The Cardinal, the Heart of the Garden

Mar 07, 2023

The Cardinal, a common bird with a special meaning.

Just outside our backdoor is a world of wonder. Our gardens connect us with nature in a way that goes beyond just a walk in the park or stroll down the neighborhood street. The garden is a personal space where you engage with your ecosystem. On the surface, we love to create places to gather our friends and family, or a place to enjoy and be at peace. The impact of your backyard garden goes deeper. It is a living space and it can be a spiritual place.

A shining star of the backyard garden is the Cardinal.

Known for its red feathers, the Cardinal is hard to miss amongst green spring bushes or wintery snowy mounds. Native to the eastern half of the United States all the way through eastern Mexico, the Cardinal graces us with charming calls to his beloved mate through most of the year.

When a Cardinal Appears Angels are Near.

The Cardinal also has a strong symbolic meaning through multiple cultures. Some believe that seeing a Cardinal is a sign of good fortune ahead. Across many faiths, the Cardinal is a connection to a lost loved one and the great beyond. When one has passed, seeing a Cardinal during your time of grief is a sign that a special soul is in a better place and is at peace. To see a Cardinal at this emotional moment can offer solace and comfort.

Give them a safe place to nest.

There are some great ways to attract a Cardinal to your garden. They have a very friendly nature and often are the first to discover a new bird feeder. In our garden, we fill our feeder with a mixture of wild bird food and both the female and male love it. It is so sweet to see him come to visit in the morning, check the feeder, then call for his gal for breakfast. Our Cardinal will often perch on the window sill and give it a “tap tap” to say thank you or let us know we need to refill the feeder. They like to nest in dense shrubs and trees anywhere from 5-10 feet off the ground and will be one of the earliest birds to start the nesting process. As you go to clean up the garden this spring keep an eye out for any nest Cardinal families, they are very special.