Innehållsförteckning för February - March 2017 från Birds & Blooms

It’s the perfect time of yearto take a fresh look at everything around you—from the shady corner of your backyard to the dusty hallway closet. As you dive headfirst into your spring cleanup and growing-season prep, take time to indulge in the little things that make this season special. For example, the epic return of the robins (p. 10), spring trees that come alive with the most colorful blooms (p. 14) and starting seeds with friends (p. 20). Here at Birds & Blooms, we tackled a major spring-cleaning project of our own with the launch of a new look we know you’ll love. But our makeover didn’t stop there. Did you know there’s an Extra edition of Birds & Blooms? It’s newly designed and jam-packed with even more of what…

TAKE IT ALL IN Nothing says spring quite like a picturesque American robin in a flowering crabapple tree. When you hear an American robin’s light, musical cheerily, cheerio, it means spring is at your doorstep. As the ground thaws and worms break through the surface, robins become more active and present in your backyard. But you can find this member of the thrush family even when it’s snowing, gobbling up berries from shrubs and trees. Occasionally, you may notice a robin that looks slightly uncoordinated. That’s because it gorged itself on overripe berries and is a bit tipsy! Robins are common sights in backyards throughout most of North America and willingly nest in planters, on windowsills, and in other nooks and crannies around a building. In spring, look for pairs…

1 Flowering crabapple MALUS, ZONES 4 TO 8 SIZE: 6 TO 8 FEET TALL AND WIDE TO 20 TO 25 FEET TALL AND WIDE Crabapples are the darlings of cool-climate yards. Flowers of white, pink or deep crimson transform into dainty fruits in yellow, orange, maroon or red. Select a newer variety to ensure good disease- and pestresistance, and plant in full sun. Why we love it: The diversity! Tree shapes can be rounded, spreading, upright, vase shaped and even weeping. 2 Magnolia MAGNOLIA, ZONES 4 TO 9 SIZE: 15 TO 40 FEET TALL AND WIDE Gorgeous blooms in white, pink, yellow and purple balance like teacups or starbursts atop branches that later bear green leaves, some as glossy as lacquer. Plant in full sun to part shade. Why we…

1 Celebrate spring migration at The Biggest Week in American Birding festival in northwest Ohio. It kicks off May 5. 2 Make this clothespin flower craft created by Birds & Blooms blogger Jill Staake. Directions here: birdsandblooms.com/springcraft. 3 Watch for nesting birds in your backyard or at your local parks. Lois Lecavalier of Parksville, British Columbia, found these towhee eggs in her garden. Learn more about these shy birds on p. 30.…

Cue the crocus and send in the songbirds. Spring is finally here, so throw a seed-starting party as the perfect way to celebrate. There, you’ll build budding friendships or cultivate connections as old as dirt—and jump-start your garden. WELCOME GUESTS WITH GIFTS An inexpensive pair of pretty garden gloves and a DIY floral crown set the tone. Form floral wire into a circle, wrap with floral tape, and tape on fresh or faux flowers and greenery. Adorn with ribbon, if desired. SET OUT THE BASICS Provide containers appropriate for starting seeds—peat pots, plastic seedling flats or paper egg cartons. Add sterile seed-starting mix, large spoons, a spray water bottle and plenty of newspaper to cover the workspace. Fill a basket with a collection of seed packets from which guests can…

THINK OF YOUR IDEAL PLANT. How would you describe it? Would it bloom sooner, yield more fruit, grow taller or stay shorter? Today, seed breeders have the tools and know-how to strive for botanic perfection, bringing out the full potential of any given variety. “It’s all about accumulating good genes for specific traits and then inbreeding until the variety is consistently uniform or true to type from seed,” says Paul Readly, seed breeder for American Takii Inc. in Salinas, California. His Summer Jewel Lavender salvia won a 2016 All-America Selection (AAS) award. Because seeds can take up to 10 years to perfect, receiving the AAS designation is something Paul is very proud of. “AAS winners truly run the gantlet and emerge as superior plants for any garden in North America,”…

When I started plants from seed, there were what looked like little eggs on my cleome leaves. The rest of my plants were fine. What happened to the cleomes? Jen St. Louis ELMIRA, ONTARIO Melinda: It is not a disease or insect problem but rather a physiological disorder. Basically, the plant forms these growths in response to its environment. In some cases, the plant absorbs moisture faster than it loses it, causing bumps to develop on the leaves. You often see this disorder on ivy geraniums, sweet potato vines, tomatoes and other plants. Fortunately, the problem usually corrects itself once the plants move into the garden and receive the preferred growing conditions. Until it is transplant time, continue to water and fertilize as needed. If you’re using artificial lights, keep…

Find the hummingbird In each issue, we hide a hummingbird like the one above. If you find it, enter at birdsandblooms.com/contests. We’ll draw 20 winners to receive Birds & Blooms seeds for plants that attract birds and butterflies! In the December/January issue, the hummingbird was on page 24. HIDDEN OBJECT GUIDELINES No purchase necessary to enter to win. Purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents age 18 years or older of the U.S., its territories and possessions, or of Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec). Sweepstakes begins on Jan. 3, 2017, and ends on March 1, 2017. Find official rules at birdsandblooms.com/contests. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes sponsored by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC. Contact us! CUSTOMER CARE For subscriptions, renewals, gifts, payments, account info…

TO-DO LIST February • Clear a space in your favorite container for the seasonal glamour of candytuft. This plant is drought-tolerant, grows in zones 5 to 9 and blooms from spring into summer. • Join 160,000 volunteers for the Great Backyard Bird Count on Feb. 17-20. Track the birds that visit your backyard, then go to birdcount.org to report your findings. • Look for signs of spring, from fresh green shoots sprouting up to the first robin’s song in your yard.…

ESSENTIALS NYJER Lure finches and chickadees with nyjer, a tiny black seed that is sometimes called thistle. Bonus! Bully birds tend to leave nyjer alone. SAFFLOWER Serve safflower in a hopper feeder for cardinals, grosbeaks and house finches to devour. Remember: It may take a while for the birds to get acquainted with the seed. SUNFLOWER This food deserves the No. 1 spot in your yard! Sunflower seeds, both in the shell ( left) and out-of-shell meats ( below, left), appeal to finches, chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks, cardinals, jays and even some woodpeckers. Because sunflower seeds are delicious to so many species, including some large undesirable birds, they’re best served in feeders that allow only small songbirds to perch on or enter the feeding chamber. Choose the right feeder Tray feeders…

Early spring is my favorite time of year because of the many shades of green and the busy birds. My state bird, the northern mockingbird, sang a very loud song to me one beautiful spring morning. Leta Moll Blalock ATKINS, ARKANSAS I took this photo at a small pond in Ankeny, Iowa. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. I had stopped to check for wildlife to photograph. It was a very cool spring day, and some mallards were hanging around the pond. All of a sudden, a commotion caught my attention. Four male mallards were fighting over one hen. They chased each other and splashed and glided over the water like a floatplane. After being chased off the pond, this bird circled back around, not willing…

Many people think that moths are the nighttime equivalent of butterflies, but it’s not quite that simple. Learn the basic differences between the two fliers so that you can positively say “moth!” or “butterfly!” when you spot one. Keep in mind, though, that most of these characteristics aren’t absolute—there are many exceptions to the rules. One thing you can count on: Butterflies fly only during the day. But not all moths are strictly nighttime fliers. Hummingbird moths, which include several species of sphinx moths, eat nectar at flowers during the day. Others, including colorful buck moths and the Schinia species, are also seen when the sun shines. The best way to differentiate butterflies from moths is to look at the antennae. All butterflies have long, thin antennae that end in…

answers on the bottom Did You Know? • ROSES are the most popular flower to give to a sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, but violets used to have the No. 1 spot—they were associated with St. Valentine. 110 MILLION ROSES, on average, are sold on Valentine’s Day in the United States.…