You can always try hanging the feeders independent of the trees. A post set into the ground with hooks for the feeders or the shepherd's crooks they sell specifically for this purpose would prevent any damage hanging feeding appliances directly to a tree might incur. As to the pros and cons of feeding birds.......I agree with Dan on this one. Expanding development has restricted/removed many of the natural habitats and food sources and encouraging birds to the garden is overall a very good thing - they are the best natural insect control available! Plus, they are infinitely entertaining. Planting to encourage habitat and to supplement food sources is desirable, but nothing wrong with feeders either. They can bring the birds up close and personal :-)) If you want songbirds, try a "no-waste" mix. Even if it gets scattered on the ground, it gets eaten too fast to hang around to attract rodents. And sapsucker damage to trees is generally more cosmetic than particularly harmful. Since they have a 'preferred' tree menu, you can always avoid attracting them by not planting the trees they like. And as they tend to limit their diet to insects and tree sap, with supplementation from fruits and berries - the seed feeders are unlikely to create additional problems.

I'm with Mike on this. I would not allow the seed hulls of black oil sunflowers to collect under the feeders if I wanted plants to grow well there, from personal experience. At one point in my life, I went a bit off the deep end with a row of bird feeders hanging off the edge of my side porch. The hulls made a lovely mulch, several inches deep. I had noticed that no weeds grew under there (with the exception of a few volunteer sunflowers) but when I began to realize that the flowering shrubs were not doing well I did some research and found the same information that Mike mentions about there being toxic compounds in the shells. I raked out the beds thoroughly and the shrubs seemed to take off after that. Anecdotal perhaps, but I'm convinced.

I see you are in zone 10. I'm in the Fort Lauderdale area, and it is very different from many other inland areas around the state with regard to bird watching. Shore birds are the norm. Not so much our little backyard bird friends, though some are around. Coming from Kansas/Missouri area, I've missed the little critters I was accustomed to, though I've learned to appreciate the feathered friends that do hang around. I keep only one hopper style feeder in my yard and I don't use my squirrel baffle. I let the squirrels at it, too. Makes for entertainment. I use a no mess blend and I mix it with additional black oil sunflower and some safflower seeds. Sometimes, I buy some additional raw peanuts to throw in there for the squirrels and blue jays. My feeder attracts mourning doves, Eurasian collared doves, and blue jays...mostly. I see occasional cardinals and a red-bellied woodpecker comes around. I also have a pair of painted buntings that visit a few times a year. I keep it within a short flight of trees, as I do get an occasional sharp shinned hawk that makes the rounds in our neighborhood. I was shocked to find that I don't even get house finches or sparrows in my yard here. I thought they were everywhere.:) I haven't bothered with the hummingbird feeder, but I think it might do well if I tried it. Warmly, Justine

I live in the northland. First they need to check any rules to see what changes they can make some will not allow anything other than in pots. From the discription of one tree in a field I think they live in Kansas City North of the river which has multiple types of land. Theirs is probably all fill. North Kansas City is a small town in itself. North Kansas City is next to the Missouri river in a flat area which which may be soggy when we have too much rain. My DH just told me there is a retirement residence in a part where they tore down all the senior apartments and build taller buildings. I would suggest thymes, zinnas. Kansas City has numerous gardening societies. One of the umberella groups is the Garden Center Association. It is a group of various garden groups that used to use a building in a park called Loose Park just south of the plaza area. This groups has a meeting the third Saturday of the month normally at the MO Conservation Department building just south of 4700 Troost. Coffee and goodies at nine am and various types of lectures at 9:30. Center has wonderful gardens behind the building for different types of woodlands, ponds, grasslands, etc. Amazing how much is packed in such a small area. If you can post the general area of the northland I can give better suggestions and locations of nurseries and plant that can provide decent plants at a reasonable cost.