Welcome birds & butterflies to your backyard

TO PRETTY UP A CORNER: A FLORAL “WALL”

“The bold begonias, black-eyed Susans, petunias and blanket flowers here attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds, adding beauty and liveliness to a corner,” says gardening expert Rhonda Fleming Hayes, author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening. She suggests stacking and layering planters on pretty stands or benches in a sunny spot to create a blooming “wall.” Water plants regularly, and if they stretch out or start to look leggy, trim back by a third, spray with liquid fertilizer and water well for a new flush of flowers.

TO ADD PRIVACY: A TALL HIBISCUS DISPLAY

Hibiscus flowers are butterfly and hummingbird magnets, thanks to their bright color and sweet nectar. And they’re great for adding a little privacy to your outdoor space, as they can be used in place of hedges, says Fleming Hayes. To promote drainage, place a layer of rocks in a sturdy pot before adding the plant, then place the pot in full to partial sun and keep soil slightly damp. Once established, Fleming Hayes says hibiscus plants can handle periods of low water.

Attracting winged wonders like hummingbirds and butterflies to your outdoor space is easy with bright, no-work blooms. Here, simple tips for creating vibrant displays that are guaranteed to take your yard from bare to beautiful!

TO BOOST CHARM: BIRDHOUSES IN BLOOM

Affixing freshly cut garden blooms to the tops of painted birdhouses makes for a lovely, low- cost focal point that attracts songbirds to your space! To make, paint two craft-store birdhouses light blue; let dry. Nail each house to a plywood plank and lean planks on a fence or wall. Hot- glue the bases of four mint tins to the roof of each house. Line each tin with plastic wrap, then fill with soaked floral foam. Snip bird-attracting blooms like yellow cosmos and coneflowers to 2" and press stems into the foam. Fill in gaps with snips of greenery and filler flowers. Keep foam moist; replace foam and flowers as needed.