For The Birds:

The next time you are annoyed by mosquitoes take a minute to think about that cup of coffee you had this mornng. Coffee, what does that have to do with mosquitoes? , you ask. Well it may seem strange but there is a direct link and next week we are going to explore it in detail. This week, we will begin our look at berries, from blueberries, bearberries to strawberries and service berries, somewhere there is a berry or two that is just right for you. Berries are an ideal crop for an edible landscape. they provide food not only for you but for songbirds as well.

As songbirds prepare for their migration south they switch their diet from insects to berries. Switching from insects to fruit offers migrants advantages beyond increasing their energy intake, Parrish suggests. Because fruit is clumped in specific sites, migrating birds spend less time and energy searching for food. Eating berries is more efficient than chasing insects, which are difficult to catch and less numerous in the fall. Feeding in dense, fruit-laden shrubbery rather than pursuing insects through open air also makes songbirds less likely to be taken by predatory falcons and hawks that also migrate south each fall.

When you naturescape your property to include habitat for migrating songbirds, you are also providing yourself with a natural form of insect control, as songbirds are prodigous eaters of a wide variety of insects. The inclusion of a variety of berry plants on your property provides the birds with the energy they need to make their southward journey and helps to assure their return.

Naturescaping is a form of landscaping which puts an emphasis on the use of plants which are native to the region where the landscaping is taking place. As this column is about food security and the various ways food travels from where it is grown to where you consume it, naturescaping includes edible landscaping.

What berries are best for your site? Well that depends, of course, on the conditions of your site, what type of soil do you have, how many hours of sun and shade are there? What do you like to eat? How are you planning to use the berries, fresh, preserves, juice and so on. How do the berries fit into the overall garden design? This is an important question as berries can expand considerably so it is wise to plan for them ahead of time and only plant the number of plants you site can handle.

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