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Staying with our theme of purposeful gardens I have one more I would like to sug- gest. Let's not forget about our bird friends. If you remember the spring of 2018, you probably remember the problem we had with robins and other migratory birds struggling to find food and even perishing. People were encouraged to buy and put out fruit for them to help them out temporarily. Why not help them out permanently? I've been planting fruiting trees and shrubs for the birds since I've moved into my house, but until recently, haven't paid close attention to the results. I was basical- ly doing it to increase the diversity of birds in my yard for my own pleasure. I hosted a family reunion two years ago and people kept commenting on how many different types of birds were around. I guess I had gotten used to seeing them all and didn't think much of it. I told them that if they wanted a diversity of birds, they needed a diversity of plants, and that included fruit-bearing plants. For certain birds, berries are a major part of their diet. I didn't realize how really important of a food source these plants would become until last spring. Since I've been doing this I have a multitude of birds in spring eating away every year. Although I did put out some wax worms in 2018 for the robins, I had no need to put out fruit. I had plenty in the yard. So, what are these plants and what birds do they attract? Let's break it down into three categories: summer, late summer-fall and winter fruits. It's important to plant some of each to keep birds fed throughout the year. Summer fruit-bearing trees include cher- ries, mulberries, and serviceberries. These plants attract up to 60 different species of birds, including blue jays, robins, thrash- ers, cedar waxwings, cardinals, orioles, bluebirds, catbirds and thrushes. Service- berries are particularly important because of their early summer fruiting. Summer fruit-bearing shrubs include blueberries, currants, raspberries, black- berries and bush cherries. I have all of these in my yard and have enough for my use and theirs. These feed the same species listed above and even game birds like grouse and pheasants. Late summer-fall fruit-bearing trees include mountain ash, hawthorns and crab apples, attracting around 20 to 30 different species. Late summer-fall fruit-bearing shrubs include dogwoods, viburnums, elderber- ries, sumacs, cotoneaster and barberries. I could list all the same birds again, but I think you're starting to see a pattern here. Winter fruit doesn't mean the fruit is pro- duced in the winter; it's just that these plants hold on to their fruit through the winter. These winter fruits are an impor- tant emergency food source as we have seen. Some trees would include hawthorns, crab apples and junipers. There are up to 50 different species that feed on these. Shrubs that hold on to their fruit throughout the winter include viburnums, sumac, winterberry, snowberries and chokeberries. As you can see, berries play an important role in many birds' diets, so let's give them a helping hand. Now is a great time to plant some of these for next spring, so why wait? Happy gardening! (Michael Timm is a horticulturalist at Ebert's Greenhouse Village in Ixonia.) AUGUST 2019 HOME 5 K i t c h e n s | B a t h s | D e n s | C a b i n s | O f f i c e s | R e c R o o m s Work With Experienced Design Professionals "We Specialize in Cabinetry" 1005 Richards Road, Hartland | 262.367.9439 www.kitchencreators.com Cabinetry For Every Room, Every Budget! 265147003 We Beat All Big Box Stores and all Competitors | Visit Our Showroom By Appointment NEW SHOWROOM DISPLAYS! WE SPECIALIZE IN NORCRAFT'S MID CONTINENT CABINETRY Crisis for robins highlights need for fruit for many species MICHAEL TIMM Fruit-bearing trees, bushes that are for the birds Photo by Michael Timm A call for people to put out fruit for robins in the spring of 2018 highlighted the general need for plantings for wildlife. Fruit, such as from this flowering crab tree, is needed throughout the year. Photo by Michael Timm Many species of birds rely on fruit, such as these berries, in their diet.

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