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One of the best parts of having a garden is being able to sit and watch all the various birds come and relax in it. If you want to attract more wildlife to your garden, May is a great time to get out in the garden and start planting.

By plating the right things, you can make your back garden a lovely welcoming spot for birds. With the right food and shelter options, birds will flock to your garden and keep coming back all through the year. According to Jo McGarry, from Caragh Nurseries, if you want to keep your garden full of life, you need to focus on plants that support both insect populations and produce plenty of seeds.

She said: "A garden that attracts birds in summer needs a balance of nectar-rich flowers, seed heads and protective planting. Many bird species rely on insects during the warmer months, so choosing plants that support pollinators entices more birds into your garden."

This month, there's plenty you can plant. One of the easiest is sunflowers. She said: "Once the flowers fade, the seed heads become a valuable food source for finches and sparrows later in the year."

She also recommends cornflowers and scabious for gardeners looking to support insect-eating birds. She said: "Cornflowers and scabious attract bees, hoverflies and other insects, which helps provide food for birds such as robins, wrens and blue tits. If the seed heads are left standing into autumn, they will continue feeding seed-eating birds as temperatures drop."

She also recommends adding berry-producing shrubs for longer-term support.

"Plants such as hawthorn, cotoneaster and guelder rose provide berries, shelter and nesting cover. A mix of flowering plants and shrubs will attract a wider variety of birds across the seasons."

Another option is flowering vines like honey suckle which not only looks and smells beautiful, but will attract birds and insects to your garden. She said: "Wildlife-friendly gardens benefit from layered planting, so climbers, shrubs and flowering perennials all play an important role."

Coneflowers are great too, as birds feed from the seed heads all the way through to autumn and winter if they are left alone after flowering.

One of the best things you can do to attract birds to your garden is to leave it alone. Jo explained: "Many gardeners cut everything back at the end of summer, but leaving seed heads, stems and leaf litter in place gives birds access to food and shelter during colder months. Even plants without visible seeds can hold insects that birds rely on."