Gardening Tips: Birds, Blooms and Berries

April 2, 2021 Rebecca Brown and Norman Cohen

A northern cardinal perches itself on a branch of common winterberry. (Shutterstock/Danita Delimont)

Looking to spruce up your yard and bring nature home this spring? Try growing a mixed native shrub border.

Comprised of a dense planting of diverse native shrubs, perennials and annuals, mixed native shrub borders create a lush garden with interest throughout the year. They are not only more natural and attractive than single plant shrubs, but they also are more appealing to birds and pollinators.

Native shrubs provide nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, and nourishing seeds and berries for birds. And speaking of birds, native shrubs also offer habitat, nesting places and sanctuary from predators for our feathered friends.

Before breaking ground on any gardening project, start a journal that includes the results of a soil test of the proposed area, the number of square feet to be utilized, proposed plants with their growing characteristics, light requirements and a flowering and fruiting timeline.

Keep in mind that shrubs usually do their best in morning sun and afternoon shade. If the garden bed is situated against your house wall, make sure there is access to electrical and water outlets and room for pruning.

When planting, remember that shrubs will need three square feet between plants to allow for growth. Determine the quantity of nutrients that will need to be added to the bed’s soil by consulting the results of the soil test. You also will need to add one to two inches of organic matter.

Perennials and annuals can be added to your shrub border until the shrubs reach maturity. Shrubs can be added to an existing bed or you can create a new garden in your landscape.

The secret to success lies in choosing shrubs that provide the nectar, berries and seeds that birds need to thrive.

Here are some recommended native shrubs for our area:

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana): Thrives in sun to partial shade; grows to six feet; flowers in July; and produces lavender berries.

Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia): Thrives in partial shade to shade; grows six to 12 feet; white/pink flowers with brown capsules in July; yellow fall color.

Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum): Thrives in sun to partial shade; grows six to 12 feet; white flowers in May and June; blueberries in August; orange to red fall color.

Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa): Thrives in sun, partial shade and shade; grows six to 12 feet; white blooms, red stems and white berries in May and June.

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata): Thrives in sun to partial shade; grows six to 12 feet; white inconspicuous flowers in June; need a male and female plant to produce red berries.

Sweetspire (Itea virginica): Thrives in sun to partial shade; grows six to 10 feet; white flowers in June; red to purple fall color.

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa): Thrives in partial shade: grows three to six feet; white flowers in April and May; blackberries in September; crimson red fall color.

Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica): Thrives in sun to partial shade; grows to six feet; greenish yellow flowers in March and April; dark wine red berries in July and August.

Naked witherod (Viburnum nudum): Thrives in sun, partial shade and shade; grows six to 12 feet; white flowers in June; red to blue to black flowers in September; red to black fall color; four seasons of interest.

Happy gardening!

Rebecca Brown began her career as a horticulturist more than 25 years ago and studied at the New York Botanical Gardens. She has been a University of Maryland, Baltimore County master gardener for five years and is a backyard beekeeper. Norman Cohen is a retired chemist. He has been gardening for 38 years and has been a University of Maryland, Baltimore County master gardener for 12 years. Cohen also provides gardening education to the public at local farmers markets.