Birds need plants for a variety of reasons. They will provide food in the form of seeds, berries, fruits and nectar. They will also attract insects and other invertebrates which many birds love to eat.

Plants can also provide shelter during bad weather or at night and they will be natural nesting sites during spring.

Even if you don’t want to devote your whole garden to attracting wildlife you could set aside one part to create a bird friendly area and fill it with a couple of shrubs or a fruit or berry bearing tree, or just let one flower bed go to seed.

The following pages will give you advice on how to plan your garden and the sorts of plants to grow in your garden to attract a variety of species of birds.