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Are you aware that dead, dying, and hollow trees, as well as logs on the ground, are great for birds and other wildlife? Dead trees provide homes to more hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and amphibians. Fish, plants, and fungi directly benefit from dead and dying trees. Why not leave a standing dead or dying trees in your yard unless they pose a human safety or property hazard? You can use old logs and stumps in gardens and landscaping. Yes there are many ways to improve your landscape habitat for wildlife.

In any landscape planting, I try to provide for birds. Birds provide natural music to your gardens. Selecting the best ornamental plants that help improve the habitat of your back yard should be chosen for features that provide birds with food and shelter. When you provide food and shelter for birds, you will be rewarded by their songs. Bird feeders make birds dependant on a constant supply of feed. Improving the habitat is a better means of attracting birds.

One of the best plants for habitat improvement are plants from the Viburnum family which provide excellent food and shelter for bird habitats. Viburnums are attractive, versatile, adaptable shrubs for any garden. They serve as hedges or screens and in mixed perennial and shrub borders. We like them most as specimen plants. They usually are found in the form of shrubs, but can become small ornamental trees(sieboldi). They range in size from the small Dwarf American Cranberry at 2 feet tall by 2 feet wide, to the Siebold at over 15 feet tall.

Viburnums are plants with year round interest. Some Viburnums have white to pink flowers in the spring. Some are fragrant. They have large, attractive and often textured leaves. Some viburnums have fragrant flowers that are produced in snowball like clusters in the spring. The flower clusters can be of pink buds, which develop into white flowers. Some fruits are red and turn black with age while others are orange and some blue. Leaves are glossy, dark green and turn a burgundy color in the fall. Midsummer berries are an important food source for birds. Viburnums are a must for the avid birder. Viburnums can have colorful red to purple leaves. Some viburnums can become medium-size trees, especially if they are pruned. Viburnums are specimen plants or can be anchors in mixed borders and hedges and screens. You won't find a better group of shrubs for hedges or for massing in groups, since viburnums are delightful in every season and landscape. Some viburnums, such as Prague viburnum, are evergreen and have fragrant flowers. Others, such as leatherleaf viburnum, are semi-evergreen in colder climates, losing their leaves when temperatures dip below 10 degrees. We like Viburnums because of their adaptability and durability. While they would prefer full sun and moderately watered, well-drained rich soils, they grow very well in part shade in alkaline, clay soils. Diseases and pests are not common for viburnums. We have more trouble from my k