Author, gardener, and blogger Jenn McGuinness joins us this week on the podcast to talk about her new book, Bird Friendly Gardening.
I’m not much of a gardener myself, being the type of person who alternately parches and then drowns her indoor plants (forgive me, dear Pothos!), but my husband Daryl is happiest with dirt under his fingernails and the sun on his back.
He has transformed our little backyard into a place of beauty. When we moved in five years ago, it looked like I imagine the surface of Venus looks —barren red dirt that kicked up into dust whenever a breeze stirred.
Today, due to his love, sweat, attention, and myriad trips to Home Depot and the local garden store, we have nectarine trees, strawberry plants, lush vines, a border of native flowers, and natural grass that we mow long. He’s installed sprinklers and dug post holes and pulled buckets of weeds, and I marvel at it all.
With an increase in greenery, we’ve been thrilled to also notice a huge increase in birds! Here in our southern California yard we most often see House Finches, Northern Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves, and Allen’s Hummingbirds, but we get some rare and delightful migrants, too. The first time I saw a Pin-Tailed Whydah I had to rub my eyes and make sure I wasn’t dreaming. (Look them up! They’re WILD.)
I couldn’t wait to pick Jenn’s brain to learn about how to make our backyard even more bird-friendly. Whether you’re in an apartment with a window box or live on the edge of a huge forest preserve, her book has something for you.
Just for summer, we’re moving to bi-weekly episodes, so the next (with the amazing Julie Zickefoose, author, illustrator, and bird-rehabber!) will be out in two weeks.
Until then, happy gardening!
Gardening for the Birds with Jenn McGuinness