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Add a little food, shelter and water for the birds and wait for the year round entertainment to begin.

I like to use my landscape as a self-filling bird feeder. Include nectar plants to attract hummingbirds. The shade loving fuchsia attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies. The penstemons are great for hot dry areas and hosta flowers provide nectar for the hummingbirds and seeds for the juncos in shade gardens.

Use zinnia, cleome, coneflower & more to attract the seed eaters. And many of the winged visitors eat insects, reducing pest problems in the garden.

Include a few evergreens, trees and shrubs for natural shelter. Those with small yards may want to team up with their neighbors to create an inviting environment with all the necessary ingredients.

Place an attractive birdbath, pond or fountain in your garden for added beauty and a source of water.

A bit more information: Add a few bird houses for additional shelter. Select the right type of bird house with the appropriate opening for the birds you want to attract and house. You can also increase the diversity of winged visitors by adding a few feeders. I have been able to increase the number and variety of birds visiting my landscape by adding a thistle and safflower feeder. I avoid using sunflower seeds because they seem to attract more squirrels to my yard than birds.

For more gardening tips, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com

About Melinda Myers
Melinda Myers, best known for her gardener friendly and practical approach to gardening, has more than 30 years of horticulture experience in both hands-on and instructional settings. She has a bachelor's degree in horticulture from The Ohio State University and a master's degree in horticulture from University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a certified arborist, and was a horticulture instructor with tenure.

Outside the classroom, Melinda shares her expertise through a variety of media outlets. She has written over 20 books, including Can't Miss Small Space Gardening. She hosts "Great Lakes Gardener," seen on PBS stations throughout the United States, and "Melinda's Garden Moments", which air on network television stations throughout the country. She appears regularly as a guest expert on various national and local television and radio shows. She also writes the twice monthly "Gardeners' Questions" newspaper column and is a contributing editor and columnist for Birds & Blooms magazine. In addition, she hosted "The Plant Doctor" radio program for over 20 years and was a columnist and contributing editor for Backyard Living magazine.

For her work, community service and media presence, Melinda has received recognition and numerous awards, including the 2003 Garden Globe Award for radio talent and the Quill and Trowel Award for her television work, both from the Garden Writers Association. She has also received the Garden Communicator's Award from the American Nursery and Landscape Association and the Gold Leaf Award for Arbor Day from the International Society of Arboriculture.

For more information, visit Myers' web site www.melindamyers.com.