Nothing disturbs a peaceful afternoon in the garden like a pigeon and all his pigeon friends coming to greet you. While pigeons are generally peaceful, non-disruptive birds, many of us aren’t exactly excited at the prospect of hanging out with them for the afternoon.
Obviously there are ways to prevent all kinds of wildlife to your garden that are incredibly harmful but what if you could prevent pigeons without harming them and all the while, make our garden bloom even more?
Plant white flowers to deter pigeons from your garden
According to Sefton Meadows Garden Centre, ‘white is a ‘danger’ colour to birds, much in the same way that red is a warning colour to humans.
“Many birds use the white plumage in their feathers to show each other that there is danger ahead, so planting a variety of white flowers around areas you want to keep protected might be enough to deter birds from landing,” they explain.
There are so many ways you could do this, too. Mixing white flowers in with your planters, hanging baskets or even just some potted plants dotted around your garden will not only look beautiful but make the space completely unappealing to pigeons.
Which white flowers deter pigeons?
Any white flowers will deter them but of course, that’s a very vague statement and you might not know where to start!
According to Sefton Meadows, it’s best to start with:
- Shasta daisy
- Lobelia
- Peony
- White roses
- White petunia
- White hydrangea
What else deters pigeons and other birds from the garden?
The garden centre recommends that shiny objects hung from plants and trees can be beneficial as can placing netting over your crops to stop birds and other critters from having a little snack.
However the garden centre did state that: “Although it can be hard to live alongside nature sometimes, you should make every effort to be accommodating and to live alongside the birds in your garden.
“Instead of scaring them away, use protective methods like covering crops up. You could even set up a dedicated bird feeding area on the other side of your garden, making an attractive space for them to flock and feed that isn’t your flower bed.”
Happy planting!