I plant callistemon and grevillias ostensibly as a permaculture strategy to encourage insectivorous birds and insects, because insectivores often also eat nectar as a source of carbohydrates. A good population of insectivores hanging around keeps the population of plant eating insects like grasshoppers and fruit flies down at a tolerable level.
But like most “sensible” garden strategies, it has some lovely side benefits! A comment from Kimmy set me thinking about how much more I get out of the garden, besides food. I grizzle about the wildlife getting all my fruit, but they do a good payback!
Beautiful! I’m always astonished by the green in their plumage!
Rainbow Lorikeets are my favourite birds, I could sit an watch them go about their way all day. We currently have a family in our gumtree, it is a frequent nesting site. Just beautiful!
I totally agree. Imagine a garden without creatures visiting?
This season i’m doing loads of planting of insect attracting plants. I still havn’t sorted out our lead-safe gardening (we have lead contamination in our soil so need to garden in raised beds) so am mainly container gardening. Seeing my soil bare with nothing but weeds growing was getting to me…so i’ve decided to plant lots of flowers. I’m looking forward to seeing who visits.
Might seem very strange in such a pragmatic permaculturist that I am, but I have a magnificent climbing rose that I love, and jonquils, daffodils as well as the sensible native flowers, and of course flowering vegetables and herbs. Soul food.