INVITING THE BIRDS 



EDWARD H. PARRY 



Deferring the Autumn Clean-up and Offering Hospitality to the 

 Feathered Folk a Mere Matter of Common-Sense Gardening 



and 



EVER will we forget the year 

 we "discovered" winter. 

 Theretofore our late autumn 

 was an orgy of cleaning up. 

 berries as the remains of 

 matter of course. In prep- 

 garden were made a trim 



We regarded flower-heads 

 summer whose removal was a 

 aration for winter, lawn and 

 desert, and a desert they remained until spring. But one 

 year something stayed our hand and we discovered the 

 claims and cheer of winter. We thrilled to the revelation of a 

 sleeping earth made bright with lovely birds, when we saw 

 them flocking to the yellow-brown tangle of frosted flowers; 

 and we rejoiced when, after snow, our eyes passed from the life- 

 less, level floor of the lawn to the garden with its garlands and 

 grottoes of immaculate ermine and alabaster, where brown and 

 slate-colored and rosy-red birds bickered and fluttered so gaily. 

 By no act of ours, the summer garden was become the liveliest of 

 winter gardens. 



So easily — simply by abating the autumn clean-up — we gain 



the merriest guests. Seed-heads of 

 Sunflowers, Zinnias, Cosmos, Mari- 

 golds, and other common garden 

 flowers, are granaries quickly found 



and resorted to all winter by white-in-tail junco; goldfinch; 

 chickadee; white-throated, tree, song and fox sparrows. The 

 destruction in autumn of such natural food supplies is 

 cruelly unkind to the birds — which are not stray dogs that 

 they can be buffeted about, intentionally or unintentionally, 

 and the world made none the poorer. Each wrong done 

 them is a boomerang. But further, the plants provide the 

 handiest and cheapest covering for the soil, as well as, it is 

 likely, the best, since nature's mulch is commonly better than 

 any artificial one. And perhaps it will be shown that our coal 

 bills are actually reduced by keeping shears and fire away 

 from the flower garden, for what more surely acclimates us to 

 the cold than sight of birds frolicking in snow unconscious of 

 the least discomfort? Though it is nice to regale them with 

 breadcrumbs and peanuts, natural foods served naturally are a 

 more permanent satisfaction. 



ALTHOUGH winter cheer is insured by doing nothing — 

 l in autumn, the great pleasure is to act. We do not rest 

 with our work in the garden, propping certain flowers above the 

 snow with strings, peasticks and trellises. Each plant on the 

 place has now a new test to meet: does it entertain birds, ever 

 give them food or shelter? If not, and there is one as suitable 

 in other ways that will, out it goes. Beauty of form, foliage and 

 flower is not disregarded, but neither is the beauty of the birds 

 which the plant does, or does not, attract. Wildings find' place 

 in the birds' own garden, elbowing old-fashioned plants, Sun- 

 flowers, Zinnias, and the like, at the foot of the stump which 

 supports the bird bath. 



The ground is carpeted with evergreen Partridge-berry 

 studded scarlet with tiny fruit; great-headed Joe-Pye-weed 

 serves junco, goldfinch and native sparrows; Pokeberry, with 

 the Woodbine on the house, tempts the hermit thrush to tarry; 

 and there are Wintergreen and False Spikenard and, of course, 



Esther Heacock, Photo. 



JUNCOES AT A WINDOW 

 SHELF 



From October until April the 

 Junco's cheery twitter is heard 

 about our windows, for he is an 

 appreciative little visitor and sel- 

 dom declines any proffered hos- 

 pitality. With the coming of 

 spring he flits northward again. 



A POOL THAT PLEASES 



This type of shallow, low-rimmed 

 pool is well suited to the needs of 

 the bird and enables him to bathe 

 in comfortable security. Simple 

 in design and planting, it is quite 

 possible in even a smal| garden. 



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