DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's such a treat today to host one of our regular commenters here on JRW, Karen Maslowski. Karen is an both avid gardener and wildlife supporter, and when in recent blog comments she mentioned that she and her husband, Steve, were giving a talk on attracting wildlife to gardens, I asked if she would share some of that knowledge with us. I'm tickled to say she was happy to oblige!
Here's Karen!
Beyond the Birdfeeder: Gardening to Attract Wildlife
Thank you, Debs, for asking me to be a guest on the blog.
I’m honored!
Many of you know my husband is a semi-retired wildlife
photographer who tended to specialize in photographing and filming birds. One
assignment has been providing bird photos for a calendar, for 50+ years!
Nowadays, Steve has settled into taking images of birdfeeders (with birds) for
several manufacturers. My garden and landscaping appear in most of his work.
As the gardener of the family, I have learned a lot of tricks for attracting birds. It’s easier to get a hummingbird to come to your feeder, for instance, if there are flowers growing nearby that attract them to your yard. Red, pink, white, and even purple flowers with tubular centers, are hummingbird magnets. With a feeder alone you might get a speedy little guy or two, but plant flowers nearby and soon you may have a crowd zooming around. The salvia in the photo is a profuse bloomer, and the hummingbirds love it; they will stay north as long as the salvia is still blooming.
Songbirds also benefit from more than feeders. Some plants I grow mostly for goldfinches: any version of sunflower or helianthus will make them very happy, if you allow the seedheads to form. Purple coneflowers and rudbeckia or black-eyed susans are also favorites for their seeds, long after the butterflies feasted on their nectar. Many birds will also eat flowers, like those on the native redbud or hawthorn. Redbuds are in the pea family, and humans enjoy the blossoms, too. They’re gorgeous in spring salads.
For the richest diversity of birds and other wildlife (including insects) provide diversity of plant life. The traditional monoculture of lawn, a few evergreen shrubs, and a shade tree, along with a few pots or rows of impatiens or pelargonium geraniums (the non-native red type), really offers slim pickings to our native creatures. Adding native plants can make an enormous difference to the variety of birds you see in your yard. Catmint is a good example of a profusely blooming native groundcover that bees adore, and it stays colorful from spring through fall along my front walk.
I also grow a variety of berry bushes, native and cultivated, with the goal of sharing with the birds. Some good native ones are the intensely violet beautyberry, elderberry, red and black currant, and serviceberry. Blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry shrubs are also as popular with the birds as they are with us. I have grown blueberries in big pots for several years. Winterberry hollies also have profuse red berries in fall and winter, but beware; they are highly poisonous to humans and animals. Birds, though, are happy to have them in the coldest months.
Birds also need habitat and cover from predators. We have a
meadow area near some of our feeders that we don’t mow until spring, so the
seedheads (in this case from goldenrod) can continue to feed birds, but also
provide good protection from hawks. The sparrows make a quick visit to the
feeder, then fly into the brush to wait another turn. You could accomplish the
same thing with a nearby evergreen, or a clump or two of native grass. Check
out some varieties of switchgrass, for instance, or Muhly grass, with its showy
pink feathers.
I coax birds to visit my garden by providing a birdbath.
Bluebirds, in particular, love to bathe, so I always have one near my vegetable
garden. The bug-eating bluebirds return the favor by having a tasty snack among
the beans, tomatoes, and potato plants. I have not seen a potato beetle since I
added bathing ten years ago. Having a nest box nearby helps, too.
Butterflies and honeybees get all the press as star
pollinators, and we do need to protect them and to provide habitat for them. However,
did you know honeybees are not native to North America? Not to worry, there are
many other species of bees that are—4,000, just in the US! Native and other
bees love the Sputnik-looking blossoms
of the native buttonbush shrub.
Bees aren’t the only rock stars in the pollinator world, though. One afternoon I watched a patch of mountain mint swarming with at least six kinds of pollinators. In addition to bees, there are many species of wasps, flies, beetles, moths, and even birds and bats. Yes, bats. They love night-blooming nectar-rich flowers, as well as feasting on bugs after dark. If you have a good-sized tree in your yard, a bat house affixed to it could lure a nesting bat to help with your insect control.
Which brings me to an important plea. Nature demands balance. We destroy beneficial species at our own peril, and it’s nearly impossible to eradicate a single species without harming a lot of other ones, including humans. If you have mosquitoes in your yard, instead of immediately hiring someone to spray your yard, first check to see where they are thriving. Is there standing water somewhere nearby? They don’t need much water to hatch a herd of themselves in just a few days. Try to eliminate that kind of hazard first, before taking the radical step of poison. Being a good host will help keep your wildlife visitors happy.
DEBS: Karen, I love all these tips, many of which we've employed in our own garden for the last thirty years! Ours is not a patch on yours, however, and we certainly don't have anything to match Steve's gorgeous photos!!
Dear Reddies, what questions do you have for Karen while we have her captive on the front of the blog?
Wow . . . your gardens/landscaping is absolutely beautiful, Karen . . . .
ReplyDeleteWe have deer wandering through our flower garden and they like to munch, which doesn't leave much for the birds. Any suggestions?
Oh, deer. They're so beautiful, but have voracious appetites, don't they?
DeleteThere are two ways to manage deer predation: keep your favorite flowers sprayed, or plant something different, something they don't like as much. I don't even try to grow certain things, like hostas, because of them. They are far less likely to eat plants with textures, like lambs-ear, rudbeckia, or coneflowers. That doesn't mean they won't eat them, just that they are less likely to do so. Impatiens is a juicy and succulent, so they wouldn't last a heartbeat, so if I want a colorful annual I'll plant begonias, instead, because they don't bother them.
The sprays usually work for a few weeks before you need to reapply, unless there is heavy rain. I use Liquid Fence and RepelsAll, and I alternate them. Because sometimes it seems as if they grow to like the taste!
And there is a third way, put up a barrier. My vegetables are behind an 8' fence (you can kind of see it in the background of the photo of the front walk). Deer can actually jump a fence as high as 7' tall, from a standing position. However, they will not do so if they can't see on the other side, or if they can't see a clear spot to land. A lot of people use fishing line strung a couple feet high in front of a border, because it freaks them out when they walk into it, but I've never tried it myself.
Hope this helps, Joan. Deer will also rub their antlers on small trees. We keep plastic covering on their trunks.
Karen what do you suggest to spray your flowers with the managed deer predation?
DeleteAnon, I use Liquid Fence. It's made with rotten eggs and garlic, among other vile-smelling things, and the oily liquid stays on the plant for a long time. I do not use it on any flowers I want to bring in to the house, though, and never on anything I myself might want to eat. I've accidentally tasted a tiny bit and was nauseous the entire day!
DeleteI replied to your question, Anon, and it vanished.
DeleteI use Liquid Fence, which is made from rotten eggs and garlic, and it tastes vile. Since it's oily, it stays on the plant for a long time, unless there's a heavy rain. Do not use it on flowers you will either bring in to the house, or that you would eat. Trust me on this.
Thanks so much for your suggestions, Karen . . . I'll definitely try them.
DeleteYou're so welcome, Joan! Let me know how it goes.
DeleteThank you Karen for this information. Wow!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoyed it, Dru.
DeleteWe moved and so having this information and in the winter, is great! (Because sometimes caring for wildlife is a 'mystery'!) Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you have specific questions. We moved here almost six years ago now, and our front yard was nothing but muddy clay!
DeleteThis was fabulous, we don't have a garden anymore, since we live in an apartment now. When we did, we got lots of birds: doves, sparrows, finches, robins, hummingbirds, tits (In the winter,) once a woodpecker. And once a falcon (which, beautiful or not, I didn't appreciate, as for about two days, all the others disappeared, waiting for it to leave.) But I used to love to garden, and I still am so intrigued by information like this. Your garden pictures are beautiful. So inviting and serene.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabeth! Our daughter in Athens, Greece lives in an apartment, and has a "garden" on her balcony. Not very many birds stop by, though, and she misses that. Their small garden in Nairobi had a vibrant bird population.
DeleteThere are hummingbirds in Europe? As for the falcon, there are no "bad" birds in my opinion!
Actually, the garden we had was in Sacramento, CA, before we moved to Portugal. No hummingbirds here that I know of. A couple of hours North, in Alicia, there are storks and cuckoos galore, though, which I found very exciting, having only read about them.
DeleteThat was Galicia, not Alicia.
DeleteI didn't think there were, thanks. In Africa we saw lots of different kinds of sunbirds, which are similar to hummingbirds.
DeleteThe first time I ever heard a European cuckoo (our American one doesn't say "cuckoo") it was in a Tuscan garden with Rhys!
I have seen birds in Spain that look like the humming birds we have in California.
DeleteThey could be escaped caged birds, Anon. But are more likely to be sunbirds. Hummingbirds are exclusively found naturally in this hemisphere. And conversely, we have no sunbirds here.
DeleteKaren, I love your suggestions and the photos are divine. It is fun to see you at the top of the page! Irwin has been our gardener over the years but it is hard for him to keep up these days, with the many garden beds he created when he was young
ReplyDeleteThe main thing that has changed here otherwise is the return of bears to our area. We live in the suburbs next to Hartford. We are urged not to put out bird feeders any more. Reading your essay, there are some things we can do better and I am going to try them this spring. Thank you.
What sweet compliments, Judy, thank you.
DeleteBears are a challenge! My daughter in Traverse City won't even hang a hummingbird feeder on her deck, 20' off the ground, she worries so much about them. So the native plants are a good option, for sure.
Karen - how lovely to see you this morning on the front of the blog! Gorgeous pics and great advice, thank you. Your gardens are beautiful! My question is about climate zones: I am in zone 3 (Manitoba, prairie) and wonder what your experience is in pushing the limits of the zone you garden in. Buying plants on spec (and with fingers crossed it will survive despite what the tag says) can be expensive, though I know that gardening is really just an ongoing grand experiment in dueling with nature. Any advice for a northern-ish gardener who lusts after the lusciousness of more-southern gardens?
ReplyDeleteOh, Amanda, you cockeyed optimist! First, thank you for the lovely comments. Having seen photos of your beautiful garden, I appreciate your opinion.
DeleteWhat I have learned by trial and error is that you can't muck around with weather. It's a zero sum game, and I've lost so many plants because we just can't grow them here. Southwest Ohio, when I was a girl, was Zone 5; now it's 6, and some say it could even be 6b, thanks to both a warming climate and a shift in the axis of the zones. That's above my pay grade in understanding, but I do know our summers are longer and warmer than they used to be. I had azaleas blooming in mid-November this fall.
That said, my advice would be to mostly grow plants that are rated for your zone. You'll have more success, and you won't waste your money. More to the subject of this blog post, the plants that do well in your zone are also the ones that appeal most to your native wildlife, and they bloom and set seed in timelines that the local fauna need for their own lifecycle.
My Facebook friend Keenan Powell lives in Anchorage, and she has a splendid, lush garden, mostly of native perennials, and mostly with blue flowers. Her growing season is so short, but the plants seem to zoom up and flourish, seeming to know that they don't have much time. Forget-me-nots have seeded themselves throughout her beds, and they are glorious. Catmint looks like it grows in your zone, too--that is the low-growing purple flower spilling over my walkway in the photo above.
Gardeners need to be optimists, Karen! You're right, of course, about the importance of focusing on native plants, and also about catmint growing here. I have several plants of it growing along and over a boardwalk and I love it (so does my cat!). Zones are zones, but what I am discovering is micro climates within my limited zone -- the extra warmth that comes from the house walls and those areas of the front bed that get the longest hours of sun. Adapting my gardening ambitions to the realities of my location is a constant learning -- and it keeps me returning to my beds every new growing season.
DeleteI always say gamble. Try something even though it is not your zone - we are a 5a. I saw a saucer magnolia when we built this house, that was not supposed to grow in this zone, so tucked it into the corner of the house until we finished construction. It grew and flourished and became so big it needed to be moved, but there were no corner sheltered places left - so we planted it on the north side of the house (prevalent wind is from the south). It flourished, until Fiona blew it down, but it is coming back from the rootstock. We also planted a Catalpa, and it too did well. There are others that I cannot say the same thing about, but try for the challenge if nothing else!
DeleteMargo, magnolias are a favorite of mine. So glad you were able to enjoy yours for so long. And you're right, both of you, about micro climates. If you're lucky enough to have a protected spot you can stretch the limits, for sure.
DeleteI never knew we could grow figs here, but a classmate whose parents came to Ohio from Italy planted a row of fig trees in the 1950's that are still bearing fruit!
Yay, Karen, for being on the front side of the blog! Your post is so helpful. I plan to copy it out and save it. I always leave the sunflowers for the birds, and my property is 100 percent organic, with now fourteen years of compost added to the vegetable garden. I think I need to add a bird bath next to my bluebird nesting box, but then I'd need to go out and add water unless it rains, yes?
ReplyDeleteI've been longing for some years to turn our rather ratty front yard into a native pollinator garden. Will you come and advise me if I hire muscle to do the work? Have you thought about hiring out as a pollinator landscape designer?
And now for Steve's photos - a camera in the bluebird box! Stunning picture, as all of them are. I love having the Maslowski family calendar in a place downstairs where I see it constantly. Thank you.
I meant to add something about berries for birds. We have three flourishing mid-bush blueberry bushes for eating, but my neighbor rarely picks from his two large blueberries, so the birds get those. I have a decorative blueberry in the front, along with a still-small Allegheny serviceberry tree. The antique dogwood in the side has lovely berries in the fall that the cedar waxwings love.
DeleteCedar waxwings are one of my favorite, birds, Edith! I named our farm after them, because we have cedar trees and hickories, and the waxwings descend in such numbers when the fruit is ready. They like hawthorns and crabapples, too.
DeleteYes, you do need to keep the birdbath full. And clean. For one thing, you don't want mosquitoes taking up residence. A solar fountain can help, and the hummingbirds love the spraying water. One tip about a birdbath: deep ones are useless, because the birds need a spot to perch on while they drink. I usually just put a rock in the water, but you can get elaborate and make it fancy.
It would be fun to come and design your native garden! You already have my guest room ready. LOL The thing with natives, they are a lot messier than traditional gardening, and some people don't care for the look. If you're committing to the project on behalf of the wildlife, it's best to wait until spring to clean up the dead stalks, since so many beneficial insects overwinter in them. The good news is that more and more people understand this need for a less than tidy look.
Hi, Karen! Your gardens are gorgeous as are Steve's photos.
ReplyDeleteI've always dreamed of having gardens like this, but sadly, as long as I have book deadlines demanding my time, maintaining them isn't going to happen.
Thanks, Annette!
DeleteDon't tell anyone, but bulbs and perennials, especially native plants, take way less maintenance than gardens that require replenishing annuals all the time. I spend an average of a half hour a day--my Zen time--policing the garden, unless I have a big project. It's good exercise, too.
KAREN: Lovely to see you on the front of the blog!
ReplyDeleteOne ByWard Market neighbour is known for her native wildflower garden. She runs a local group that gives out thousands of free seeds each year.
Thanks, Grace. You're my favorite urban gardener! I'm astonished at what you are able to grow every summer on your half-shaded balcony in Ottawa! And you feed local wildlife! Satan the squirrel, ha!
DeleteNo bird visitors but the bees, wasps & moths like the borage flowers in my herb planters!
DeleteThat is also wildlife!
DeleteKaren, I love this so much, and the photos of birds and your gardens are magnificent! I'm going to forward this to lots of people, including my hub:). Also love Edith's idea of hiring out to advise pollinator gardens! How much time does it take for you to keep up with all these beautiful places?
ReplyDeleteThanks Lucy! As I wrote to Annette above, once the garden is established, it just requires policing. I love to go stroll around the beds, snipping herbs for dinner, yanking up a weed, planning to divide spreading plants. I spend about an average of half an hour a day doing all that. Lots more time in the vegetable garden, though, which is not really meant to feed the wildlife. Sometimes they have other ideas!
DeleteI started from scratch, with a completely clean slate. There was absolutely nothing in our yard but the big beech tree we left, and scraped clay mud. Most of my maintenance issues come from having planted things too closely in the first place. It's hard to visualize just how big that little stick of a buttonbush will get in a couple years. So I have had to move a lot of things around. The virtue of close planting is fewer weeds, so there's a tradeoff.
Karen, how many awards does Steve have for those beautiful bird photos? And your gardens are a work of art! We have a problem in the neighborhood where I live: cats! No matter how many we have fixed and find a home for, more appear to replace them. So, I've pretty much given up on birdfeeders/birdbaths. And I miss being able to watch the birds up close!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Flora. He has lots, and for his films, too.
DeleteRoaming cats are the single biggest killer of birds, by far. Windmills, for instance, get a lot of bad press for this, but an annual total of between 140,000-700,000 birds get whacked by windmills. By contrast, some 2.4 BILLION birds are killed by cats. They are a huge problem, especially in areas with lots of feral cats. Everyone loves their pets, but please, please, keep your cats in the house.
He has lots! His career has now spanned 53 years. And thank you.
DeleteOutside cats are a HUGE problem for birds, more than any other threat, by far. This is especially true in areas with large feral populations.
Wind turbines, by contrast, cost the lives of an average of 300,000 birds a year. Cats are responsible for the deaths of 2.4 BILLION a year. Please keep your kitties indoors, pet lovers.
I do agree about the cats, Karen, but we have one who was a roaming neighborhood cat until she decided to live with us, and she can't be kept totally in the house. However, while she hunts rodents, she shows no interest in birds and we have never seen her kill one. The two indoor cats, on the other hand, love to watch the birds through the windows.
DeleteWow! I'm with Edith. I'm going to copy this for when I get back into a house of my own one day. Doubtful the plantings will be on the scale of yours, Karen, but there are tons of possibilities in there. Thanks so much for sharing with us! -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome, Victoria. And I fervently hope you someday soon have the opportunity to have a garden space of your own.
DeleteLove having you here, Karen! I have just started putting out a feeder now that I no longer have a dog and my indoor/outdoor cat is gone too, so it is safe for the birds. I'm surrounded by woods, so cover is not a problem but it has been hard to get certain plants to grow well and survive over the winter. My real problem now is the squirrels. Until late fall, it was the chipmunks who dug so many holes in my little garden and also in my potted citrus plants on the deck. I've pretty much given up on driving them away but I'd love some tips if you have any.
ReplyDeleteOh, that was such a beautiful shot of the rose breasted grosbeak, what I call the RGB. I had several pairs of them come to my feeder this past fall and I was surprised about how aggressive they were. They acted more like blue jays than the blue jays! Lately I have been surprised to see gold finches at my feeder; I'd never seen them in the winter before.
Aren't they gorgeous? And we usually don't see them easily here. They are migratory, for one thing, but also hang out pretty high in the trees most of the time.
DeleteI'm surprised about the goldfinches. Where do you live again? You may have seen them but not recognized them, since their winter color is so dull? We get lots of house finches, which are an invasive species, and they crowd out the purple finches and goldfinches, competing for the same habitat and food.
For the chipmunks, you might try a product called RepelsAll. It's granular, so it lasts awhile, and gets sprinkled around plants you don't want disturbed. You could also put down 1/4" hardware cloth before you plant bedding seeds. The chipmunks can't dig through it. Cover the dirt in the citrus plants (do you overwinter these? I'd love to talk to you about this.) with landscape fabric cut to fit. You could also experiment with garlic. I grow garlic, so I have a lot of it, and when it starts to go bad I smash the cloves roughly, and strew them beneath plants that are getting bothered. Almost no animals like the smell, and they'll stay away.
Trying again to respond, since the first one vanished.
DeleteThank you, aren't they the most gorgeous birds? We don't often get to see them here, since they're migratory, and they tend to hang out in the uppermost branches of trees. It's such a treat when they visit the feeder.
I wrote half a dissertation on preventing chipmunks and it vanished, durn it. I'd try RepelsAll, which is granular and gets sprinkled under and around your plants. A more radical approach would be to use a 1/2" hardware cloth (metal grid) cut to fit. That would be especially effective under your potted citrus trees.
I've also successfully used garlic, which I grow, so have lots of it. When it starts to go bad I roughly smash it, and strew the bits on the ground around whatever I want to protect. Most animals do NOT like the smell of garlic, and will avoid wherever it is placed.
About the goldfinches, we usually get them a lot, but they look so different in winter, with their duller colors. The invasive house finches have taken over a lot of their and the purple finches' territory and habitat, too, especially on the East Coast.
Thank you, Karen, doubly - I got both replies! I live in more or less the middle part of NY state. I have other finches, but gold finches really surprise me. There are a bit more drab than in the summer, but I still recognize them. As for the citrus plants, they are only outside during the summer, then back inside. They would never survive in these temperatures if left out all winter.
DeleteI appreciate your advice on repelling the critters. I hadn't thought of garlic but that would be simple enough to try. I had used several bamboo skewers in the potted plants, with mixed results, but the hardware cloth is definitely worth a try.
Judi, I just got my first lemon tree last winter, and it has blossoms on it right now, in a sunny window in the family room. No Meyer lemons yet, though. If you have any tips, I'd welcome them.
DeleteChipmunks are so cute, but they are such rascals.
My only advice is plenty of sun. Now that you have blossoms, take a q-tip, water color paint brush , or even the tip of your finger, and touch the yellow inside the blossom, then another one. Soon you'll see little lemons begin to develop. You might want to go crazy and pollinate all the blossoms, but know that the more lemons that that develop on a tree, the smaller they will be. I prefer fewer but larger. Even the small ones will be delicious though! Good luck!
DeleteExactly the advice I needed, Judi. Thank you!
DeleteWow, Karen-in-Ohio, your garden is so beautiful and your tips make so much sense. Your husband's photos are amazing. I wish I were more of a gardener, but birds seem to like my slightly overgrown yard, particularly the massive honeysuckle bush and the arbor vitae. Hummingbirds routinely go back and forth between the feeder and the honeysuckle.
ReplyDeleteIt must be a native honeysuckle, Gillian? Sounds like you are already providing your local wildlife with an enticing home!
DeleteThanks, Gillian. Is your honeysuckle a native variety? I'm sure the birds appreciate the habitat!
DeleteThank you for sharing all of this helpful information. I am a bird and garden fanatic and always excited to hear new ideas, as well as reminders. We also have a bear who lives nearby (I’m in the mountains of Maine) but it only comes out at right so I just bring my feeders in each night and am still able to enjoy (and feed) the birds during the day. The bears might be more active during the day in more urban areas (?). The neighbor’s cat is still a problem for the birds (and doesn’t help my lifelong dislike of cats!). I hope to adopt a later dog next year so I hope that deters the cats. My favorite message in this post is about using pesticide. And this also includes managing rodents. It’s a very tricky balance, but I have chosen to value birds and other wildlife over using poison for select creatures. We have spent the past several months “mice-proofing” (without using poison) our house and (knock-on-wood) we have had none so far this winter. One of my problems in life is when I start thinking too much about the negative impact humans have had on nature. I am still learning about much of this but thankful that others are also caring for our birds and pollinators too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stacia, and I so agree. As I wrote above, cats are a horrific menace to songbirds, killing as many as 2.4 billion a year.
DeleteYour philosophy dovetails with mine. Instead of poison, I prefer repellant. Good luck keeping the mice away!
Great information, Karen. Catmint is wonderful - until the neighborhood cats eat it all! LOL I default to petunias for my flower pots because they are easy to maintain, don't attract deer, but do attract bees and birds. We haven't done a lot of planting at the Cottage yet. There is a huge clump of some type of ornamental grass in the yard. I noticed that draws a lot of birds. Lots of trees on the hillside and mountain laurel everywhere. This is the summer to clean out and replant the vegetable garden. Maybe I'll convince the Hubby to let me plant some sunflowers.
ReplyDeleteLiz, catmint is not the same as catnip. Two completely different plants, and the cats do not eat the nepeta, or catmint. Same family, oddly.
DeletePetunias are one of my favorite annuals, especially the purple ones. I swear they have the best fragrance! And yep, totally deer-proof.
Good luck with building your new garden. A suggestion about sunflowers. The big ones are nice, but they are annuals. If you plant native perennial sunflowers, Helianthus, you won't have to replant them every year, and they spread. Here's a good article on them: https://www.thespruce.com/perennial-sunflowers-4125539
I planted Jerusalem artichokes a few years ago, and the deer kept eating them, so last year I foolishly planted them in my raised beds inside the garden. They grew to 14' high!! If you can protect them, though, and allow them to get established, they are a fabulous addition to a native garden.
Odd about the catmint. I definitely saw my neighbor's cat chowing down on it! Unless what I bought was mislabeled.
DeleteThanks for the tip about the sunflowers!
It's possible it was mislabeled. It happens. And you're welcome.
DeleteBeautiful photos! And your information about plants, pollinators and insects is so interesting. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anon!
DeleteAs you probably know, we encourage monarch butterflies. For this we have a very large milkweed patch – also known as my vegetable garden. Common milkweed spreads by underground runners, so we usually just let it grow where it wants unless it is the middle of the peas then we pull that one out. I love the small of it in the garden. It is so interesting to see how many other interested ‘feeders’ come for the various times in the life of the milkweed. As a result, we watch the interactions between the species as much as just identifying them.
ReplyDeleteThe hummingbird feeder is just across the driveway, and given the choice the hummingbirds will choose the milkweed blossoms over the feeder. However, the monarchs take great aggrievance to this. They accept the hummingbird moths, the various other butterflies, the various bees, and flies, and even the dragon flies, but a hummingbird in there – it is as though they have a bullseye on their back, and the fight of the red baron begins - and will continue until one gives up. The skirmish will restart tomorrow – same time, same place. (butterfly usually wins, and their flight attacks are impressive).
As for growing things – I think gardening is always a challenge and always a mystery, and so have learned to go with the flow. We have fruit trees – haskaps, sour cherries, and blueberries. Fortunately, they are ‘not a for profit’ enterprise, and so we ‘share’ the wealth with the (insert aggressive words here) cedar waxwings. Beautiful, nasty, fearless, and fast. After trying nets, plastic owls, siccing the dog or the eagles – we gave up, and now just share. Then there is goutweed. My mother thought it looked nice… It is everywhere, and all summer (fall, spring, and winter), it is a continual try to eradicate it. I started a new pollinator garden 2 years ago in a clean spot on the property, and the only thing that is planted there must come from a nursery – no transplants from us or friends. It is 2 years clean so far (I feel like it should get a chip).
My sister cannot understand how we can spend so much of the day on Geriatric Row just watching nature’s interactions. That is peace – weeds can wait.
Margo, I need to visit you just to watch the daily Monarch vs. hummingbird matchups! That must be hilarious. And yes, milkweed is so intoxicatingly fragrant!! Love the stuff. But I have had no luck getting a patch established, except for a couple Asclepeias, or butterflyweed.
DeleteWe have a couple sour cherries, too, but I've had terrible luck with them, between cicadas, Japanese beetles, and drought. Last year I planted a cherry tree guild around each one, and I'm anxious to see if that helps. The guild includes comfrey, alliums, chamomile, and chives. Each one is meant to be helpful to the tree in some way, either to attract beneficial insects or repel harmful ones, or in the case of comfrey, to add essential nutrients.
And I planted two haskaps last year. Looking forward to trying them!
I've never heard of a guild like that, Karen, at least not for a tree. It differs per tree, I suppose?
DeleteMargo - goutweed is the WORST! I inherited borders of it when we bought the house and it's been so hard to get rid of.
DeleteAnd I've never heard of a haskap! They must not grow as far south as me.
DeleteI've seen several different opinions on fruit tree guilds, Edith. I follow a local woman named Amy Stoss who is a permaculture afficionado, and she has lots of advice, both on her blog, and in her book. She started out urban gardening on a 1/10 acre, and had edible landscaping in her front yard and hellstrip, which is where she planted sour cherry trees. She has since moved to a property where she has much more room to garden. Amy has specific information about fruit tree guilds here: https://www.tenthacrefarm.com/how-to-build-a-fruit-tree-guild/
DeleteDebs, they are similar to blueberries, I'm told, but bear fruit earlier. The berries are bigger, and more elongated.
DeleteHaskap is also known as the honeyberry. It is supposed to save you from all sorts of things including a nuclear holocaust if you read the promo. Easy to grow, Waxwings (and chickens) love them. I find them boring in flavour, and need all the spices of chutney to make them worthwhile, so tend to consider them our gift to the birds. By the way, the waxwings have no problem in bombing you, should you be in 'their' patch!
DeleteWell, that's disappointing to hear, Margo. But I don't mind sharing with birds, and having them fruit early would be nice for them.
DeleteWhat a delight it is to see you on the front of the blog! Your gardens are lovely, and Steve's photos are truly amazing. I am not a gardener, but I can sure appreciate a good one, such as yours!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Susan! I love sharing it with appreciative friends.
DeleteThank you, Susan! Gardeners love appreciative observers!
DeleteKaren, do you do companion planting? I am changing out a strawberry bed to a new one this year, which means I will be short one bed while the new plants grow up, and before destroying the old plants until after they berry. I also want to try broadbeans – never grew them before, and they seem to be a popular vegetable. They are tall and wide, so shadow for the strawberry plants may be an issue. The question is, do you think I can plant the beans in a row or two amongst the tender strawberry plants, and then pull the bean plants after harvest. I think it would work???
ReplyDeleteYes, especially with strawberries, as a matter of fact. I have a raised bed with asparagus down the center and strawberries around the outside. Last year was the third year, and we got loads of each.
DeleteBeans are a traditional companion for strawberries. Go for it!
Well, shoot. The dreaded comment-not-showing-up syndrome has happened to me! I've responded to everyone this morning, but a bunch have gone poof. My apologies!
ReplyDeleteKaren, Blogger decided you were spam, but I've released all your comments and will check every few minutes. If a comment disappears, I will fix it!
DeleteThanks, Debs. Of course now I have duplicated all my posts. Ish. LOL
DeleteBlogger, grrr. That feature does protect us from being spammed by bots but it still can be very annoying. And there is no way I can tell it to allow your comments without checking each one off.
DeleteNo worries!
DeleteKaren, does Turk's Cap grow in your zone? It is our biggest humming bird attracter and spreads, so half of one of our front beds is a Turk's Cap field in the summer. I like to put a chair in my driveway and just sit and watch them zooming about. Ours are Ruby Throats, here, by the way. What about lantana? Can you grow that where you are? Also the hummers love flame acanthus. I didn't have the energy this last summer to deal with the feeders, so just watched them in the flowers.
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about Turk's Cap lilies? I've seen some, but have not grown them myself.
DeleteI had lantana in pots last summer, but it's an annual here. The hummingbirds loved it! The only acanthus I know of here is Bear's Breeches, which is very exotic, and looks exactly like the acanthus that we saw all over Athens when we were in Greece last spring. I don't have any place to grow it here. But I've never heard of flame acanthus!
Interesting fact about hummingbirds: East of the Rockies the only species is the Ruby-Throated. Which does not appear west of the Rockies, despite several other species that are found there. You must be close to the dividing line.
Here's the link for Turk's cap from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD
DeleteThe DFW area is on the dividing line for hummingbirds. When we lived on the west side, closer to Fort Worth, we had Black Chinned as well as Ruby Throated, but we've never seen the Black Chinned where we are now.
DeleteAnd here's the link for the flame acanthus. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?search_field=flame+acanthus&family=Acanthaceae&newsearch=true&demo=
DeleteOh, it's a mallow! Wow, so beautiful!
DeleteProbably the closest we could get here to that particular plant would be the native Trumpet Vine, campsis radicans. It also attracts hummingbirds, and is a larval host of the hummingbird-like Sphinx moth.
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cara2
The flame acanthus looks more like the salvia pictured with the hummingbird above. I see why they love it. Bet the bees do, too.
DeleteThis is the Bear Breeches acanthus. It is about 30-36" tall, and very spiky.
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acanthus-spinosus/
Oh, that's very different, but interesting.
DeleteWe've been in our house for thirty years and have never used chemicals. We did have a native plant garden designer when we first started. We were bare dirt except for the old trees, some hideous old hedges, and a mystery rose, which is still with us. But of course over the years some things have proliferated and some have not, so things have stuck in on trial and to fill gaps, so things aren't nearly as neat and tidy as they were in the beginning. The only annuals I plant are plumbago on either side of the front steps and some annual salvias in the back beds, because the hummers and the pollinators love them. And the ferns and tropicals in pots, all of which froze on Sunday night so I am now looking out at snow-covered sad dead plants.
ReplyDeleteGardening can be so heartbreaking! Sorry about your poor frozen plants. It's weird to think about, but perennials also don't live forever. We long-term gardeners have to come to grips with the need to replace plants, don't we?
DeleteThirty years ago you were lucky to find a native garden designer! They are still not that common here, although it's really changing. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden has a very active horticultural education program; the director is a very good friend of ours. They have had a Native Plant Symposium every year for a long time now, and it usually sells out, to lots of professional landscapers.
Yes, I think we were forerunners here. But there is a lot of interest now, with native plant sales every spring and symposiums, etc. We have done our bit to promote with our big corner lot, as everyone who drives in and out of the historic district in our town has to pass our house. Lots of people stop to take pictures and ask about the plants in the spring and summer.
DeleteWe have several sources for native plants here, including the Zoo (they have a huge farm where they grow natives--for the Zoo and for sale, bedding plants they put out as trials for various companies that donate them, plus food for the animals), the Cincinnati Nature Center, the Civic Garden Center, at least two arboretums, and several local nurseries.
DeleteWe are even starting to see natives in the big box stores! And our hardware store down the street has a really good selection of natives in the spring!
DeleteAnd I like that trend!
DeleteOne caveat about the nurseries at the big box stores: They sometimes use growers who employ neonicotinoid pesticides. These are biochemically similar to nicotine, which is a powerful insecticide, and they are deadly to bees. There is evidence that they stay systemically in plants for a long time, which would make them less than desirable to wildlife.
There's been a big pushback to stop using them, and some growers have switched to other chemicals, but I would check before buying any plants from some outlets.
I didn't know this, Karen! Thanks for the tip. Home Depot is the only place I've been able to find just plain blue salvia, not fancy varieties. Although the pollinators are crazy about our Black and Blue salvia, it's the plain one that seems to attract the most bees.
DeleteThe only other kind of post that could make me feel as guilty as this one would be a post about sewing. I don't garden. I've always felt bad about it, but not bad enough to start gardening. I do love to look at other people's beautiful gardens, and, Karen, you are on the amazing level for sure. And, I love the birds that come to our yard. We're putting out feed in this cold and snowy weather, which gives me a chance to see my favorite, cardinals. This spring, I do need some landscaping done, but I'd like to have an idea of what I might want. Across the whole from of the house (we have a long house) needs to be done, and the space under the kitchen windows. So, I may be picking your brain in a few months. Of course, your fee may be beyond my concern. I do have a question about the bird bath. I have been wanting one of those. What kind do you recommend and what about placement in the yard. I'm afraid my lawn guys might not be happy with it in the middle of the backyard, but that's where I picture it. Also, how often do you have to clean out the bird bath and what is the best method for that?
ReplyDeleteKathy, never feel guilty! Nobody is equally good at everything, and you have talents many of us will never have. And if the cardinals are the birds that make you happy, well, that's one more person keeping them fed, which is all to the good. Better than not feeding them, right?
DeleteYou could put out a birdbath now, actually, if you buy one that has a heating element in it. Birds have a really hard time getting water this time of year, and they would appreciate it a lot. Steve was assigned one last year that he photographed, and it looked like a good one. I can ask him who makes it, if you'd like.
We move our birdbaths all over the yard, since Steve uses our property as an enormous photo studio. And right now we have three different kinds, all just as popular with our avian friends. There's a shallow, scooped dish that sits in a wire-type frame, a flat dish that sits on a different kind of frame (and that I usually set a rock in for a perch), and one that sits on a flared, molded base. That one has a kind of island in the center for the birds to perch on while drinking.
We clean them whenever we think about it, or when we're refilling one and it looks gross. Most of the time the birds don't seem to mind, but it kind of freaks me out in the summer if they look moldy, and I feel bad for them. If it isn't too bad I use the jet setting on my garden hose. More stubborn crud requires a scrub brush and a squirt with the hose. We rarely use chemicals or soap. If necessary, I will use white vinegar and water, but vinegar can kill plants, so don't use it close to anything you want to keep.
Maybe we can go to the Quilt Show in Paducah and brainstorm about your garden while we're there!
I clean our birdbath (an old, ugly concrete one that weighs a ton) every couple of days in the summer, but I also keep a mosquito dunk in it, just in case I miss a few days. We also have a fountain on our patio that the birds, the bees, the wasps, and the squirrels love. It's a pain to keep it clean and running, but worth it. And we have a koi pond, beloved of dragonflies in the summer, and these tiny little bees that seem to live on the creeping Jenny planted in the shallow end.
DeleteDebs, your garden sounds like heaven. I bet the sound of the fountain is cooling on hot days. I would dearly love to have a pond, but we just don't have a good spot for one. Plus, we have so many raccoons, who would assume the fish was put there for their own use.
DeleteI think we've had a couple of raccoon incursion attempts over the years, but haven't lost any fish. I think the way the pond is built makes it difficult for them. We have had both herons and hawks pay visits, which was pretty scary concerning the fish, but great fun for us. Just goes to show how beneficial it is for wildlife even in an urban setting.
DeleteFriends from book club have an amazing garden, ten times as good as mine, with a truly wonderful pond. They had a lot of trouble with a persistent Great Blue Heron until Joe strung a crisscross of thin cables above it. I noticed the cables were gone when we had book club there in late summer, so it must have worked.
DeleteKaren, count me as another person happy to see you on the front of the blog!
ReplyDeleteWe moved back into our original house after remodeling it last year. After spending all of our money remodeling the interior of the house, we’re going to have to wait a little bit before we can move onto the yard. We met a native plant garden designer at a home fair a couple of years ago and are planning to have her help us with our backyard hill. We were thinking of just planting milkweed for the Monarchs, but she suggested varying things so as to make it welcoming to more types of native species. I’m going to keep your column for reference. Thanks so much for all of your advice today and your comments every day! — Pat S
You're so sweet, Pat. My pleasure!
DeleteYes, diversity will help a great deal. The more species the better.
We like to sit on our front porch on nice nights before dinner and watch the birds, bunnies, butterflies, etc. together. This summer, in particular, we were astonished at the variety of wildlife we were able to observe from one spot. We have more than 200 species of native and other plants that entice wildlife, and it frankly fills me with wonder.
Karen, it’s so good to see you up front today!
ReplyDeleteI’ve learned so much today! I think you and one of my sisters would be gardening “besties”. I’ve seen versions of her gardens in your post. Thank you for sharing your expertise today.
DebRo
My pleasure, Deb! Wouldn't that be fun?
DeleteI am filled with envy, Karen. Your yard is beautiful! We moved into our house almost three years ago and I have not addressed the flower beds yet. First I have to pull out all the freaking English ivy that has taken over in areas. Why did someone plant that? Anyway I will have to find a landscape person who is knowledgeable about native plants to design for me. I am hopeless in that area. Here's hoping!
ReplyDeletePat, I made the mistake of encouraging English ivy in a bed at our old house, and had to rip it up years later. It's a lot easier to get rid of than some plants, but still an awful pain. Good luck with it.
DeleteIf you have trouble finding someone to help, contact your local County Extension Agency, and see if they know anyone who is working in that area. They can't make specific recommendations because they are a government office, but they might know of people in the field, simply because that's where everyone goes to get information. They also administer the Master Gardener program, and many counties have classes on various aspects of gardening for the general public (many of which are free). I've met interesting and knowledgeable gardeners at those classes, and you might also.
I love Nicotiana albus - Only the Lonely - tall white flowers and scented like a funeral parlour - I love it and grow lots of it. With the talk of the nicotine affecting bees, I may have to rethink. Have to go to Book Club - another rabbit hole for when I get back, unless someone knows the answer to "to grow or not to grow"
ReplyDeleteMargo, I say "grow". First off, only insects that actually might eat the plant, like caterpillars, would die from the nicotine, so the bees would be safe. Bees have collected pollen from nicotiana for millenniums, I suspect. But insects are smarter than we give them credit for; unlike us, they won't try to eat things that will harm them normally. Of course, adding insecticides on top of desirable plants fools them into their own deaths.
DeleteThis was a wonderful interview. Good information about providing habitat for wildlife species. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteChristy Smith
Great day! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWonderful information! I hope you don't mind that I printed it for spring use. Where are you located geographically? I'm in northern Maine and not much stays through the winter, but amazingly, three days ago, I had a feeder full of goldfinches. It was a lovely sight since the ground was covered in evening grosbeaks. Very yellow
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kait. And I'm flattered you wanted to print it out!
DeleteI live in Cincinnati, about two miles from the Ohio River. This time of year we can see a tiny sliver of the Kentucky hills on the other side of the river if we look out our second story windows.
Evening grosbeaks only visit us once in awhile, and in small numbers. I'm envious!
So much fun to read on another cold blustery January day in Massachusetts. I can hardly wait to get back outside and improve my flowers beds. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions! One of my favourite evening activities in the summer,Carter dinner o. Our deck, is to watch for the bats. We don’t see as many as we did 10 years ago. Loss of habitat and probably pesticides in the neighborhood. This year, bat houses. And more plantings for hummingbirds by my hummingbird feeders!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! We don't see as many bats as we used to here. There is a fungus that has really hit the bat colonies hard.
DeleteMany thanks, Debs and Reds!
ReplyDeleteKaren, Happy to see you here !
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos! Some look familiar to me. May I ask which calendars the photos were for?
Karen! I am so late! I love this more than anything I can tell you… You are so fabulous, and your husband too! We adore our backyard birds—the pairs of doves, the gorgeous and noticeable cardinals, the juncos , and the hordes of squawking Blue Jays. And the nuthatches! Upside down and so hilarious. And the occasional Carolina wren, with her lovely song. Love every word of this! And thank you for the gardening information… I never thought about this, and will take it all to heart!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I was not home yesterday so I reply this morning
ReplyDeleteI’m not a gardener but I love visiting beautiful gardens.
Your post is fabulous : text and photos . Thank you.
Danielle