Although they are commonly associated with winter and Christmas, robins are actually alive and well throughout Britain all year long. Their primary food source, earthworms and other creepy crawlies, retreat underground in the cooler months, but come the spring, they will be more plentiful, especially if you plant this one bulb in your garden now in time for Spring.
The easiest way to get robins flocking to your garden is to invest in plants that will attract their food sources and encourage the birds to visit your garden throughout the year. However, there is one specific bulb you can plant now that will guarantee robins return to your borders come the new year. Camassia have beautiful, bright flowers and grow well in long grass, drawing insects to the area, and thus more robins. Camassia are best planted between September and November, as per the RHS.
The BBC states: “These long-lived bulbs enjoy growing in moist, heavy soils in full sun or partial shade. Try naturalising them with meadow buttercups.”
Camassia are strong attractors of pollinators and also aphids, which form part of a robins’ diet. Gardening by design sates that for robins aphids are part of an essential “mini-beast” foodchain.
It said providing food for robins “also means sustaining a healthy eco-system of ‘mini-beasts’ for birds to eat and feed their young in spring and summer.”
It continued: “And yes, this might mean allowing natural predators – birds, ladybirds etc. – to take care of the less desirable caterpillars and aphids and balance out the relative populations.”
However, if you also keep a bird feeder, stay alert as shrubs, trees and even flower borders can provide perfect hiding places for cats, and most birds won’t feel safe if a feeding station is too close to the ground or next to any vegetation.
Positioning a bird feeder near plants can stress birds and make them less likely to return to your garden, while also potentially damaging your outdoor space.
Setting a bird feeder near your flowerbeds or crops could expose the greenery to bird droppings, which can increase the risk of bacteria, disease or other germs infecting plants.
Robins also enjoy fruits, sunflower seeds, crushed peanuts, but they particularly love mealworms, so stocking these will attract them to your garden.
Providing robins with a reliable food source now increases their chances of staying healthy and surviving once the colder weather sets in. Taking the time to assist them now will ensure your garden becomes a favourite haunt for them.
