This month we installed a new bird feeder in the bird & butterfly section of Woodward Gardens. This feeder was made by garden supporter, Paul Hathaway, and it is not your ordinary bird feeder.  It has a green roof on top; planted with stonecrop and hen-and-chicks.

Greenroofs or ecoroofs as some people call them, are a great way to add habitat to your garden and naturally filter rainwater.  While this roof is small,  it does demonstrate the technique in a fun way.  Planted with sedums and hen-and-chicks, it takes very little care once it is established.

The plans for building your own green-roof bird feeder can be found in Better Homes and Gardens SIP called Nature’s Garden spring 2008 edition.

For those of you that are handy, here are the ten basic steps to building your own greenroof bird feeder.

1. Use long-lasting cedar to construct the feeder.

2. Make the roof removable for easy care.

3. Coat it with exterior paint.

4. Put drainage holes on the outside edge of roof to allow excess water to escape.

5. Use quick-draining potting soil formulated for cactus or succulent plants.

6. Stonecrop (sedums), hen-and-chicks, and alpine plants are great candidates for growing on green roofs.

7. Mount the bird feeder on a 4×4 post that is cemented into the ground.

8. Use a high-quality bird seed that contains a high percentage of black oil sunflower seeds.

9. If the plants are not hardy in your area, take off the removable roof and bring inside for the winter.

10. Water well after planting. Once established it will only need about 1/2 inch or less water a week.

Then sit back and enjoy your favorite feathered friends for years to come.  Change the bird seed in the feeder to attract different species of birds.