Former Royal gardener, Jack Stooks, who served King Charles for more than 20 years, has revealed a simple method to attract robins to your garden this winter. According to Stooks, choosing the right flowers and plants that provide food is key to enticing these beloved birds to your outdoor space.
Having extensive experience caring for Royal gardens, Stooks emphasized that robins are drawn to gardens with abundant and accessible food sources, such as worms and bugs. He mentioned that the best way to spot robins is while gardening, as digging exposes worms and bugs, attracting these birds.
Stooks highlighted the importance of a specific plant, Cotoneaster, known for its vibrant red berries that serve as essential winter food for birds like robins. These berries not only enhance the garden’s aesthetics but also offer much-needed sustenance when insects are scarce.
Another recommended plant is Sorbus, also known as rowan or mountain ash, a deciduous tree with clusters of red berries that mature in late autumn and provide a vital food source for birds during winter. Apart from nourishment, Sorbus trees add color and visual appeal to winter gardens.
Ivy, often overlooked in gardens, plays a crucial role in providing food for birds in winter by attracting insects when allowed to flower and produce seeds. Stooks mentioned that robins are attracted to bugs in ivies, especially when they bloom and develop seeds, creating a natural feast for garden birds.
For a unique addition to the garden, Stooks recommended black elderberry trees with dark berries and striking leaf structures that add texture and visual interest to outdoor spaces. These trees not only attract birds with nourishment but also enhance the garden’s beauty.
By incorporating a variety of berry shrubs like cotoneaster, trees such as sorbus and elderberry, and allowing ivy to bloom, gardeners can create a robin-friendly sanctuary that provides both food and shelter during the winter months. Stooks’ advice underscores that selecting the right plants can attract robins to your garden effortlessly.