Innehållsförteckning för April/May 2022 från Birds & Blooms

Spring is here! Tiny buds dot trees and shrubs, the first-to-emerge bulbs are showing pops of color, and birds chirp in the wee hours of the morning. For most, the arrival of this long-awaited season brings a renewed energy and fresh perspective. That’s especially true for me right now as I look out into my new (and much bigger) backyard. Having purchased a home last fall, I have no idea what perennials will pop up in the landscape, but I do know the yard has room for more—many more! I added several of the blooming beauties in “New Plants for 2022” on page 12 to my wish list, with UpTick Red coreopsis at the very top. My covered front porch has several columns already outfitted with hooks just waiting to…

1 Safari Dawn South African phlox JAMESBRITTENIA HYBRID, ZONES 10 TO 11 OR ANNUAL Consider this plant when you’re looking for something new that has humidity and heat tolerance. This South African native displays eye-catching bicolor flowers on plants that are 6 to 12 inches tall. Give it full to part sun, well-draining soil and a trim, if needed, to encourage fuller growth. Why we love it: No deadheading needed to keep this one flowering from planting until frost. 2 Starship Rose F1 lobelia LOBELIA X SPECIOSA, ZONES 6 TO 10 A new color addition to the Starship lobelia series, these perennials flower earlier, have a tidy habit and improved branching. Plant them in full to part sun with moist (but not wet) soil. They will grow to be 20…

Q Bluebirds stay in a house in our yard year-round and raise several broods. When should we clean the house? Bonnie Uhlenbrock GRIFFIN, GEORGIA Kenn and Kimberly: While some bluebirds migrate to warmer climates in fall, many stay in the same place all year, especially in the South. They often roost in nest boxes during winter, as yours are doing, huddled together for added warmth on chilly nights. But being a responsible nest-box host means keeping them clean. Bluebird experts suggest cleaning them out after each brood has fledged. If that isn’t possible, the boxes should be cleaned out after the last brood has left the nest in late summer. That timing won’t disturb them or drive them away. Q My sister snapped a picture of this lone red flower…

Bollywood Azalea Rhododendron ‘Farrow’, Zones 6 to 9 Add pizazz with this dazzling semi-evergreen shrub. Neon pink blossoms unfurl early and continue to bloom in clusters through late spring. Pollinators love to touch down on the lightly scented blooms. Attracts: Light needs: Full sun or part shade. Size: 3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide. Grown for: Vivid flowers and year-round color in some areas. Foliage: Variegated glossy green leaves edged in cream. Water and soil needs: Regular watering and well-draining, acidic soil. LET IT SHINE Use Bollywood in the center spot in a container to make it the star of the show. It also works well as a vibrant addition to a border or path.…

To display a lot of color in a small space, just look up. Hanging baskets can expand your garden and add interest to decks, patios and porches. Building your own is fun and offers more options, says Brooke Edmunds, a community horticulturist with Oregon State University. Here’s how to create showstopping hanging baskets from start to finish. 1. CHOOSE YOUR CONTAINER Baskets come in many sizes and styles. Select a basket material that’s lightweight, such as wire, plastic, wicker or peat. “You can get creative and reuse something, too,” says Brooke. Metal watering cans, colanders and other containers can also work if they have drainage holes or if you add them yourself. When picking the container size, keep in mind what you plan on growing. A basket that’s too small…

WELCOME, NEW GARDENERS! People flocked to the hobby in the last year. The 2021 National Gardening Survey compiled by the National Gardening Association shows that 18.3 million new gardeners started gardening in 2020, and two-thirds of all gardeners tried a new gardening activity. The greatest rate of increase came from younger gardeners, people with children, apartment or condo dwellers, and people of color. 1 Gardens as Escapes Gardens are our sanctuaries, extended living rooms and go-to party zones these days. “It looks as if people will still be planting more in 2022,” says Claire Josephson, marketing and brand manager at PanAmerican Seed, a breeding division of Ball Horticultural Co. “Everyone is still planning to spend time in their yard, still planning on spending time at home. Gardening as a stress…

When you think of butterfly migration, it’s probably monarch butterflies that first spring to mind. Their epic journey to Mexico each year has caught the public’s imagination, especially as their overwintering grounds have become threatened. But monarchs aren’t the only butterflies that travel long distances. The painted lady also migrates, and its journey can be even more spectacular. One of the most widespread butterflies in the world, the painted lady is commonly found in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In the United States, its range stretches from coast to coast, from sea level to mountains and valleys. Adults feed on flower nectar, while their caterpillars eat a huge variety of host plants, including thistles and mallows. They’re unable to withstand freezing temperatures, so when winter comes, painted ladies need…

Find the Hummingbird In each issue, we hide a hummingbird like the one above left. Enter to win at birdsandblooms.com/contests if you find it. Winners receive a one-year subscription to Birds & Blooms. In the February/March issue, we hid it on page 53. 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 March 11, 2022, and ends on May 6, 2022. Visit birdsandblooms.com/contests for official rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes sponsored by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC.…

We love hearing from you—in fact, we couldn’t publish this magazine without you! How to submit: Share photos and stories with us using the online form at birdsandblooms.com/submit Please send submissions only through our online form. What you’ll get: If we print your submission in the magazine, we will send you a complimentary copy of the issue in which it appears, and any compensation as may be specified by us in writing. Returns: We regret that we cannot return unsolicited materials. Rights: By submitting material to us, you grant RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC, its affiliates, partners and licensees worldwide use of the material without time limitation, including the right to use your name and city/state/province in connection with any such use. We reserve the right to modify, reproduce and distribute…

The goldfinch sports three main feather colors during breeding season: yellow, black and white. Tell females apart by their more dull yellow color and patches of drab olive. 0 Goldfinches stay year-round in a large portion of the United States. As long as the minimum average temperatures stay above zero in winter, these birds tend to stick around. Attract goldfinches with nearly any style of feeder filled with sunflower seeds, Nyjer or millet. 2 Male American goldfinches have one of the most noticeable molts. They change color twice a year, from dull brown to bright yellow and back again. Even their young are strictly vegetarian. Most baby songbirds are fed primarily bugs, but goldfinch parents give their chicks seeds from milkweed, thistle and other plants. .5 This tiny finch weighs in…

Male rose-breasted grosbeaks show up east of the Rockies in spring, dressed to the nines in black and white with a red ascot-like marking on their chests. Females sport a more subtle look, with long white stripes above their eyes on a heavily streaked brown body with yellowish underwings. As different as they are, both share one easily recognizable feature: thick conical bills. On a High Note Upon arriving around May from their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America and northern South America, these songbirds kick off courtship. The males’ melodies are designed to attract mates, claim territory and warn off competitors. Their whistles have been compared to an American robin’s, only more musical, and males are known to sing more than 650 times per day. The male’s courtship dance…

Evening grosbeaks grace our yard for much of the year, displaying their cheerful behaviors for all to enjoy. Our pond provides a quick drink and bathing spot where we can observe the birds in their flock. The reflections provide a one-of-a-kind look at this impressive bird. Douglas Beall CAMP SHERMAN, OREGON I’ve always found Baltimore orioles to be skittish and very difficult to photograph. But my husband and I had good fortune last spring and attracted this beauty by putting out some jelly. This particular bird had a real sweet beak. It didn’t care that I was only a few feet away when I used my husband’s Canon EOS 80D to take a photo. Stephanie Red Feather PLATTE CITY, MISSOURI Flying low to the ground, an ash-throated flycatcher was foraging…

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