This is a more difficult question than one might imagine. According to Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, "almost 300 species of birds are native to the Pacific Northwest. Many of them could call your yard home for at least part of the year, depending on what you provide for them. So it depends on what species of birds you want to attract and what environments they need."
Source: Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, by Russell Link (University of Washington Press, 1999, p. 48).
There is a lot of good advice on planning your garden with birds (and other creatures) in mind.

Washington Native Plant Society has a resource page devoted to native plants for wildlife.

The Miller Library has a booklist featuring titles on attracting wildlife to the garden: Information Resources for Gardening with Wildlife.

Valerie Easton, a local garden writer, mentioned several bird-attracting plants when she reviewed a Bellevue wildlife garden. Her article can be found at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2003/0504/living.html

Another good source for this information is Native Plants of the Northwest, by Wallace W. Hansen. Scroll down to Wallys Wildlife Habitat Recommendations.
Following is an annotated list of plants that attract birds for western Washington: the oaks, chinquapin, Oregon myrtle, western hazelnut, cascara, and all trees in the Rose family (hawthorn, bitter cherry, chokecherry and Pacific crabapple). Native shrubs include: serviceberry, salal, all Oregon grapes, Indian plum, bittercherry, roses, blackcap, thimbleberry, salmonberry, Pacific blackberry, red and blue elderberries, russet buffaloberry, mountain ash, snowberry, and all huckleberries.

Seattle Audubon's book and online resource, Audubon at Home in Seattle: Gardening for Life has a chapter on designing a garden to attract birds, and it includes a plant list.

Season All Season
Date 2008-01-24
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I consulted sources from the PNW, for example, Hennings Rhododendron and Azalea pages. Washington State University also has a link to info about fertilizing in summer.The general recommendation is to avoid fertilizing after mid-summer. The tender new growth that results is susceptible to frost, disease, and insects just at the time of year when the plant is beginning to shut down. This is also true of roses, which are even more tender and susceptible than rhododendrons and azaleas. So, I would wait until spring.

Season All Season
Date 2007-09-07
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Spruce chips should be fine for mulching roses. Avoid letting mulch touch the main stem; the goal is to pile it on the root system away from the stem. You can remove it in the spring, or at least be sure that it's not too deep. While mulch protects from cold in the winter and drought in the summer, if it's too deep, water cannot get to the root zone of the plant.

I can't recommend Preen, as I have never used it. I avoid chemicals, as I find that you have to pay more attention when you use them than if you just wander through the garden now and then and pull all the weeds you see.

Pre-emergent weed controls like Preen never provide complete weed control. The most important thing to do is weed the area first, as pre-emergents only control weeds that have NOT sprouted. And if you have lots of seeds in the soil, don't expect the Preen to kill them all. If water is required, beware of too much water (i.e., rain) that can wash away the herbicide. Read the directions carefully if you try it!

Rather than use a chemical, I would weed the area now and then apply mulch. In addition to protecting the roots and soil, the mulch will suppress weeds, possibly until spring. You will have to watch for weeds that do sprout and be sure that you don't let them go to seed. Otherwise, you will set yourself up for lots of future weeding. Chemicals don't really help in situations like that, as you have to time their application perfectly. Hand weeding and mulching--well timed--can work better than an herbicide. Mulching, of course, has additional benefits.

Season All Season
Date 2007-09-07
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