Spring Newsletter: Attracting Birds in the garden

Since we have been locked down recently and last year a common comment is the bird life seems to be more active. It may be because there is less background noise or the birds feel freer to move about.

A lot of my clients ask how can I attract more birds in their garden.

Having just walked down my path, there are some birds that I would prefer weren’t in my garden. They are the ones that spread mulch and soil all over the path in their search for food. They are usually English imports such as blackbirds and thrushes. It is their nature to do this as they are foragers, pecking and scratching for food like worms. It is hard to change old habits! The best thing you can do about this is to get a dense cover of plants, and if needed cover your vegetables with netting.

The other more desirable type of feathered friend are our native birds, such as the tui, wood pigeon or bellbird. Bellbirds and tuis feed on nectar, fruit and insects high up the tree. They both have beautiful sounds, although it can be hard to distinguish the two, especially as the tui is a mimicker. They are known as honey feeders, as they can insert their toothbrush like tongue into flowers to get the nectar. They also help to spread the pollen from one tree to another, which in turn helps these plants to seed.

Another native bird which is very important to the spread of our native plants is the wood pigeon or kereru.  You know when this large bird is around as its wings make a racket as they go pass. They can eat the large seeds of plants like karaka, taraire, tawa and miro. These are then expelled in their faeces, which means they spread to other places. If the kereru goes, so do these plants eventually.

Kaka are more frequent now -these noisy birds can strip bark off large trees, as has happened in the Wellington Botanic Garden.

I have noticed that the number of tui, kaka and wood pigeon have increased locally over the years. This is no doubt due to the help from the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary ( Zealandia). If you haven’t already been, you should check this predator-free facility out, as it a number of other native birds such as takahe.

What can you do to attract our native birds?

One thing is keep predators at bay. Opossums, stoats, and rats all compete for food or attack young birds, so controlling them is start. You can use Tim traps for opossums, especially as they are so destructive on our native plants. Likewise, your moggie likes birds too, so put a bell on its collar to give the bird a chance before your cat pounces.

To attract honey feeders, you can use a nectar feeder, such as a metal channel with sugary water in it, hanging from a tree. Once they come to feed, you could kindly persuade them to hang around and even breed.

The main way to get these desirable birds into your garden is with appropriate planting. I have listed below some native plants attractive to the birds mentioned, with flowering or fruiting at different times of the year.

Spring:  flax, kowhai, rewarewa, tree fuchsia

Summer:  rata, pohutukawa

Autumn: totara, kahikatea, kapuka

Winter: puriri, tree fuchsia , coprosma, wineberry, titoki, hinau, fivefinger, pittosporum, mahoe.    

Coprosma spp.

Metrosideros robusta, rata

Phormium cookianum, flax

While the exotic tree lucerne is attractive to kereru, it is considered a little too rampant as a nurse crop plant.

SUCCULENTS

Fashions for plants come and go. At one stage, cottage garden plants were all the rage. Native plants have become more popular recently, as have succulent plants.

Succulent plants are a group of plants known as xerophytes, or “dry plants”. Succulents store water in their stems or leaves, and can therefore tolerate very dry conditions. You will find these plants naturally growing in the deserts, such as in Central America, which has very low rainfall, and suffers extremes of heat as well as cold. By day it is very hot, but by night temperatures drop rapidly.

One of the more popular succulents is Agave attenuata, fromcentral America. It has grey leaves up to 1 metre across, without the spines that Agave americana has. This latter plant is sometimes called century plant, because it takes not a hundred but ten to fifteen years to flower. Like other agaves, once it flowers, the central part of the plant dies out and new plants arise from the base. This flowering condition is known as monocarpy. Another example of a plant that dies back after flowering is Aeonium arboreum, which has attractive yellow flowers in late spring. A colourful example of this plant is Aeonium ‘Schwarzkopf’ ( “ black head’), with its narrow purple leaves.

Aloe vera from Southern Africa is well known for its medicinal and cosmetic purposes, as it is used topically for skin conditions and internally as a cleanser. Aloe arborescens is more commonly grown ornamentally, with its yellow or red flowers.

All these three succulents grow in a rosette, with the leaves arising from a central axis. A succulent with smaller rosettes is Echeveria secunda, with its blue leaves and red flowers.

As well as rosette succulents, there are many groundcovers. We have a good example with the native iceplant, Disphyma australe, which grows near the beach. Another iceplant is Carpobrotus edulis, which is also known as the Hottentot fig. With a name like that it has to come from South Africa! It has yellow flowers followed by fig-like fruit, hence the name edulis, although I can’t vouchsafe for the taste of the fruit!

If you prefer blue, try Senecio serpens, or blue chalktsicks with its blue leaves, and white flowers in summer. If you like bright colour, try the Livingstone daisy with its dazzling mixed flower colours. Like the senecio, it comes from South Africa.

One other native plant that has a semi succulent habit is Xeronema callistemon. It has fleshy leaves, and requires similar growing conditions. Succulents are ideal in hot, dry conditions such as near the beach. The are excellent on sunny banks. Most of them are frost tender, so you should avoid frosty areas. They can also be used in pots, especially the larger ones. A good-sized Aloe attenuata or Aloe thraskii in a large glazed pot looks great, but will set you back a few dollars!

Succulents have few problems other than rotting due to poor drainage. Keep them in a free-draining growing medium, and avoid using too much nitrogen. It is better to use a slow release fertiliser such as Osmocote. They can get slugs and snails, so keep an eye out for them.

Enjoy the warm Autumn weather.

Regards

Jon

Senecio serpens

Aeonium ‘Scharzkopf’

Agave attentuata

Echeveria

Xeronema callistemon

Now summer is almost here we are having cold snaps followed by warm spells. All the rain means our lawns are greener than ever. Plants like roses are thriving with the moister conditions too.

So what is a good plan leading to holidays?

Lawns: if you haven’t fertilised your lawns yet, then  apply a slow release lawn fertiliser now , but apply in the rain or water in well to avoid possible leaf burn. If you still have moss, apply iron sulphate in a watering can. Keep cutting the lawn regularly, but only cut lightly as you want a thick sward not a scalped lawn prone to weed growth. If you have weeds you can manually remove or use chemicals carefully but remember a healthy, vigorous lawn will swamp out weeds.

Roses: keep deadheading spent flowers. Apply a rose fertiliser and water in. Keep an eye out for aphids and apply soapy water or Yates Bug Oil if needed. The moist conditions make black spot more likely so apply a copper spray on an overcast day.

Edibles: keep up the watering unless you have an automatic irrigation system ( recommended). Add compost regularly like a mulch to smother the weeds and add nutrients. Hand sprinkle blood and bone around your plants – the dogs will love it as much as the plants! Stake your tomatoes and train your climbing plants eg beans. You can rotate your crops eg leaf, root and legume ( eg beans) or grow the “three sisters” together ie beans, pumpkins and corn, as they compliment each other.

Trees, shrubs & perennials : trim your hedges with hedge clippers to thicken them up, taking off no more than ¼ at a time. Stake any new trees or check their ties with all the wind we are having. You can add a general fertiliser to each plant but water in afterwards. Keep on top of the weeds, and mulch to keep weeds down before they get away and seed. The old saying “ One years  seeding seven years weeding” applies.  Once plants finish flowering cut them back with hedge clippers past the spent flowers to bush them up and put the energy into leaf growth.       

Irrigation systems: if you have a battery- operated timer check the batteries are ok before you head off for holiday.

Here are a few favourites flowering now:

Arthropdium cirrhatum, renga lily

Hebe Wiri Mist

Lobelia

Xeronema callistemon, Poor Knights lily

Have a great Xmas and New Year

Deciduous Trees and Shrubs:

At this time of year, those deciduous trees and shrubs that lose all their leaves at once are most noticeable. For example, liquidamber has leaves that are very intense red in late autumn. It forms a strong contrast to the greens of the native trees, and provides a focal point of the garden.

Most of our natives are evergreen, apart from some exceptions such as ribbonwood.

Deciduous trees come from the colder climates of the northern hemisphere. They form the intense reds, yellows, oranges and purples as the green chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down prior to leaf drop. These other bright pigments then become obvious. The colour intensity is heightened where there is a big difference between day and night temperatures. This is why you can see more intense leaf colour in places like Upper Hutt, than say Wellington central.

I don’t recommend using deciduous trees to clients who live in very windy sites, or where they are near the coast. The strong winds tend to damage the leaves, especially in the early spring as the leaves emerge. Coastal winds commonly cause leaf scorch. You may however create a sheltered environment on an exposed site where you can grow these trees. Choose hardy shelter plants like natives trees to create shelter.

One of the more hardy deciduous trees is silver birch. This tree has white bark with black markings, and a graceful, weeping habit. The leaves go yellow in autumn. It will tolerate a reasonably strong non-coastal wind.

Two deciduous trees you are likely to see as street trees in Lower Hutt are liquidamber and golden elm. Liquidamber has maple-like leaves which turn red as mentioned above.  The golden elm has rich golden-yellow leaves from spring to autumn. You need to be careful to choose non-suckering elms. Some of the elms such as the English elm produce a mass of suckers throughout your garden. In one large garden in the Wairarapa that I visited recently, it was a major problem.

One of my favourite trees is the copper beech, with its copper-red leaves. These trees need adequate room to grow, so are more appropriate for parks

Deciduous magnolias do not produce autumn leaf colour, but produce showy flowers in late winter to early spring on bare branches. Magnolia campbellii requires a lot of room to grow, while Magnolia stellata is ideal for smaller gardens.

Flowering varieties of fruiting plants include flowering cherries, the weeping silver pear and flowering crab trees. It is better to plant flowering cherries in more sheltered spots, otherwise strong winds remove most of the spectacular blooms in spring.   

Deciduous shrubs such as hydrangeas produce blooms over summer, but hold their blooms until autumn. The flowers turn blue in acid soils, and pink in alkaline soils. You can turn your hydrangeas blue by adding aluminium sulphate, and pink by adding lime. I have just pruned my hydrangeas back, by pruning back flowering stems to a lower bud. I prefer to prune hydrangeas lightly.  

Other deciduous shrubs suitable for sheltered gardens are spiraea, and the scented lilacs.

Mix you deciduous plants with evergreen ones, so that your garden isn’t too bare in winter. This also applies to deciduous plants like bulbs or hostas. While the leaves all dropping at once can be a nuisance, use these leaves in your compost heap, or leave them to contribute to the formation of humus in your soil.     

Enjoy natures seasons!

  Liquidamber

Golden elm

Copper beech

Magnolia stellata

Hydrangea Limelight

I often get asked about how to control weeds in the lawn, especially when you have weeds such as clover or hydrocotyle, which are very difficult to remove manually. 

You may decide to resort to herbicides.

As a rule you have to be very careful with herbicides around desirable ornamentals, especially when using chemicals like dicamba (eg Turfix) or the active ingredient in Hydrocotyle killer. You shouldn’t use the lawn clippings from lawns that have been sprayed with either of these chemicals in your compost due to the residual effect. In fact if you use the chemical in Hydrocotyle killer, (also found in Renovate), you shouldn’t plant for 3 months afterwards in the same soil.  It is very important to follow the instructions on the label for the safe use of these chemicals.

If you are concerned with using chemicals on your lawn, you can look at alternatives for weed control. I often suggest to clients that by following a few procedures you can get a good healthy lawn that is relatively weed free. As long as your lawn is in good light, and is adequately drained over winter, and watered in summer, you can get better growth doing the following. In spring and autumn apply slow release fertiliser, spread good quality topsoil over hollows or bare areas, and sow seed in barer areas in spring and autumn. If your soil is compacted, you can scarify it with a rake, or if hard, apply gypsum lime to it.  And remember, don’t cut your lawns too low!. Give them a break over summer and winter from mowing.

If you are equally concerned about using herbicides to control weeds in your garden, there are alternatives. Two recent organic herbicides are those based on pine oil (Interceptor) and those based on fatty acids (Natures Way). These products are quick acting in sunny weather. You will need to apply repeated doses with perennial weeds such as oxalis or onion weed.

Other alternatives on weeds are hot water, or vinegar. 

The key with weed control is to encourage the desirable plants and discourage the weeds. Weeds are just opportunists, and will occupy a bare space if you let them. You need to be persistent to control them, and don’t let them get away and seed. You could say “a weed in time saves nine”. While chemicals are quick acting, you need to weigh up the long term effects of chemical use.

Below is a different type of lawn known as “no mow” lawns. It is a coastal native ground cover, Selliera radicans, that forms dense matt in time. You plant them as plugs around 10cm apart. You can apply salt water to control weeds as the salt burns the weeds but not the plant as its a coastal hardy plant. There are other types of no mow no grass lawns eg thyme that can be purchased through www.nomow.co.nz

Well the year is just about over.

I thought I would avoid talking about the weather, but it always seems to have a big influence on plant growth. We are now having strong, drying winds and long dry spells with occasional downpours. Often bigger trees miss out on lighter rains, as the top part of the tree sheds the water, missing the root zone. Likewise, if you have a sprinkler system, the water can miss the roots. It is better to use a dripper irrigation system, which slowly allows water to soak into the roots. Also you can add water retention agents like Crystal Rain to your plants.

The best way to check your plant is to dig around the soil, and see if it is dry. If you have applied fertilisers, you also need to make sure the soil around the roots is moist, otherwise you can get root damage. If we had been having very wet weather, and the plant roots had been sitting in water, then symptoms of leaf drop or yellowing would be more serious, as the lack of air around the roots can kill the roots and eventually plants. They literally “drown” in the water.  The good news is that if your plant has recently suffered due to dryness, it can usually be revived with regular soaking. Trees will naturally shed their leaves when under stress, so if you want good healthy growth, maintain adequate watering.

Regular watering is critical after planting, as it helps to settle the plant roots into the ground. When you have planted your plant, give it a good soak around the roots. This beds the soil to the roots and removes any air pockets. The first 3-4 weeks are critical for newly planted trees and shrubs. This is especially the case if we are having 100km/hr winds. The northerly winds dry the plants and soils out, and can damage the plant, especially if it hasn’t been hardened off properly to cope with the conditions. For this reason, try to select plants that aren’t too soft and lush if planting in exposed sites. Also make sure they have strong root growth. You can check if roots are coming out of the bottom of the bag or pot.  Another advantage of regular watering is that it helps to settle in the soil, compost and mulch around your plants.  If it gets too dry, these materials, especially the mulch, are likely to blow away.

If you have recently put a lawn down, make sure it has regular soakings, but be aware if there are water restrictions in your area.

I always suggest automated irrigation for vegetable gardens and ornamentals like roses as the difference in growth is very pronounced. For all my new gardens I give a 3-month warranty on plants if hand watered, and a 1-year warranty if you have an automated irrigation system.

Sometimes spring can be the most challenging month, with the stronger winds. New growth and flowers get a battering, and it easy to get disheartened. I find autumn to be a better season, as it is still moist and warm, but we don’t get those horrendous gales.

So the moral of this story is to apply adequate water around your plants and lawns at this time.

  Here is a Poor Knights lily which is flowering now. These native plants like dry conditions, and so ideally grow them in tubs or in very free draining soils as they grow on rocky outcrops on the Poor Knights islands. They usually take 6-8 years to flower, but you might try some salt water or fish fertiliser to move them along.  

We redid this garden with broken down retainer walls, fences and steps, and a disconnected deck. We built new walls, steps and fences. The new deck and extended fence will be done next.

• Broken steps, walls and fences and poor access and use of space. The deck is old and disconnected.

New walls, ,steps, lime sand paths and step treads. A new fruit garden and edible gardens, plus a new oriental trellis fence. Next job is a new deck – to follow soon.

A lot of my clients ask about how they can attract more birds into their garden. Having just walked down my path, there are some birds that I would prefer weren’t in my garden. They are the ones that spread mulch and soil all over the path in their search for food. They are usually English imports such as blackbirds and thrushes. It is their nature to do this as they are foragers, pecking and scratching for food like worms. It is hard to change old habits! The best thing you can do about this is to get a dense cover of plants, and if needed cover your vegetables with netting.

The other more desirable type of feathered friend are our native birds, such as the tui, wood pigeon or bellbird. Bellbirds and tuis feed on nectar, fruit and insects high up the tree. They both have beautiful sounds, although it can be hard to distinguish the two, especially as the tui is a mimicker. They are known as honey feeders, as they can insert their toothbrush like tongue into flowers to get the nectar. They also help to spread the pollen from one tree to another, which in turn helps these plants to seed.

Another native bird which is very important to the spread of our native plants is the wood pigeon or kereru.  You know when this large bird is around as its wings make a racket as they go pass. They can eat the large seeds of plants like karaka, taraire, tawa and miro. These are then expelled in their faeces, which means they spread to other places. If the kereru goes, so do these plants eventually.

I have noticed that the number of tui and wood pigeon have increased locally over the years. This is no doubt due to the help from the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. If you haven’t already been, you should check this predator-free facility out, as it a number of other native birds such as kaka.

What can you do to attract our native birds?

One thing is keep predators at bay. Opossums, stoats, and rats all compete for food or attack young birds, so controlling them is start. You can use Tim traps for opossums, especially as they are so destructive on our native plants. Likewise, your moggie likes birds too, so put a bell on its collar to give the bird a chance before your cat pounces.

To attract honey feeders, you can use a nectar feeder, such as a metal channel with sugary water in it, hanging from a tree. Once they come to feed, you could kindly persuade them to hang around and even breed.

The main way to get these desirable birds into your garden is with appropriate planting. I have listed below some native plants attractive to the birds mentioned, with flowering or fruiting at different times of the year.

Spring:  flax, kowhai, rewarewa, tree fuchsia

Summer:  rata, pohutukawa

Autumn: totara, kahikatea, kapuka

Winter: puriri, tree fuchsia , coprosma, wineberry, titoki, hinau, fivefinger, pittosporum, mahoe.    

Metrosideros robusta, rata

Phormium cookianum, flax

While the exotic tree lucerne is attractive to kereru, it is considered a little too rampant as a nurse crop plant.

The idea is to provide a good source of food over the year, in a safe environment, and hopefully you can soon enjoy the sweet cadences of bird song in your garden!