed
to supplement their diet.
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| Homemade trail mix |
I
found that the many bird visitors to my feeders were eating faster than I could
keep the containers filled, so I decided to do an experiment, and hopefully,
save some time and money.
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| Empty feeders after 2 days |
I
let the seed that fell from the feeders germinate and grow around the poles and
feeders. I never prepared the ground or watered the seedlings – I just let
nature take its course and didn’t interfere by mowing or weeding that small patch
of sprouting millet, safflower, corn, and sunflowers.
It created a bit of a messy garden spot for a season, but it
was definitely worth it to have back-up food available when the feeders were
empty, and to see the birds enjoying their organic seed buffet.
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| Green buds full of seeds |
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| Cardinal snacking in the rain |
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| Still visiting in fall |
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| Bursting with seeds |
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| Leftover seeds for the winter |
Providing bird seed through the year at no extra cost was effortless and rewarding!
Many blessings to you, garden friends! ~Karen
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