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I
Learned It the Hard Way —
Place
Your Bird Feeders Carefully
by Brian
Governski, Master Gardener
This
section focuses on situations of moutain gardening that arise and
the lessons to be learned from them. These factors take on different
forms whether they are the climate, wildlife, weather, the garden's
layout or any combination of these.
We start by getting out the pick, breaking the granite into smaller,
manageable pieces. We work the earth, mixing in mulch and compost
to achieve a nice loam. Finally, we sow the seeds and place the
plants in the ground. All conditions seem ideal for the perfect
mountain garden. Then nature reveals the unexpected, those situations
we couldn't foresee and those elements of mountain living that take
the challenges of gardening to the next level.
Relocate
the Bird Feeders
When it's time to put out the bird feeders, take a moment and place
the feeders carefully. The reason being that birds love their birdseed.
In fact they are rather sloppy while eating at the feeder. Unless
some type of seed retainer is in place, birdseed gets thrown to
the ground, covering an area much larger than the feeder. This appears
harmless, but can have negative and frustrating results for gardeners.
Birds aren't the only animals in the forest that love birdseed.
Ground squirrels, tree squirrels, chipmunks, voles, bears and deer
love seed too. This can present a problem to mountain gardeners.
First, squirrels, voles and chipmunks gather below the feeders waiting
for those little morsels to fall. They ravage everything in their
path searching for the seeds. This includes any tender plants and
greens in the garden. This holds true for deer and bears too. Their
damage can be on a greater scale and have a longer lasting impact.
Bears are not tidy when it comes to tearing down feeders. Their
size can, and will, tear any garden to pieces.
Realize that
birdseed does what it was meant to do, grow plants. Most birdseed
is still viable, ready to grow new plants with a little soil and
water. And birdseed thrown to the ground will germinate! This brings
unwanted plant life into the carefully planned garden. By relocating
bird feeders, traffic and the impact mountain
critters have in the garden will be minimized. This doesn't guarantee
they won't enter the garden but decreases the chances of them spending
time there. Finally, germinating birdseed will grow outside the
garden, leaving the garden to the desired flowers and plants. Both
mountain gardens and birds can now be enjoyed together. Have Fun!
If you have
further questions, please contact the CSU
Cooperative Extension Office to speak with a Master Gardener
or Extension Agent.
Relevant
Fact Sheets from the CSU Extension:
No Fact Sheets are currently
available.
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