Indholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2016 i Birds & Blooms

I recently moved from an apartment in the suburbs ® to a house in the city. It’s a pretty big change, with a lot of benefits—a yard with room for several bird feeders, a patio for containers, space to grow veggies—and I can even walk to work! A few days after I moved, I read a note from Birds & Blooms subscriber Diane Lochala. She told us her mother, Mary Alice Whittington, who lives in Crossett, Arkansas, recently had to downsize, leaving the 40-acre farm where she enjoyed watching birds and working in her garden. But Mary Alice embraced her new digs, thanks to a deck where she can hang feeders and grow container plants. Thinking about my new space, and Mary Alice’s, made me realize that our love for…

TOP 10 1 LEADING LADY PLUM BEE BALM 2 HELLO! MISS SCARLET GERBERA DAISY 3 DECADENCE SPARKLING SAPPHIRES FALSE INDIGO 4 MAGIC SHOW WHITE WANDS SPIKE SPEEDWELL 5 UNDAUNTED LEMON MAX PERENNIAL SUNFLOWER 6 FRUIT PUNCH CRANBERRY COCKTAIL DIANTHUS 7 LUMINOUS PINELEAF BEARDTONGUE 8 BROCADE FIRE GERANIUM 9 SUMMER JEWEL LAVENDER SALVIA 10 PICASSO CALLA LILY It’s officially spring, which means it’s time to hit refresh on your garden—but don’t worry, we have your plant picks covered. Every year, we handpick 10 all-new plants in the gardening world, and this time around, our focus is on gorgeous debut blooms from All-America Selections, High Country Gardens and Proven Winners. We found beautiful yet easy-tomaintain plants that will make the biggest splash in your landscape. They have additional benefits, too, like attracting…

I spotted this gorgeous American goldfinch sitting in our silver maple tree. The combination of the golden-yellow bird and red buds of the tree made me reach for my camera. It was a beautiful spring day to take a beautiful picture. Patricia Volkmann MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MISSOURI An American robin built her nest in a tree right by our front porch and, of course, we kept a close eye on it. One day, I checked on them and discovered that the wind had blown the nest out and the babies were lying on the ground. We put the nest back in the tree and very carefully placed the babies in as well. Within minutes, the mother robin was back and all was well again. We had so much fun watching these…

Landscaping Tips for Mini Gardens • Mass plantings are more effective than several individual plants. • Put larger plants in the back and lower plants in the front. • Arrange the garden path or stream in a way that it “disappears” beyond the foliage to create a sense of depth. • Add a focal point, like the birdhouse at the end of the path shown here. • Use a single blossom or leaf bundle as an accent. supplies • Old birdbath or other container • Bagged potting mix • Planting material (see Plant Picks at right) • Small stones, gravel or pine bark nuggets • Fairy garden accessories (optional) STEP 1. Place a birdbath or other container, like a terra-cotta pot or wooden box, where it will stay permanently before…

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DID YOU KNOW? A male northern mockingbird chooses a shrub or tree to nest in and creates several nests. Then the female selects one and finishes building. Markings These slim, pale gray songbirds may not have feathers in eyecatching colors, but they can still be distinguished from other birds by their long tails and white wing patches. Northern mockingbirds are medium size, with small heads and long legs. Males and females have identical markings. To distinguish between them, observe their behavior: Males sing more than females. To identify a juvenile northern mockingbird, look for dark streaks on its chest. Menu Northern mockingbirds are big berry fans. Attract them with ornamental berry bushes like elderberry, blackberry, juniper and pokeweed. As omnivores, northern mockingbirds eat insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles…

Common yellowthroat It’s worth a visit to a marshy area for a quick look at common yellowthroats. Although they try to remain out of sight, they flit in and out of reeds and cattails. Listen for the wichitywichity-wichity song, and look for the male’s distinct black mask. Magnolia warbler This easy-to-spot warbler spends time in low shrubs and small trees. During spring migration, magnolia warblers zip through the eastern half of the U.S. on the way to their breeding grounds in Canada and in northern states like Minnesota and Wisconsin. American redstart Bright yellow plumage is common among warblers. But the male American redstart, covered in mostly black, breaks all the rules. Redstarts are among the most active warblers, showing off orangered patches as they flit through trees. Be on…

Q & A I’d like to create and maintain a hummingbird retreat in my backyard. What perennials should I be planting? Michael Gorss CENTERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS Melinda: Create a garden area filled with hummingbird favorites in a sheltered location. Include spring, summer and fall bloomers to provide three seasons of nectar for these flying beauties. For early blooming, plant bleeding heart, columbine, coral bells and iris. Good summer bloomers are daylilies, penstemon, garden phlox, perennial hibiscus, bee balm, salvia and cardinal flower. Finish off the season with gayfeather (Liatris) and coneflower. Add a few vines like clematis and native honeysuckle vine for vertical interest and more hummingbird appeal. For more plant picks, visit birdsandblooms.com/hummingbirds. I look forward to the arrival of Baltimore orioles, but honeybees made their home on the grape…

FACEBOOK POLL How many birds can you identify by song? 1-5 31% 6-10 33% 11-15 14% 15+ 22% GO ONLINE Check us out on Facebook to participate in other polls like this. Visit facebook.com/birdsblooms. DO YOU HAVE A CLEVER CAPTION FOR THIS PHOTO? Go to birdsand blooms.com/youdontsay. We’ll publish some of our favorites in the next issue. “you don’t say! ” Flying Blind Russ Bauman of Biltmore Lake, North Carolina, shared this funny spring picture with us. “We have three golden retrievers and recycle their fur,” he says. “It takes only minutes for the finches, chickadees and titmice to go after all the free bedding.” What do you think this tufted titmouse is thinking as it grabs a faceful of fur? Here are our favorites from last issue’s You Don’t…

SUCCULENTS Use them for accent plants or “shrubs.” Stonecrop sedum Limelight sedum Blue Spruce sedum Silver Onion echeveria Hens-and-chicks GROUND COVERS Create a mat of green in the miniature garden, and a “waterfall” over the planter. Golden club moss (Selaginella kraussiana ‘Aurea’) Scotch mulch (Sagina subulata ‘Aurea’) Blue Star creeper Pink cranesbill (Erodium x variabile ‘Bishop’s Form’) CONIFERS Provide woodland “shade” and a layer of realism. Jervis dwarf Canadian hemlock Dwarf Pagoda Japanese holly Mont Bruno boxwood Fernspray false cypress Lime Glow juniper…

5 A rain garden has many benefits, including these five: • Provides habitat for wildlife, like birds and butterflies. • Reduces flooding. • Removes pollutants from stormwater. • Recharges groundwater. • Improves the beauty of the landscape. 10 Plant a rain garden at least 10 feet from the foundation of the house. 300 A good size for an average rain garden is from 100 to 300 square feet. 4 Choose plants that can handle being soaked one day and left dry another. These four plants are rain garden rock stars: • Nodding onion • Wild iris • Swamp milkweed • Liatris 24 Don’t let pesky mosquitoes bug you; a well-drained rain garden completely filters water within 24 to 48 hours. 12A rain garden typically should have a depth of 3…

1 Colorful metal hose holder mounts to the side of a house or deck, $80, plowhearth.com 2 Fifty-gallon elevated rain barrel doubles as a planter for herbs, flowers or small vegetables, $142, goodideasinc.com 3 RedHed garden tool master kit includes a hard case with carrying strap and four tool heads, $349, redhedtools.com 4 Two-piece (pad and cover), machine-washable rug for patios, porches or indoors; colors, patterns and sizes vary, starting at about $80, ruggable.com 5 Planter for railings from Greenbo; fits securely on most railing types and comes in packs of two, $49 and up, amazon.com 6 Multiuse, collapsible silicone bottle; great for cold drinks or storing dry goods like seeds, 14-ounce bottle, $17; 22-ounce bottle, $25, bubibottle.com have you seen a terrific product we should know about? Send us…

The importance of a garden goes far beyond its beauty. Purposefully choosing flowers, trees and shrubs to attract and sustain wildlife greatly benefits the environment and all the creatures in it. For over 20 years, Birds & Blooms has championed the idea of gardening with a purpose, and now we’ve put together a new book about how to transform your backyard into a healthier, happier sanctuary for birds, butterflies and bees. In this special six-page preview of Gardening for Birds, Butterflies & Bees, we give a sampling of plant picks, along with symbols to guide you in your choices. The handy symbols indicate which creatures the plant attracts (birds, butterflies and/or bees) and whether the plant grows in full sun, part shade or shade. Beyond suggesting plants, the book highlights…

Submission Guidelines We love hearing from readers—in fact, we couldn’t publish this magazine without you! To make sharing your photos and stories even easier, we’ve created an online submission form at birdsandblooms.com/submit-your-story. Each reader whose story, photo or short item is published will receive a Birds & Blooms lip balm made by Wisconsin bees! Because of the volume of submissions, our small staff can’t acknowledge receipt of submissions, but we’ll always let you know if they’re published. By submitting material to us, you grant RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC, its affiliates, partners and licensees worldwide use of the material without time limitation, and the right to include your name and city/state in connection with any such use. We may modify, reproduce and distribute your material in any medium and in any…