Berries do double-duty in the landscape

When designing beds and borders, considerations include color, texture and form. While these may be first and foremost, thought should also be given to creating a habitat for birds.

To provide a home for birds throughout the year include conifers and deciduous trees, ornamental grasses; fruits in summer, fall and winter; and of course, flowers.

Conifers and deciduous trees offer shelter and protection, food and sites for nesting. Ornamental grasses conceal nests made in the ground and birds enjoy their seeds in fall and winter. Flowers are a source of nectar, attract insects (another food source for many birds), and produce seed heads for fall and winter dining.

Berries also play an important part in the diet of birds. Serviceberries, chokecherries and elderberries provide food in the summer. Cotoneasters and dogwoods offer nourishment in the fall.

But it is the plants with persistent berries that are appreciated as much by gardeners as the birds. They add color to the winter landscape when the longing for color is at its greatest. Picture a holly bush loaded with its brilliant red jewels. Or a viburnum presenting bunches of blue against a snowy scene.

Beautyberries, botanically known as Callicarpa, wear their amethyst gems on arching stems. It grows 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide and produces the most berries in a sunny spot, but will also grow in light shade.

The berries of chokeberries (Aronia) appear in September but persist into winter. Brilliantissima red chokeberry grows up to 8 feet tall and displays bright red fruit. Black Iroquois black chokeberry grows up to 6 feet tall and shows off purplish black berries. Both prefer well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Birds wait until other sources of food are scarce before dining on the fruit produced by crabapples. Apparently not the tastiest dish on the menu, their fruit remains until late winter. There are many varieties from which to choose - some as small as 10 feet; others taller than 25 feet. Newer cultivars produce small fruits, the perfect size for birds to eat and no mess for the gardener. Plant crabapples in full sun.

Hollies are at the top of the list of shrubs with berries. Winterberries, or Ilex verticillata, drop their leaves in the fall, exposing magnificent displays of bright red berries. Winterberries will grow in sun or shade in most soils, but will produce the most berries if planting in moist, rich soil. Plant a grouping, wait for a snowy day, and enjoy the show!

Evergreen hollies hold on to their attractive blue-green leaves throughout the year. Dark red berries contrast nicely with the foliage in winter. There are varieties ideal for foundation planting and others tall enough for screening. Grow evergreen hollies in a spot protected from drying winter winds in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil.

Whether deciduous or evergreen, only female holly plants bear fruit and require specific male pollinators. One male can pollinate several female plants.

The branches of Arrowwood Viburnum (V. dentatum) are first covered with white flowers in early summer and then laden with blue berries in late summer. The birds in my yard eat most of the fruit in fall, but some remain for winter treats. Arrowwood Viburnums grow in full sun to part shade and are adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions.

• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the garden center manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040, ext. 2, or visit planterspalette.com.