Innehållsförteckning för June - July 2015 från Birds & Blooms

We are on a mission here at Birds & Blooms to launch a new field editor program. This concept has been part of our DNA for years. It’s our way of staying connected to readers—birders and gardeners just like you. And right now, we’re looking for new recruits! These volunteers help our entire magazine team by answering questions, offering opinions and keeping us informed about backyard topics. While it doesn’t pay, it’s still a really fun gig because you get to connect with other birders and gardeners around the country. Just take a look at some of the lovely field editors you could meet, below. Joining our program is actually pretty simple. You don’t have to be an expert or pro in any way. You just have to like birds…

TOP 10 1 TRUMPET HONEYSUCKLE 2 MANDEVILLA 3 CUP AND SAUCER VINE 4 CANARY CREEPER 5 SCARLET RUNNER BEAN 6 CANDY CORN PLANT 7 FIGWORT 8 PURPLE PASSIONFLOWER 9 TRUMPET VINE 10 HYACINTH BEAN VINE If you want to grow vines, you might think you need a lot of space, but even if your planting area is limited, it’s still possible to cultivate vines in containers on your patio, deck or balcony. But no matter where you decide to plant these vines—in containers or right in the garden—place them where you’ll be able to enjoy the hummingbirds that will no doubt visit the nectar-filled blooms. Trumpet honeysuckle LONICERA SEMPERVIRENS, ZONES 4 TO 9 Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees love native honeysuckle. Planting it in full sun or partial shade and moist…

worth the wait Growing up in the city, I never really saw a hummingbird up close. Once I moved to the suburbs, I started planting flowers in my backyard. The hummingbirds absolutely love the bee balm, and it’s exciting to see them come back every year. Now I’m adding even more plants to attract as many hummingbirds as I can! Carmen Rugel MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND fighting for space Male hummingbirds sure are territorial! One day, two of them were fighting for the same space in my backyard. I was watching the scene unfold when I saw this male Anna’s hummingbird all puffed out. I was so fortunate that I could capture the moment with my camera. Lynne McClure VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON take your bath While I was watering the flowers, I…

Share your photos with us! Go to birdsandblooms.com/photogalleries to submit your best ones. They might even be featured on our website! Quiz Answers Find out how well you did on our Name That Flower quiz (page 60). 1. Gloriosa daisy 2. Tomato plant 3. Daylily 4. Western groundsel 5. Brown-eyed Susan 6. Poppy 7. Sunflower 8. Tulip BACKYARD TIP Tomato plants often fail to fruit when night temperatures are too hot or cold, but will start fruiting once temperatures are more ideal.…

O They can have as many as 16 spots, but some ladybugs have no spots at all. 1916 While most ladybugs are good, there is one nonnative species that people don’t like. The Asian lady beetle was introduced in California in 1916. Today it’s more common in the East. 50 A ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids a day. 7 One of the most common ladybugs is the seven-spotted lady beetle. It has seven black spots on its back. 1,000 Females will lay up to 1,000 eggs within a few months— generally from spring to early summer. 4 You might hear ladybugs go by a few different names, including: Ladybirds, Ladybugs, Lady beetles and Lady cows. 6,000 You can find about 6,000 different species of ladybugs around the world.…

DID YOU KNOW? Some cacti don’t bloom until they reach a mature 20 years of age or older. BOOK A HUMMINGBIRD TRIP Make the Sedona Hummingbird Festival in Sedona, Arizona your summer vacation. The annual festival, organized by The Hummingbird Society, will take place July 31-Aug. 2, but make those reservations as early as possible. Birds & Blooms is an official sponsor this year. Learn more about the event speakers and activities at hummingbirdsociety.org. CREATE CONTAINER RECIPES The containers at local garden centers are usually big, gorgeous and expensive. Use them as inspiration to create your own “recipe” for the perfect container. Chances are you already have a pot you can use, so you’ll be saving money all around. ADD A HOST PLANT Monarch caterpillars use milkweed as a host…

BACKYARD TIP If you have an aggressive hummingbird chasing other birds away, set up a second feeder far from the first one. Q&A On an early summer evening, I was sitting on the patio and saw a female ruby-throated hummingbird at some coral-bells. A male appeared and they flew together, spiraling into the air about 75 feet! Is this a mating ritual? Jenifer Junkins TORONTO, ALABAMA Kenn and Kimberly: We wish we could say that the male was just being romantic, but it’s more likely that he was trying to chase her away. Male ruby-throats are combative little guys, and when they’ve found a good patch of flowers, they usually respond to others of their kind by trying to chase them away. If the other hummer is a male, they…

FACEBOOK POLL How many flower containers do you have in your garden? 1-3 . . . . . . . . . .4% 4-6. . . . . . . . . . .21% 7-9. . . . . . . . . . .19% 10 or more . . .56% 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!” This is Exhausting! Christy Wheeler of Noblesville, Indiana sent us this funny photo of a squirrel family. Her neighbors built this squirrel box last year. She says, “Imagine my surprise when I saw four baby squirrels coming…

Wrap It Grab some leftover fabric, like burlap or an old tablecloth, and cut it to wrap snugly around your pot. Then, use a hot glue gun or Mod Podge to secure. Rope also works well, but make sure you have enough to coil around the entire pot.…

BACKYARD TIP Add another sugar-water feeder in late summer when migration increases. This will help keep feisty males from fighting for space. The Recipe If you haven’t memorized the recipe yet, then now is the time. Combine four parts hot water to one part sugar. Mix it up until it’s completely dissolved. Once it cools to room temperature, it’s ready. To Boil or Not to Boil Using really hot water will usually suffice. However, if you plan on making extra sugar water to store in the fridge or you have so-so water quality, then it’s best to boil. Honey Do or Honey Don’t? Some people like to come up with creative ways to sweeten their sugar water without sugar, and the most common stand-in is honey. Not only is honey…

want more? Look for us on Pinterest, where we share our favorite products, from bird feeders and gardening tools to jewelry and home decor. Visit pinterest.com/birdsblooms.…

Question: Why does a hummingbird hum? Answer: Because it can’t remember the words! OK, that’s a pretty bad joke, but it addresses an interesting point. The humming for which hummingbirds are named isn’t a vocal sound, but one created by the rapid beating of their wings. This isn’t the only sound hummingbirds make. Let’s take a look at other sounds you might hear. Regular Calls All hummingbirds make short, soft call notes. These are often useful for identifying species. In the West, for example, the soft teew of a black-chinned hummingbird is very different from the musical chip of a rufous hummingbird or the thin tic of a Costa’s hummingbird. Aggressive Calls Hummingbirds are amazingly feisty creatures, constantly sparring over choice flower patches and feeders. Their aerial battles are mostly…

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 eaiser, 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…