How to Choose Birdseed
When it comes to feeding the wild birds at your balcony garden birdfeeder, you may pick up the cutest or cheapest bird feeder (or even make your own), and purchase some cheap birdseed. Although it may work on one or two species of common wild birds, this is not the best way to go about attracting birds to your balcony container garden.
Ants: A Garden Pest
Ants can spark a debate with gardeners. Some will say that they’re harmless and that they’ll actually help pollinate your flowers. But other gardeners have had definite problems with these little insects.
The Benefits of Attracting Birds
Balcony birdwatching is a rewarding hobby, and it gives you an excuse to stare out the window at your balcony garden. Wild birds will eventually become so used to you that they will learn your habits and wait for you to fill up the birdfeeder. Some may be brave enough to feed or hang out on the balcony while you’re working in on your garden's container plants. If you have a tree just beyond the balcony, you may be rewarded with seeing courting rituals (maybe you will even see a nest), hearing beautiful calls at all hours of the day and spotting beautiful new species visiting your feeder.
Keeping Rats Out of the Garden
Sometimes rats and mice can discover paradise near humans. Container gardens, especially those with birdfeeders, can invite these little rodents. Our job as balcony container gardeners is to be stewards to nature, so natural remedies for ridding ourselves of unwanted creatures are always better than traps and poisons. Here are some hints that you may have a rat neighbor and some ways to drive that neighbor away.
Wild Bird Maintenance
Listed below are some downsides to keeping birdfeeders that attract wild birds to your garden. The sight of those cute little birds is enough for many gardeners to want to provide food for them, but first carefully think about the work that is required to maintaining birdfeeders and the possible downsides that come with keeping feeders hanging in your balcony container garden. If you feel you have enough work caring for your container plants, you may find it to be too much extra work to attract wild birds to your balcony garden.
