15. I've heard that I can encourage birds into the garden by planting grevilleas and banksias. Is this true?

Yes...this is because many grevilleas and banksias have flowers containing nectar which attracts honeyeating birds (so do lots of other plants by the way, including correas, eucalypts and callistemons).

But this loses sight of the fact that there are many other birds apart from honeyeaters and there are other reasons why birds might be attracted to a particular garden. To attract a variety of birds it's a good idea to mix many different plants of different heights and growth habits so that shelter and nesting sites are available. For example, planting lots of small, bushy shrubs, including those with prickly foliage, will provide protection for smaller insect and seed eating birds, as well as for honeyeaters.

All banksias attract honey eating birds. This is Banksia repens, a species with a prostrate growth habit. [39k]. Click the thumbnail image or plant name for a higher resolution image.

It should be remembered also that some birds are fruit eaters and many Australian plants, particularly those from the rainforest, will help attract these.