(NAPSI)-Savvy gardeners and birdwatchers have discovered they can attract beautiful birds to their yard by selecting plants that provide food and shelter. All spring and summer, when gardens are in full bloom, birds typically have an ample supply of food. But as plants complete their flowering and fruiting cycles, it gets more difficult for birds to find food.

So this fall, the National Audubon Society reminds gardeners to think about our winged friends by planting varieties that produce fruits, berries, nectar, seeds and nuts during the fall and winter seasons.

The National Audubon Society and Monrovia, a leading grower of plants, are making it easy for people to create a backyard environment that is friendly to a variety of birds and butterflies with the Audubon Habitat Collection of plants. Just look for plants in Monrovia’s green-banded containers with a special Audubon label in select fine garden centers nationwide.

Here are some fall planting tips for a winter bird garden:

Fall is a great time to add bird-friendly plants. The heat of the summer is past, and plants have time to root before frost comes.

Select plants that provide nuts, seeds or berries in the coldest winter months, such as holly, junipers, oaks and other nut trees.

Other plants that provide late fall and winter food include: crowberry, staghorn sumac, pitch pine, inkberry, smooth winterberry, Toringo crabapple, saw palmetto, Virginia creeper, Walter’s viburnum and myrtle dahoon.

Water is essential for birds, so provide a birdbath or dripping water source. If freezing is a problem, don’t put additives in the water to lower the freezing point. Instead, consider a water heater designed for outdoor birdbaths. In the coldest climates, you may want to provide supplement food, such as seeds or a suet ball.

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