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| Photo Credit: Marjorie Pullman |
| Hanging weather-resistant bird feeders from an outdoor holiday tree is sure to bring some feathered friends to your yard. |
Winter can be a big drag for those of us who like to be outside gardening. But you can still enjoy the great outdoors during the season – just in a different way. If you’re already into feeding the birds, then you’re a step ahead. If not, creating a holiday bird-feeding tree is a great way to get started!
There’s no right or wrong way to create this tree, but I’d like to suggest you start with selecting a theme. It can be as simple or extravagant as you want, ranging from working within just one color scheme to creating an entire Chinese New Year premise. After you select the theme, there are a few basic rules of thumb to follow so you don’t scare or hurt the birds. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Marjorie Pullman | | Consider adding some birdhouses to your tree for shelter. |
First, make sure that any ornaments you use don’t have bows or shiny surfaces that reflect light because they’ll scare the birds away. (But do keep this reflecting-light concept in mind when protecting your berries in the summertime.) And do make sure that anything you put on the tree is nontoxic, bird-friendly and doesn’t have any sharp edges.
If you’re already feeding the birds, you probably know which feathered friends you care to attract and what type of feed you should set out. But if it’s still a mystery to you, head to your local garden center and check out the birdseed packages. The labels typically indicate what kind of birds each feed attracts. Next, pick which tree in your yard you want to transform. Personally, I like the “Charlie Brown Christmas tree” look, so I decorate a deciduous one. Some years I’ve used some of my small evergreen trees or the bottom part of a large tree. You might even consider having your children decorate their own tree with a separate theme.
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