Guest Picks: 20 Ways to Play Garden Host to Birds and Bees
Perch some of these houses and feeders around your garden, and watch pollinators and feathered friends flock in
One of the greatest pleasures of summer for me is sitting in the garden listening to the birdsong and the droning of the bees. And I can't be the only one, because everywhere I look lately there is another great design for encouraging these little friends to stay in our own personal patches of paradise. The only decision is which design to choose. — Carole from Dear Designer
Contemporary Garden Decoration
This Bee Hotel is a great way to help boost the population of bees in the garden by giving them a place to live. And it looks pretty good too!
Droog Birdhouse
Improve the birds' etiquette by letting them eat from a porcelain plate! It's a knock-down three-star bird restaurant for sweet small birds.
Recycled Wood Bird Feeder With Suet Plugs by Andrew's Reclaimed
This feeder is designed specifically for woodpeckers and other clinging feeders. Attached to a fencepost, it would provide hours of entertainment.
Qui Est Paul? Picto Birdhouse
How lovely would a trio of these look on a city balcony? They're available in three bright colors: fuchsia, green and gray.
Skagerak Bird Feeder
This feeder offers a great design for a contemporary garden space. It looks very effective hanging amongst the greenery, don't you think?
Piepshow Birdhouse, Green
This home is for the design-conscious bird, and it's available in five colors to pack a punch in the garden.
Ladybird Hotel/House
Ladybugs are good too; they eat aphids. This house will protect them from their predators.
Born in Sweden Bird Feeder
Here's a feeder that won't break the bank, and the suction pad enables you to stick it to any smooth window pane. Now you can watch the birds without leaving your armchair.
Bird Nest Box, Striped Gray
This is a very stylishly designed nesting box in striped and glazed terra-cotta. It's a "des res" (desirable residence) for lucky birds.
Wooden Birdhouse, Small
Aren't these birdhouses sweet? I can imagine a selection of them randomly nailed to a fence to create a birdy feature wall.
Eva Solo Mini Bird Feeders
This feeder comes in a pack of two and is shaped like a bird's nest. They would look very pretty hung at different heights.
Foras Jay Birdbath/Feeder
I love this birdbath! Granted, it's not on the cheap side, but its lovely sculptural form can find a place in my garden any day.
Surf City Beach House
A mansion amongst bird houses. The attention to detail is astonishing, and there are other period houses available at this site too.
Eva Hand-Painted Birdhouse
From mansion to gypsy caravan, these cute specimens are absolutely charming.
Double Insect Factory
A neat little terrace of houses, these have a solid timber construction that gives excellent insulation for ladybugs and lacewings during the wintertime.
Birdball Peanut Feeder
This clever feeder is specifically designed to allow small birds such as tits, sparrows, nuthatchers and finches to feed and deter larger birds and squirrels (always a problem in my garden) with its gravity-fed feeding slot.
Birdbath, White
Beautiful in its simplicity, this white porcelain and stainless steel birdbath looks as good to humans as it is attractive to birds.
Solitary Bee House
This is designed specifically to attract non-swarming bees like the Red Mason bee, which is non-aggressive and vital to plant pollination. The bees are naturally attracted to holes in wood, which are becoming rare in tidy gardens.
Bee Homes
These houses are made from machined oak with a steel roof that will rust beautifully as it gets exposed to the elements. It has my vote!
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