Educate Yourself About Urban Roof Gardens
Urban roof gardens
As you know, space is limited when you live in the city, but you can still have the opportunity to have the pleasure of wildlife gardening. As long as you have access to an area of flat roof or even a small balcony, and it is arranged with an oasis of vegetation, birds will be attracted to it. Our fine feathered friends are always looking for food sources and places to nest in.
The number of different kinds of birds is always lower in the city than in our suburbs, and the abundance of the verity of birds is largely depending on what kind of adjacent neighborhood you have. Parks filled with trees and flowering, and even trees along city streets is a great plus in attracting many birds.
There are some advantages to roof gardens as well, you might not have the diversity of low birds, but instead you might have some unusual views and close up looks at birds such as swallows and swifts, as they are hunting from up above. Birds that like to nest in close quarters such as House Finches, House Sparrows, and Rock Pigeons might be happy to set up nest in your rooftop garden as well.
You might also see nighthawks catching insects, and birds of prey circling above searching for rats, squirrels, and pigeons. You can even have visiting hummingbirds if you decide to plant nectar-producing plants. Migration season, when small migrant birds like wrens, warblers, and other birds seek food sources and shelter, has proven to be the most successful time in attracting birds to your rooftop garden.
A water source such as a birdbath, will always attract birds, but supplement feeding as well such as different kinds of seeds, nuts, fruits, and mealworms, can definitely be a sustaining factor for migrating little tired hungry birds.
Our goal here is to make your roof-top garden or balcony a magnet for nearby birds, so here are some tips on different kinds of plants and plant positioning that might be helpful:
If you like you can start with drawing a small map and outline your flat area, and decide where you like to position the taller plants and smaller plants, where the birdbath should go, where the open-fronted nest boxes should be placed, your hanging bird feeders, and so on.
If you decide to build any raised flower beds, always consult a structural engineer before you start. Roof gardens are usually pretty windy places sometimes, and are extra exposed to the elements, so if you do not have any shelters from walls, you might consider putting up windbreaks made out of closely woven mesh. Using taller plants as wind breaks are helpful as well.
Along one side you can put some plant containers with taller plants, to camouflage a birdbath, and a hanging bird feeder. On another side you can place an open-fronted nest box for more privacy for any nesting birds. Try to have your plants together in groups to create shelters for the visiting birds, and among these plant groups you can place decorative bird tables.
Which ever way you decide to arrange your roof garden, it will always be a much appreciated little haven for birds that are forever running out of safe places to feed and breed in.
The plant you might choose for this project is recommended for the eastern North America only:
- Trumpet Honeysucle (Lonicera sempervirens)
If you like to find out more about hummingbird plants in other regions go to our section on HUMMINGBIRD GARDENS and for more information on regional plants go to our section on BIRD PLANTS. HAVE FUN!!!!!
