Creating Habitat for Birds

​​​​​​​​

​​​

​Sunlight​​​

 Observe how many hours of sunlight your garden receives from late spring through

early fall (when shrubs and flowering perennials have foliage and blooms).

This will allow you to choose plants that will perform best in your particular garden settings.

​​

​​

​

Full Sun - Deep Shade ... what does each mean?

• Full Sun: 6 or more hours of sun 

• Part Sun: 4-6 hours of sun

• Part Shade: 2-4 hours

• Shade: Less than 2 hours​​

​

Some other sunlight terms you may come across ...

• Deep Shade: no sunlight

• Dappled Shade: Under a tree where plants get only                                                                                                      bits of sunlight coming through the canopy

​

​

​

​

​​

​

Soil Moisture

Understanding how long your soil holds moisture can help in choosing plants.

While many plants do well in average moisture soils, some plants perform

best in either dry soils or moist to wet conditions.

​

​

Average Soil: Areas that neither hold water or dry out quicky

 

Dry Soil: Areas that, you guessed it, dry out quickly.

• Areas on the upper part or the top of a slope

• Spaces that get sun the entire day in the summer.                                                                                                  Sandy soil drains well and therefore may dry out more quickly

 

Moist Soils: Areas that, yep, dry out sowly

• Places where water pools and sits after rain.                                                                                                          These are often the low points or areas at the bottom of a slope.

• Areas that may occasionally flood

• Along a stream or edges of ponds