Want to turn your yard into a bird paradise? Mariette Nowak, gardener, educator, and ecologist, has a simple suggestion: think beyond bird feeders. Her indispensable guide for gardeners throughout the Upper Midwest and parts of the Northeast highlights the fifty best native plants for attracting such beloved bird species as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, American Goldfinches, Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Cedar Waxwings, and Wood Warblers.
The book explains the value of particular plants for birds and other wildlife, not only as food sources but as nesting sites and cover. Each plant is described in depth, with details on color, height, blooming time, light requirements, and soil preferences, along with planting tips and suggested companion plants. Nowak offers closer looks at the intriguing features of these diverse plant species and their intertwined relationships with birds, complemented by more than 150 color photos that showcase the beauty of the plants and birds together. Novice gardeners will also find essential information on birdscaping basics, site preparation, management guidelines, and safeguarding songbirds. Available now from the University of Wisconsin Press.
Mariette Nowak, author of Birdscaping in the Midwest, is an active leader and volunteer for Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. She is also a public speaker on landscaping, native plants, and birding, and is the former director of the Wehr Nature Center, a unit of the Milwaukee County Parks in Wisconsin.
“This book made me want to put on my gardening gloves and get to work. Nowak’s wisdom from decades of transforming landscapes shines in this love letter to native plants and birds. Gardeners and birders across the Midwest should heed her call to cultivate a yard of biodiversity.” -Rebecca Minardi, American Birding Association
