Want to create a bird-friendly garden with native plants or improve your existing one? Follow these five steps and browse the following resources to get started! Have a valuable resource you want to share with us? Contact Jamie Weiss, Habitat Hero coordinator at jweiss@audubon.org or (970) 416-6931.
Step 1: Learn About the Benefits of Native Plants
Native plants provide food and shelter for local birds and wildlife. They require less water and fewer chemicals to maintain, which makes them better for the environment. And of course, they're beautiful!
Why Native Plants Are Better for Birds and People
Bird-friendly landscaping provides food, saves water, and fights climate change.
How to Make Your Yard Bird-Friendly
Grow a beautiful garden that provides a safe haven for birds in the face of climate change.
Step 2: Find Native Plants
Find plants that are native to your zip code using Audubon's Native Plants Database. By selecting plants that are adapted to your local climate, you'll minimize or eliminate the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Browse our partners' lists below for more ideas.
Additional Native Plant Lists
- Colorado State University: Herbaceous Perennials
- Colorado State University: Shrubs
- Colorado State University: Trees
- Colorado Native Plant Society Landscaping Guide
- Denver Audubon
- Native Plants for the Utah Landscape
- Wyoming Native Plants Resources
- Wyoming Wildscapes
Step 3: Design Your Habitat Hero Garden
You now know which plants are native to your area; the next step is to figure out how to plant them in a way that maximizes their vitality and benefit to wildlife.
So You Have Your List of Native Plants. Now What?
Doing a little prep and research before you go to the nursery will save headaches and ensure you build the best habitat possible.
Bird-friendly Garden Designs
Download these free designs to create bird habitat in your garden.
Plan a Habitat Hero Garden
Detailed, step-by-step, instructions for planning a Habitat Hero garden.
Step 4: Purchase and Plant Native Plants
Native Plant Retailers
Pre-planned Gardens
Want an expert to take care of the planning process for you? Here are two businesses whose proceeds support Habitat Hero.
Habitat Hero Birdwatcher Pre-Planned Garden
Together with High County Gardens we created the Habitat Hero Birdwatcher Pre-Planned Garden. This carefully selected collection of plants will attract and benefit songbirds and other beneficial pollinators. This 7’x12’ garden-in-a-box has a great variety of perennials, shrubs, and ornamental grasses. High Country Gardens proudly supports the mission of Audubon Rockies by donating some of the proceeds with every garden sold!
Audubon Rockies has partnered with Earth Love Gardens to offer Habitat Hero-certified garden designs and installations! Through Earth Love Gardens or one of their partnered professional landscaping companies, a custom design will be created for your yard that features a diversity of native plant species, a nest box, and more resources to help you provide habitat for birds. Part of the proceeds will support Habitat Hero.
Step 5: Certify Your Habitat Hero Garden
Rufous Hummingbird. Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS
Become a Habitat Hero
Inspire others to create wildlife habitat and beautify your community.
Step 6: Expand Your Impact
Once you have a passion for bird-friendly gardening, you can expand your impact by sharing it with others. Birds and other wildlife need us to make a cultural shift in the way we treat our lawns and gardens. Informing your community about the benefits of native plants is one of the most powerful actions you can take.
Inspire Others
Making Seed Balls to Help Birds
With this simple DIY, you can spread the power of native plants far and wide.
Additional Resources
Habitat Hero Recommended Readings
Recommended literature to help you plant a bird-friendly garden.
Habitat Hero Instructional Videos
Videos and webinars to help you become a bird-friendly gardener
Habitat Hero Demonstration Gardens of Northern Colorado
A self-guided tour of bird-friendly gardens in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley.
Promoting Pollinators on Your Place: A Wyoming Guide
Learn about pollinators in Wyoming and what you can do to support them.
High Country Gardens Backyard Resources
Tips on growing native plants and cultivars from a Habitat Hero sponsor.
Learn about birds and get involved.
