The Landscape Landlord

When considering cleaning up your garden in the late fall and early winter, consider leaving some things that could provide food and shelter for area birds, until spring.

Depending on the severity of the weather here in Middle Tennessee, our feathered friends will need different types of plants to help them through the winter.  Evergreens trees and shrubs are a definite plus during times of heavy winds and snow.  Holding their needles/foliage all year, adds an extra layer of protection for these little guys.  They can duck inside the inner branching and become shielded from strong winds.  Although we don’t see a lot of snow here, compared to our northern states, these same plants can protect from that and the occasional ice storm that finds it way to our area.

Deciduous shrubs are often enough to help, especially those with tighter branching habits.  As a rule, you will find plants with larger, or compound leaves have wider branching.  For example, a Barberry with its tiny leaves has many more branches per square foot of plant than say, that of an Elderberry or Fig with their larger leaves. These open branching habitats are helpful in the fact that the larger birds can get in there easier, but most finches, sparrows, wrens and the like prefer a tighter branching habit when looking for a place to weather the storm. 

Ornamental grasses are beneficial as well.  Although they are not suited for perching for birds of any size to them, when the wind is strong, the grasses supply dense cover at the ground level where our feathered friends aren’t as likely to be bouncing around on the branches of a tree or shrub.

Also, if left untrimmed, ornamental grasses can be a great supply of seeds during these colder months.  The birds need to continually feed in order to keep their body heat up, so plants in your yard that have seed heads left until spring such as the aforementioned grasses along with Coneflowers, Rudbeckias, and Sunflowers to name a few, become a buffet for these little ones.  Shrubs that produce berries are also a welcome site.  Viburnums, Hollies, Dogwoods, Bayberries, and Sumac can hold their fruit throughout the winter providing the necessary food needed.

Your local Agricultural Extension or Department of Conservation have resources to help with wildlife friendly plants and many even have lists available on their website.

So, before you do any corrective pruning, tidying up in your beds, or planning for your 2026 garden, take a moment to think…are you a good Landscape Landlord?

Frond Wishes for Happy Gardening