Alan Titchmarsh has shared four easy ways to make your garden bird-friendly, including a method for making a homemade bird bath and adding various “berried plants”
Matthew Davies and Matt Davies
13:19, 02 Nov 2025
Alan Titchmarsh has revealed how to make your garden bird friendly
Alan Titchmarsh has revealed four straightforward methods to transform your garden into a haven for birds, including instructions for creating a homemade bird bath and incorporating various “berried plants”. In a recent video for his YouTube channel, Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh, which launched in April, the Ground Force legend began the clip by recommending people purchase a “solidly-built” nest box to provide shelter for birds such as blue tits and wrens.
Regarding positioning, Alan highlighted two factors “worth bearing in mind” when installing your nest box, the first being to ensure it’s out of reach of cats and positioned above head height.
Secondly, he advises situating your nest box in a protected location away from the prevailing winds. Alan was then shown installing his own slate-roofed nest box close to the eaves of his garden shed.
His second suggestion was to install bird feeders, something Alan maintains can genuinely “make a difference” to your birds’ survival during the colder autumn and winter months when natural food sources become scarce.
Alan, who highlighted that blue tits and robins are particularly fond of fat or lard balls, also explored the benefits of the traditional bird table, though acknowledged that grey squirrels have a habit of helping themselves, reports the Mirror.
Alan presented Ground Force and Gardeners’ World(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
His solution for tackling this issue with his own table (which featured four sides and a roof) was to attach four pieces of “sturdy wire mesh”, one of which could be removed, to prevent their access. For his third suggestion, Alan outlined how gardeners can introduce bird-friendly plants, particularly those they will find “useful” for food, emphasising the advantages of “berried plants”.
He went on to suggest beautyberry (callicarpa), which attracts robins and sparrows. Alan advises positioning the shrub towards the rear of your border.
He then recommended firethorn (pyracantha), a shrub which, during this season, displays red, orange or yellow berries. This was followed by Cotoneaster horizontalis (which appeals to smaller birds).
Alan highlighted the benefits of “berried plants”(Image: Getty Images)
Alan subsequently discussed roses, specifically varieties that produce hips, which are particularly favoured by blackbirds. He also drew attention to hawthorn berries, describing them as “wonderful attractants” for birds.
Additionally, he identified two plants suitable for providing shelter to birds. For this purpose, Alan suggested thorny shrubs including barberry (Berberis) and holly, whose prickly leaves can offer protection from predators.
He further explained how trees can function as nesting sites and “feeding stations”, highlighting varieties such as cherry trees and Golden Hornet crabapple.
Alan’s concluding recommendation was to install a bird bath in your garden, making sure to refresh the water frequently, as birds will use it for both drinking and bathing. He proposed a DIY approach, using a plant pot and a saucer.
Simply affix the saucer to the top of the pot with silicon and scatter a few pebbles for the smaller birds to perch on.
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