Enjoy the company of feathered friends? This garden is a must see.
If birds ran Zagat, this songbird restaurant would get top ratings. It’s bursting with native blooms, berries, and seeds throughout the year! In addition to a great meal, birds of several feathers find the kind of lush, leafy, safe habitat that encourages them to return again and again.
Our Toyons provide good cover for birds
Gordon Ownby
most of the year and their holiday red berries guarantee some “snacking” bird photos
in the late fall.
If you are in your garden a lot, the hummingbirds
Gordon Ownby
will grow accustomed to seeing you and
won’t mind sharing some quality time near you.
Because they fly “still” when feeding and
frequently take breaks, the chances of
getting a nice sharp photo are pretty good.
Project Snapshot
The Ownby’s front garden made its debut on the Native Plant Garden Tour in 2010, when its foliage had just been planted and the dry-stack wall took center stage. The now well-established front garden and a newly installed, sloped back garden will be featured on Theodore Payne Foundation’s 2025 Native Plant Garden Tour.
See more photos in the full project gallery in Houzz, where you can save your favorite ideas.
Plant Palettes
Want to create a forever tweeting wildlife garden? Check out the plant palette of the Ownby’s Songbird Garden, and save your favorite bird garden ideas in Pinterest. For Gordon Ownby’s tips on capturing spectacular wildlife photos, see our Client Insights section.
