A garden rich with food sources and nesting sites is an ideal year-round habitat for songbirds. Cotoneaster, Viburnum, and other shrubs produce fruits that are relished by birds through the growing season. Coneflowers and Black-eyed susans offer their seedheads in fall. Stones, ornamental grasses, and a curving path of stepping stones add to the informal look of the garden.

Be sure to include a source of water; something as simple as a bowl on a bench makes an easy-to-refill birdbath. This garden can be planned around an existing shade tree in place of the October Glory maple. It includes plants for both sun and shade.