But a messy garden does have purpose.

Frankly, if you’re one to admire gardens with lawns clipped like putting greens, this next concept may be tough to get your head around. A not-so-neat garden with lots of layers — brush, leaves and weeds — is a perfect habitat for birds.

Now, I’m not advocating that you want to let your entire garden go into such a state of disrepair that you don’t know where to start when it comes to straightening it. I’m suggesting that you leave a patch of your yard — a back corner near a fence or even an area near some hedges — with that unclipped, just-jumped-out-of-bed- at-10-in-the-morning look.

Birds love to have cover and nesting material. In fact, just this past spring I caught a sparrow taking bits of moss, twigs and dryer lint into a bag of potting mix to make a nice little nest for her babies. If you present birds with the kinds of resources they like, you’re likely to have them stick around your yard.

What’s the advantage? I knew you’d ask that question.

Not only are birds fun to look at, it’s a great source of joy to hear them chatter in the morning and evening, especially if you live in an urban area. It’s nice to be reminded that there is some nature around you even though you’re surrounded by concrete.

Birds are also great for kids to see and nurture. In fact, your kids can be of great help when it comes to making sure that the “messy for the birds” part of the garden retains as many nutrients and minerals as possible. This would be a great “kid” garden because kids wouldn’t have to do a whole lot of work.

Kids can even plant things like purple coneflower and wildflowers to attract birds, bees and butterflies. Columbine is a good choice for a wildlife garden. Choose native plants for your area that won’t require a lot of care. You’ll be advancing native species and cutting back on water at the same time.

Another feature in your bird habitat can be a birdbath. This is something kids can also help take care of because it doesn’t take much time or effort. The one thing you want to remember, though, when setting up a birdbath is to make sure that you put it where there is some shade. Birds like cool water on a hot summer day just like you do and shallow water tends to get hot quickly.

If you’d rather not do a big birdbath, set out a container of water and make sure to change it every day. They’ll naturally do some bathing in it even though it’s also their drinking water. And make sure that container has a good lip on it so that bird feet can grip on to the sides.

In a recent Washington Post article, these five elements were mentioned as being important in setting up a quality bird habitat:

• Food and water sources
• A place to raise their babies
• Protective layers for wildlife like a densely branched shrubs, rock piles and hollow logs
• A sustainable practice of gardening like mulching, composting and getting rid of plants that will invade the habitat
• Keeping cats indoors during bird season

The last suggestion might surprise you even though cats are natural birders. Let me tell you a little story about my late tabby cat, Zeke.

Just after moving to Tidewater, Virginia, I set up hummingbird feeders and planted some petunias nearby. Zeke was the ultimate birder and liked to hunker down behind the potted petunias to see what he could see. One summer, Zeke was so fast that he bagged two hummingbirds. Was I happy about it? Absolutely not but I truly never imagined that he would be so fast that he could take down one hummingbird, let alone two. I kept him inside until the hummingbirds left in September.

You’ll want to make sure that bird baths and feeders are kept clean because birds can become sick quite easily. Having a feeder right by your kid friendly messy garden will keep the birds coming back.

In this area of the garden, weeds rule. Remember, weeds are plants you didn’t anticipate showing up in a particular place. Also, dead trees are great for those insect eating birds and animals. Woodpeckers love them. Plant sunflowers, lamb’s ear and let that crabgrass go wild.

So, go on. Have a messy area of your yard dedicated just to birds and wildlife. You’ll soon be the avian talk of the neighborhood.

More importantly, bird control can save lives. The FAA says that birds are attracted to airports with disastrous results. A tragic example is U.S. Airways flight 1549, which was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River after a flock of geese flew into its engines. Between1976 and 2007, there were 76,000 reports of accidents with birds and aircraft, and of those, 11 people died.

So whether it’s pigeons, sparrows, seagulls, starlings, crows or geese, bird pests can cause all sorts of problems. Not the least of which is the high concentration of uric acid found in bird droppings. It can discolor paint, stain wood, erode metal, even crumble concrete and expensive stonework. And don’t forget the health risk of bacteria, fungi and parasites that live and grow in bird droppings, which can carry and transmit any of 60 known diseases. The fleas, mites and ticks that attach themselves to birds can also carry disease. All told, the costs to cleanup and repair what pest birds do runs into the millions of dollars annually.

One especially effective bird control device is the bird spike. Ideal for keeping pest birds from landing on rooftops, awnings, gutters and girders. Some spikes are made of rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate. Others have flexible stainless steel spikes. They come in a variety of widths and colors, are easy to install and won’t harm birds. Be sure to install a sufficient amount of spikes to cover an entire ledge to keep birds from sneaking around them. And close off corners and all open sides of a ledge.

Bird control netting is another highly effective bird control solution. Ideal for courtyards, patio covers, and rooftops. Properly installed, pigeon netting presents an impenetrable barrier against these pest birds. If you want to keep birds away from fruit trees, crops, vineyards, you’ll need agricultural netting. For buildings and other structures, try Bird-B-Gone’s heavy-duty bird netting. It’s most often prescribed by architects. Its ISO 1806 mesh test polyethylene fabric is U.V. stabilized, flame resistant and rot and waterproof. The sub-zero stable, non-conductive webbing comes in 3/4″, 1-1/8″ and 2″ mesh sizes to control a variety of birds. Be sure to place the netting over window recesses, balconies or even whole rooftops to prevent birds from reaching nesting areas.

Another simple, but effective bird control measure is the bird slope. These slippery PVC panels are ideal for ledges, eaves, beams and other 90-degree areas where birds tend to nest and roost. The steep angles they present won’t allow birds to get a grip, causing them to simply slide off and move on. Bird slope panels come in a variety of colors to match any structure’s décor. They can be easily glued to any surface or screwed to wood. Be sure to use UV stabilized polycarbonate panels like those offered by Bird-B-Gone.

Other bird control products used by many building managers include electric-track bird repellers. These present birds with a harmless, but irritating mild electric shock that discourages them from landing. Once shocked, birds alter their habits to nest or feed on that particular building. Ideal for use on ledges, rooftops, and flat or curved surfaces like signs. Building and restaurant owners often prefer this method of bird control because its low-profile electrified track conforms to any architectural configuration. And because it’s almost invisible close-up or to those looking up from below. Choose a flow-through design to prevent water from damming up on rooftops and other surfaces. Bird-B-Gone’s Bird Jolt FlatTrack system uses copper knitted wire mesh that’s stronger than steel, resistant to corrosion and highly resistant to alkali and acidic environments. The knitted design features a single strand of higher gauge wire and a tube-within-a-tube design for greater conductivity, strength and reliability.

One novel bird control device recently developed by Bird-B-Gone is the Solar Powered bird repeller. Its arms rotate at 30 RPM and gently sweep birds away. Ideal for pigeons, seagulls and larger birds, the repeller can be used on signs, billboards, parapet walls, roofs, or any flat surface, including outdoor eating areas. The bird control company also offers a number of sonic bird repellers for a wide range of outdoor applications.

For bird control on a budget, there are an almost endless number of “bird scare” products currently on the market. They discourage birds from landing on trees, overhangs, gazebos, patios, eaves, pool areas, and other areas. They include iridescent reflective foil or flash tape and inflatable balloons imprinted with lifelike reflective predator eyes and markings. Some bird repellers have iridescent foil eyes to scare away birds by day and glow-in-the-dark backsides to keep them away at night.

Finally, for a fast and economical bird control solution, there’s bird gel. This non-toxic, sticky chemical leaves a surface that’s tacky and uncomfortable to most birds. The gel skins but never sets hard, providing an unstable surface for the birds to land on. Birds hate it, yet it’s safe for both birds and people.