For bird lovers!

Today I received an award from the Bavarian State Office for the Environment… My garden was assessed for how bird-friendly it is…
NO pesticides… NO fleece under the beds… lots of insect-friendly …or insect-attracting plants,… NO light pollution from lamps + lights at night….. Water sources with fresh water + feeding stations….. deadwood piles,….. nettles + wild areas ….etc….

From the very beginning, it was important to me to design the garden so that lots of birds would feel at home here… By now there are over twelve bird species that regularly come to the feeding stations or the water sources… And of course they always bring their friends along too…

That is exactly what two specialist women from the LBV examined today and approved of.
That’s why I received a plaque, which I’m really very happy about!

Who else thinks exactly THAT is important in their garden…or balcony?

Best wishes 
one happy Perle 

Congratulations!
Yes, that’s a wonderful thing, especially today, when there are fewer and fewer insects and birds. We only have a tiny balcony left, but I specifically choose summer flowers with this in mind, and we also have an insect hotel.
Here in the neighborhood, there are lots of gardens and front yards—luckily, none of those gravel nightmares—and I see plenty of feeding and watering stations that are happily used.
But you know what’s really exciting? The house next door (with the big garden) has been vacant for almost two years—the garden is just running wild—and there’s always a lot going on there; so many birds feel right at home! The only thing missing is water; they have to get that from around the neighborhood.

Congratulations. :-)
That’s a great thing. 

  Dear Veronika
Nothing better could happen to the garden ; ) 

Yes, I know, but we’re on the outskirts of Cologne… that won’t stay that way. Unfortunately. So far, all the “abandoned” single-family homes here have been torn down and replaced with apartment buildings.

…oh yes…nothing worse could happen to the old neighbors :(

Congratulations—a wonderful award.

To earn this award, you’ve invested a lot of time—I wouldn’t call it work, because there’s also the anticipation of success involved. I’m realizing right now that it’s not easy to find the right flowers. What’s beautiful to our eyes isn’t necessarily insect-friendly.

But I think it’s worth it. This biodiversity in the garden is like a movie. There’s always something to discover, and it’s a joy to see the animals taking to it.

Twelve different bird species is amazing. I’m so happy for you.

Enjoy your bustling garden and savor your success

Warm regards from a natural garden fan

That’s wonderful—and congratulations :) A garden where you can watch lots of visitors is even better than watching TV. We have a balcony and always make it as colorful as possible. We also have various feeding and watering stations. The squirrels always get plenty to eat here, and we often find nuts in our pots come spring. Behind our house lies a huge, abandoned site that’s been off-limits since the ’80s—the Deurag-Nerag site. The biodiversity that has developed there is a dream, and you see birds you wouldn’t normally see. Right now, there are always two families of great tits flying around and helping themselves heartily to the food. The little ones sit right in the middle of the food, begging their parents.
I hope you continue to enjoy your beautiful garden very much.

Congratulations :)
I don’t have a balcony or my own garden.
But I do have feeding stations on the railing outside my living room window, which young great tits are currently visiting.

Before that, it was young blackbirds.

Congratulations on your garden’s award 👍👍👍
I don’t have a garden myself, but I do have my *box meadow* for the insects.

Best regards, Inge

Congratulations, Petra! In your garden, both birds and people can’t help but feel at home.
We completely redesigned our garden when we moved into this house. I only grow insect-friendly plants and don’t take weeding too seriously. That way, more moisture stays in the beds, and our shrew family and the hedgehogs have places to hide. A squirrel even stops by every now and then. Sparrows and titmice nest here, and we have many different species of birds visiting, even though we don’t put out any birdseed. But they find plenty of earthworms and insects, grass seeds, and the fruits of wild plants here. Fresh water is always available. 

Very commendable!… And that’s what makes gardening the most fun. Warm regards

Wow, Petra, I really want to congratulate you wholeheartedly. You’re a role model for so many people. The fact that there’s even an award for this is absolutely fantastic! I’m so happy for you. And I’m just glad to read about something like this. That’s what helps our environment and nature the most.

We have a garden like that, too—it fits your description almost perfectly. We just don’t have as many different kinds of birds yet. Our landlord wasn’t too thrilled about it at first, but he lets us do our thing. The funny thing is that all the gardens around us look perfectly manicured. Not a single blade of grass dares to grow too tall there. A hedgehog lives in our garden, under a pile of dead wood. When he goes for a walk in the evening, I’ve often noticed that he goes no more than two houses away and then comes right back to us. He finds plenty of food here, and we also supplement his diet with extra food in the fall and spring.

Lots of wildflowers and wild herbs are growing in our garden now—there are more every year. And we marvel at every single one and are delighted by them. Even marjoram just showed up on its own. This year, even the giant poppy. I assume the birds bring us these treasures. We’ve also set up two bird baths, as well as two bee baths. They’re all happily used. And it’s a joy to watch the birds bathe.

Thank you for your contribution to nature, dear Petra!

Dear Petra, congratulations on the title and what it represents. You’re a role model—and hopefully many will follow your example.

My garden would probably have deserved such an award too, if anyone had been looking for one. Although we have sealed that spot with our self-built pond, it now provides water and food for many animals. Fish, frogs, and dragonflies are always there. Wild ducks, pigeons, and sparrows, too—they all come to drink and bathe.

The surrounding plants also provide food for many insects. Everything is in bloom and smells inviting. Bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, and others bustle about and feed on all the flowers.

We have large fruit trees that provide shade and produce oxygen. Insect hotels hang in the trees. We only use our lawn mower when absolutely necessary. Even the weeds, with their many flowers, provide food. Cultivated flowers like geraniums, which have no pollen, don’t belong in my garden. Just being pretty isn’t enough for me. Even when I want to buy a new rose, I check whether the flower opens wide enough for insects to reach the pollen.

We’ve also planted trees and shrubs around our property on the wide strip of lawn outside. The city approved it. Since it’s public land, you have to ask. But every additional green plant or tree provides more shade, and the soil doesn’t dry out as much.

Everyone can do their part! Thanks, Petra, for encouraging us all to think about this topic again.

Best regards, Ina

Yes,… thanks for the kind words… Creating a garden that isn’t just a practical, square layout… actually means less work for the gardener in the long run… Although I don’t really see gardening as work, but more like exercise—a great balance to crocheting!
Now I’m setting my sights on my next goal. I’d like to get another plaque like that—
an award called “Nature-Friendly Garden.”
To do that, though, I still need to add a few things, like a pond and a sand bed.
You don’t have to do everything at once.
Warm regards from paradise in the Bavarian Forest 🌳 

Oh Petra, when I look at your photo, I can really picture it. To me, it’s paradise on earth.

Yes… in summer and winter alike… a wonderful place for creative work
Warm regards 🖖
…only the storms here are really scary… they roar over the mountains like dragons 

I always really liked that back in the day. I spent almost all my school vacations in the Bavarian Forest, and the weather there was always more spectacular than back home. When a thunderstorm hung between the mountains, it was truly impressive, and I loved it.