Natural Pest Control
Many songbirds delight in snacking on garden pests such as caterpillars, aphids, and beetles. A pair of chickadees can consume hundreds of insects daily while feeding hungry nestlings in early summer! To welcome them, I planted native goldenrod (Solidago canadensis, native to North America, can be weedy but manageable when contained), which draws caterpillars and, in turn, attracts insect-hungry warblers and orioles.
Their foraging keeps pest outbreaks at bay without a drop of chemical spray. Plus, watching their agile swoops between stems is endlessly entertaining—no pesticide label comes with such a delightful performance!