Guide to Attracting Birds and Butterflies

How to Plant a Backyard Habitat to Attract Hummingbirds and Other Winged Wildlife

A Taylor’s Weekend Gardening Guide by Barbara Ellis.

More than just pictures of pretty plants, this book talks about how to turn a suburban landscape—a wildlife desert—into a blooming sanctuary. Design concepts are included, along with a hardiness chart and lists of recommended plants. Color photos show the prettiest blooms that attract the most hummingbirds, songbirds and/or butterflies. Emphasis is on year long feeding, so you’ll find suggestions for berry producing shrubs.

From the publisher: “In the eye of a bird or a butterfly, the typical suburban landscape resembles an unfriendly desert. Closely mowed lawns, tightly clipped shrubs, raked up borders and deadheaded flowers mean no place to nest, no food to eat, and nowhere to hide. To the humans who live there this means no bird songs, no colorful butterflies, no dazzling hummingbirds, no night-sparkling fireflies.

This beautiful yet practical book shows you how to transform your own garden into one that welcomes songbirds, hummingbirds, and butterflies. It won’t look like the typical dreary low-maintenance garden, and it will actually be much easier to care for. Above all, it will be as rewarding to your human eyes as it will be nourishing to your winged guests.”

Paper, 128 pages, 7 1/2 x 9 ½, full-color illustrations