Indholdsfortegnelse for December/January 2024 i Birds & Blooms

Another chilly season is here, which means another few months of bundling up—even when I may not feel like it—to give my toddler his necessary energy-burning time outdoors. Keeping our feeders full is critical because it gives us an activity to do outside—he loves scooping the seed out of the metal storage bin. Plus watching the birds visit our feeders gives us plenty to talk about inside. Win-win! I’m hoping to see a few surprise feeder guests this year. A visiting flock of common redpolls would be amazing. They are one species known to make irruptive movements in winter months. Learn more about the phenomenon and which other species to be on the lookout for in “New in Town” on page 34. I have another cold weather entertainment trick up…

MEET THE EXPERT Byron Martin is a horticulturist and co-owner of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden, a Connecticut-based nursery specializing in fruiting, rare and tropical plants. 1 Begonia BEGONIA Fibrous begonias such as bedding and angel wing are the easiest to grow inside. Well before frost, start gradually adjusting them to lower humidity indoors. Then trim back the stems and place your plant in bright filtered light with excellent humidity, allowing it to partially dry out between waterings. Why we love it: The adorable flowers in bright and pastel shades and shiny greenery make begonias a mainstay. 2 Impatiens IMPATIENS Impatiens are beloved for their nonstop summer blooms in shade (or, for the SunPatiens series, their ability to thrive in both sun and shade). Bring them in before frost. Cut…

WE DON’T GET MUCH SNOW, so when the forecast calls for it, I go out to look for wildlife with a wintry backdrop. On this day, after trudging through a local park and finding little, I went home to see what I could find there. Sure enough, our holly tree was full of the usuals. I photographed this pretty male northern cardinal sheltered among the green holly and red berries—a perfect portrait of winter. Jane Gamble ALEXANDRIA, VA COMMON REDPOLLS ARE OCCASIONAL VISITORS in my area, so I spent a lot of time looking for them one winter. I spotted this one among a flock on an alder tree in Waterloo, Ontario. It was a cold morning and my hands were freezing, but I took plenty of photos before they…

Phalaenopsis, also known as the moth orchid, is popular for its easy care and large, long-lasting blooms, making it a great addition to the beginner houseplant hobbyist’s collection. Cattleya is often called the queen of orchids. With proper care, cattleyas can bloom indoors year after year. Oncidium is commonly referred to as the dancing lady orchid because of its highly modified ruffled blooms. Dendrobium is a large group of orchids that boast many pasteltoned blooms. Vanda orchids have flat flowers and bloom several times a year under greenhouse-like growing conditions. They are most well known for their cascading root systems that can be difficult to contain in a pot. Cymbidium flower spikes can last from one to three months with a natural blooming season during the winter. Cymbidium orchids are commonly…

It’s warm and dry in your home during a winter storm, but it’s natural to worry about the birds in your backyard. The good news is that even with pelting rain, snow, ice and frigid temperatures, birds’ physiology makes them remarkably resilient to extreme weather events. Fluffing for Warmth There’s a reason that birds look bigger during cold weather. David Swanson, a biology professor at the University of South Dakota who has spent 30 years studying how birds handle inclement conditions, says birds assume a heat-conserving posture and fluff their feathers. “It’s similar to goose pimples to form an insulation barrier. It’s almost like putting on a coat,” David says. Changing Blood Flow David also notes that birds can readily change their blood flow to control what parts of the…

Soft Serve False Cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera, Zones 4 to 8 Compact and conical, this evergreen has soft, fernlike leaves and is perfect for hedges, borders and containers—or cut a branch or two for indoor seasonal decor! It prefers moist, well-draining soil, and it benefits from protection from winter wind and sun. Attracts: Light needs: Part to full sun. Grown for: Verdant year-round color, attractive pyramid shape and smaller size. Foliage: Bright green needle-like leaves with glimmers of silvery blue on the underside. Care tips: It is a slow grower, but give it a light pruning in the summer if needed.…

This is a low-angle view of a water lily, taken in spring at the aquatic garden at Huntsville Botanical Garden in Alabama. I love the bright colors in the water lilies and how they appear to glow from the center. My camera is a Nikon Z 6II with a 200 mm f/4 macro lens. I patiently waited for some calm winds to get a clear, mirrorlike reflection. Christopher Baker MADISON, AL Help us crown a winner! Readers submitted thousands of fantastic entries to the 2023 Birds & Blooms Annual Photo Contest, and our team picked four standouts from each category: birds, blooms and butterflies. Turn the page to see the 12 finalists, and vote for your favorites in each category at birdsandblooms.com/voteDJ24 by Dec. 15. BIRDS 1 JUVENILE RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD…

A mid the browns, blues and greens of the natural world, northern cardinals are showstoppers. And in winter’s soft white snow, these familiar birds are especially breathtaking. Their plumage makes them one of the easiest birds to identify and an accessible means of building birding skills. Conspicuous Coloring Both sexes sport cute crests and reddish orange beaks. The bold red feathers birders have come to know and love adorn the males—making them nearly impossible to misidentify—while females feature beautiful brown feathers tinged with rosy accents. The key difference with juveniles is that they have black bills. Far and Wide Primarily found east of the Rocky Mountains and in the Desert Southwest of the U.S., cardinals have a widespread scope. “They go all the way down to Mexico and Guatemala,” says David…

European starling BILL Long, thin yellow beak. BODY AND FEATHERS Blackbird-sized with short pointed wings, short tail and pinkish legs. Dark feathers with purplish green iridescence and white spots in the winter. RANGE Common year-round throughout the U.S. and southern Canada. SOUNDS Can learn and mimic the songs of up to 20 other birds. Calls are a distinct stream of rattles, whistles and purrs. Common grackle BILL Thick, dark curved beak. BODY AND FEATHERS Lankier than most blackbirds, with a long tail and dark legs. Shiny feathers with a bluish head, purple or bronze body and yellow eyes. RANGE Eastern and midwestern U.S. year-round; extends to southern Canada during breeding season. SOUNDS Combination of squeaks and croaks accompanied by quick, high-pitched whistles. BIRDS OF A FEATHER Sharing similar habitats and…

STORY COURTESY OF NATIONAL GARDEN BUREAU Orchidaceae, the orchid family, is a diverse group of flowering plants. Found on every continent except Antarctica, orchids are also one of the largest groups of flowering plants. With more than 28,000 species, there are more types of orchids on the planet than mammal and bird species. Orchids are popular—and giftable—houseplants, but they are known to be a bit finicky. Follow this expert advice for beautiful indoor blooms. Use Rooting Medium In nature, many orchid types are epiphytes, which means they attach to tree branches and take in nutrients from plant and animal litter and tropical rains. Most orchids grown inside are planted in a rooting medium—such as peat moss, perlite, stones or coconut fiber—that lends itself to the unique epiphytic roots. Pay Attention…

Q Our family gets Christmas amaryllises every year. For the first time, one of the plants got seedpods after the flowers were done. Are the seeds viable? Bill Waldron CLIFTON HEIGHTS, PA Melinda: With patience and proper timing, you can grow new plants from these seeds. Remove seeds from the pod when it turns yellow and starts to crack open. Then plant them in clean containers filled with vermiculite or a sterile seed-starting mix. Lay the seeds on their sides and cover lightly. Place the container in a warm location, about 70 to 75 degrees, and keep the planting mix moist. They should sprout in about four to six weeks. Move the containers to a sunny location or under artificial lights as soon as any greenery appears. The seedlings will…

When the weather gets below freezing, I use two feeders for the year-round Anna’s hummingbirds—I keep one inside and switch it out when the one outside gets slushy and starts to freeze. Lauren Colas CAMAS, WA By not clearing out my garden in the fall, I leave plenty of seed heads and leafy cover for the birds. Judy Roberts GRAYTOWN, OH A heated birdbath is essential in our cold winters. Stephen Johnson MADISON, WI Leave your birdhouses out. A gourd I had hung out and forgotten about became shelter for a chickadee this past winter. Lorrie Topolin NEW HOPE, PA Our bird-feeding area is open to blustery north winds, so I make a semicircle shelter of vertically placed tree logs around the back side of it to block the wind.…

4,500 Fraser firs are mountain trees, growing wild only in the Appalachians at altitudes of 4,500 feet or higher. 1 Fir and spruce needles are attached to twigs one by one, while pines grow needles in bunches. Fir needles are soft and flat, while spruce needles are stiff and angular. 7 Lasting seven weeks or more, Fraser firs typically retain their needles longest after being cut. 10 Fir tree cones stand upright from branches rather than hanging down, and vary in size from 11 /2 to 10 inches. 12 Balsam firs grow about 12 inches a year, taking nine to 10 years to get to the ideal Christmas tree height. 300 Douglas firs reach a height of 300 feet or more in the wild. Despite the name, this tree is not a true fir, pine or…