Grow these SEED-RICH STUNNERS to feed your feathered friends and enjoy a garden full of life
Now that we’re all up the plants-for-pollinators learning curve, there’s a burgeoning new trend that we couldn’t love any more: blooming lovely flowers that feed our garden birds. And it makes perfect sense!
So many of our feathered friends are seedeaters, and most of us fill birdfeeders with a seed mix, so why not cut out the middleman and grow your own seed buffet for the birds? The good news is that there are loads of fab modern blooms that offer a feast for the eyes as well as a treat for the beaks. To attract the widest variety of birds, be the hostess with the mostest and mix up the floral fiesta with a range of blooms to feed different species. And there’s a benefit for you as well as the birds: leave your plants standing in autumn and winter and the feather-flitting of birds alighting and feeding on the seedheads will bring your garden to life. Here’s our pick of good-looking blooms to feed the birds…
1 SUNFLOWERS
Plant some sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and watch your garden turn into the hottest eatery for feathered foodies! These sun-loving annuals are the avian equivalent of gourmet chocolates, packed full of oil-rich seeds that are favoured by finches, long-tailed tits and nuthatches. There are compact as well as giant varieties in all sorts of pretty hues, so there’s sure to be one to suit your plot perfectly.
Not all sunflowers are created equally when it comes to tasty seed though – our picks all offer a plentiful food supply but do check other varieties, as the seed packet will usually tell you if they’re attractive to birds. As the flowers fade, the flopping heads can be unsightly in your borders, so cut and dry to hang or place on a bird table for a winter-long feast.
You can sow the seed directly into the ground in late April or early May, or give them a head start by sowing in pots in late March or April on a sunny windowsill, then plant out when the risk of frost has passed.
✽ ‘VALENTINE’
This cutie is a smaller variety with lemon-yellow petals hugging a delicious chocolate centre. £2.50/20 seeds sarahraven.com
✽ ‘TITAN’
With record-breaking potential, the huge flowerheads of this whopper will produce enough seeds to feed a whole flock! £2.49/20 seeds dobies.co.uk
✽ ‘VANILLA ICE’
This sweetie is a great choice for petite plots, packing lots of creamy-yellow flowers into a small space. £2.25/128 seeds chilternseeds.co.uk
✽ ‘RED SUN’
The unique deep maroon shades of these blooms will add
