Building a natural bird feeding station and stone patio stops the frustration of birdseed killing your grass and eliminates the mess of tracking mud into your home.
Birdseed that falls from hanging feeders often contains sprout inhibitors or just gets stomped into the dirt which creates ugly bare spots in your lawn. These spots quickly turn into slippery puddles that make it impossible to grow healthy grass and hard to walk through without getting your shoes dirty. Replacing the patchy turf with a stone path and thick flower beds fixes this by giving you a dry and solid place to stand while you refill your feeders.
You will save so much time because you no longer have to fight with a mower or a string trimmer in a tight corner of the yard. This project turns a boring and messy spot into a beautiful outdoor room where you can sit on a wooden bench and watch birds and butterflies all day long. The deep garden beds also act as a natural sponge that soaks up extra rain water so it does not pool near your house foundation.
Start by digging out four inches of dirt and old weeds from the entire area where you want your new stones and beds. Lay down a heavy layer of black landscape fabric to keep weeds from pushing through your new path later. Fill the area for the path with three inches of crushed limestone gravel and pack it down tight with a heavy tool until it is hard and level.
Place large flagstone pavers on top of the gravel and fill the gaps with smaller stones or coarse sand so they do not wobble when you walk. Find a large fallen tree limb with several branches and bury the bottom two feet in a deep hole packed with stones to create a natural looking post for all your different bird feeders. Surround the area with a mix of tall plants like Magnus Purple Coneflower and Goldstrum Black-eyed Susans to give the birds a place to hide.
Add shorter plants like Palace Purple Heuchera and Autumn Joy Sedum near the edges of the stone path for a soft and finished look. Cover the dirt in your garden beds with a three inch layer of shredded hardwood mulch to keep the moisture in and to stop birdseed from growing. You can also place a stacked stone water fountain in the center to provide a clean drink for the birds which keeps them coming back to your yard.
Empty and scrub your bird feeders with warm soapy water once a month to keep the birds healthy and to prevent old seed from getting moldy.
