As a temporary measure I stuck some tall stakes I made out of saplings around the roses, the birds have been using them but they are still perching on the roses occasionally so I'm not done yet.

I think the problem is that the roses are the tallest plants in the garden, so to remedy the situation I want to add some better bird perching shrubs - things with woody stems that will grow taller than the roses but not take up too much room or light. Any suggestions?

Seriously, I don't know. We are nearly overrun with birds where I live; finches, wrens, cardinals, bluejays, etc. We have multiple feeders & birdbaths throughout our yard, but I've never had the problem of them breaking off stems.

I think your roses are probably much higher & larger, and perhaps your birdies are a little heavier? lol.....But in all honesty, are you surrounded by tall trees? We are, and that may be the difference. I usually notice our bird population perching on fenceposts, branches of trees, and the eaves or gutters of structures.

We are surrounded by tall trees and there is a tall fence, most of the damage is done to the roses between the feeder and the fountain. I think they like to perch on the roses because they are about the same height as the fountain and they are closer than the fence or trees.

From Lavender's Garden

Close up, of arch with honeysuckle growing on it...this is one of the hummingbirds' favorites!

From Lavender's Garden

Eventually your roses will be stronger and hold up better. But remember birds eat bugs. You need them! I do not provide feeders because I want the birds to be hungry for bugs. Feeders also attract rats.

Jackie

Ours are very used to us working in the garden next to them and it is not uncommon to find them just a couple of bushes away busy kicking

Jeri

I use osmanthus pretty freely, and a kind of cherry laurel that doesn't take over. I have a bunch of tall nandina that is very old and takes full sun -- that's the birds' favorite! Those berries must be tasty.

Wax murtle is also very pretty here and doesn't get out of hand (I do prune it). The birds do like those berries later in the winter.

Some of these might not be good suggestions in different soils, etc. Check with local gardeners to make sure you aren't picking something whose roots will overwhelm the roses! Native cherry laurel goes a bit crazy here, for instance, and wax murtle can sucker terribly in some situations.

Hoovb: I've noticed that behavior, but that's the first and best explanation I've heard for it.

I think an arbor, some trellises, and a few Nandina and Osmanthus plants should do the trick. The perching wouldn't bother me if the birds didn't do so much damage, but last year I lost most of the blooms on the roses between the feeder and the fountain. I just want to provide something more suitable for the birdies to perch on.

The worst rose bud predator in my garden is my youngest Dalmatian, Katie. She has favorites, and if they're down near the ground in a pot, she will eat every bud and bloom.

Fortunately, most of the roses are inaccessible to her, because they're tall enough to fend for themselves -- and she DOES have favorites.

I'm just thinking, unless you have really big, clunky, clumsy birds (like those huge ravens), I think the culprits may be something else.

Jeri

So far the only bud I've lost this year was the tallest one on my Dream Come True rose, it was about 6' high and it was the only damage done to the whole plant so I'm pretty sure that the culprit had wings. I've never seen a hawk visiting my garden, but there is a bluejay who likes to swoop in and frighten away all the smaller birds. I'm thinking that most of the breakage occurs when they are taking off to get away from the bluejay, or possibly it's the bluejay but I've never seen it perch on the roses and I have witnessed the smaller birds doing it frequently.

My dog Lola is a boxer-lab mix and she hasn't shown much interest in plants, she only cares about digging for gophers and eating anything gross she can find. I haven't been able to use manure in my garden for years. On the other hand she keeps the squirrels and other critters away during the daylight hours, at night the neighborhood cats and owl take over.

Thanks for your interest and help!