Innehållsförteckning för August/September 2024 från Birds & Blooms

It’s a fact: We couldn’t make this magazine without you. Contributions from you, our readers, are the heart and soul of this brand, and they have been since Birds & Blooms was launched a little over 30 years ago. To put it into perspective, I counted the number of photos in this issue that were taken by someone from our talented readership. It was 23! And that doesn’t include a few photos within our Ask the Experts department, starting on page 47, where 10 additional readers contributed amazing, thoughtful questions. William Toth asked who decided it should be a 1-4 ratio of sugar to water in homemade hummingbird food (find the answer on page 51). And Raymond Covault’s grandson wondered if birds pee. This very valid question gave everyone on…

1 Hellebore HELLEBORUS SPP., ZONES 4 TO 9 Deer-resistant hellebores thrive under deciduous shade trees or woodlands, in well-draining soil with lots of organic matter. These perennials bloom in the late winter and early spring with double or single flowers. Topping out at 2 feet, the glossy green foliage is attractive and is largely evergreen in warmer climates. Why we love it: Hellebores come in many colors and patterns such as spotted, speckled or dark-edged petals. 2 Columbine AQUILEGIA SPP., ZONES 3 TO 8 Columbines are noted for nodding, pendulous blooms, rising above scalloped green foliage in late spring to early summer. Available in most colors and bicolor, too, these perennials are 1 to 3 feet tall, with equally attractive seed heads for dried flower arrangements. Why we love it: The native…

Baltimore orioles look their best in late summer after they molt and are getting ready to migrate. One of the most beautiful birds in North America can appear just outside your doorstep! Gail Huddle McPHERSON, KS During summer, McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville, Maryland, is one of my favorite places to visit because of the gorgeous fields of blooming sunflowers. The sunflowers provide food for a variety of birds, such as the brightly colored indigo bunting. This photo is special to me because the indigo bunting is my spark bird, and I love the look of its brilliant blue against the golden yellow of the sunflower where it sat to pose. Laura Frazier KEARNEYSVILLE, WV It took me quite a while to get this photo of a male bobolink. I saw…

I CAPTURED THIS IMAGE of a purple aster with a bumblebee at the Garden of Colonial Flowers at the historic Munroe Tavern in Lexington, Massachusetts. When I revisited my pictures, this one told a story of the bee’s habitat that resonated with me. Having the aster as the primary focus and some nearby out-of-focus asters gives it a sense of background context, showing the environment where the bee thrives. Michael Rossacci ARLINGTON, MA THIS LITTLE ZINNIA made an excellent stage for a duel between a bee and a praying mantis. I know you’re all wondering who won. The praying mantis quickly ran underneath the flower and hung upside down until the bee flew away. Mary Hauser QUEEN CREEK, AZ WHILE TAKING PHOTOS of roadside poppies, I caught a bee and…

Purple hull peas are my favorite for two reasons. The first is the taste, and the second is the memory of sitting on my grandmother’s front porch shelling the peas. My thumbs would be stained purple for weeks! Jennifer Cox DYER, TN I love a fresh carrot—washed with the garden hose and a little bit of dirt still on it! Teresa Heikes FERGUS FALLS, MN My granddaughter loves to pick sweet peas off the vine and eat them immediately. Kristen London MULDROW, OK I eat beans right off the vine! Purple, yellow and dragon tongue—some of which are hard to find in stores, so I grow them myself. fe Mary Anne Thygesen PORTLAND, OR Fresh asparagus is the best! We have a plot of it at our cabin in New Mexico,…

In each issue, we hide a hummingbird like the one above left. Enter to win at birdsandblooms.com/contests if you find it. Winners get a one-year subscription to Birds & Blooms. In the June/July issue, we hid it on page 19. 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 July 24, 2024, and ends on September 17, 2024. Visit birdsandblooms.com/contestsfor official rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes sponsored by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC. Contact Us! CUSTOMER CARE For subscriptions, renewals, gifts, payments, account info and inquiries: Email: customercare@birdsandblooms.com Visit: birdsandblooms.com/customercare Write: BIRDS & BLOOMS CUSTOMER CARE…

Bit of Honey False Sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides, Zones 4 to 9 With 3-inch-wide golden yellow semidouble blossoms featuring multiple rows of bright petals, this cultivar of native false sunflowers takes center stage in the garden. Blooms appear in midsummer through early fall, providing showstopping color that is worth the wait. Attracts: Light needs: Part or full sun. Size: 24 to 28 inches tall. Grown for: Stunning flowers that are a focal point in the garden. Blooms can also be used as cut flowers. Foliage: Light-colored leaves with dark green veins. Growing tip: Deadhead spent blooms to stimulate new buds and extend the floral display. PLANT BENEFITS Heat-tolerant false sunflowers thrive in well-draining, loamy to moist soil when grown in garden beds. Or try Bit of Honey in patio pots, where…

Rain barrels are containers designed to capture and hold rainwater for later use in gardens and landscaping. Using a rain barrel can lower your water bill, help reduce stormwater runoff and enhance the health of your local environment. Here’s what you need to know to get started. The Benefits Out in nature, a large amount of rain is absorbed directly back into the ground, replenishing the soil, and the rest either evaporates or is runoff that ends up in creeks, rivers, lakes or other bodies of water. But that amount drops significantly in more developed areas. Rain barrels can help prevent stormwater from overwhelming storm sewers and lessen groundwater pollution and flooding during heavy rain events. “A major benefit is having free water on-site and easy to access, while reducing…

2023 GRAND PRIZE WINNER: Conrad Peloquin WALNUT CREEK, CA GET READY TO START SNAPPING—the annual Birds & Blooms Photo Contest is here! Send us your best photo in one (or more) of our three categories—birds, butterflies and blooms—for your chance to win the $1,000 grand prize. Enter by Sept. 13! You’ll see the 12 finalists in the December/January issue and at birdsandblooms.com/contests, where you can vote for your favorites in each category. Birds & Booms WIN $1,000! Send us your favorite shots for a chance to score the top prize. ENTER TODAY! It’s easier than ever to submit your photos! Go to birdsandblooms.com/contests for the offcial rules and entry details or hover your phone’s camera here.…

Bees aren’t looking for just nectar and pollen. “Honeybees need water, not just for honey production, but also to maintain a good temperature within the colony,” says Alyssa Piccolomini, entomologist for the Montana Department of Agriculture. This holds true for native bees as well, particularly in arid or semiarid regions that go for weeks, if not months, without precipitation. Creating wet areas in the garden provides a source of mud, which some bees require to create their nest cells. Setting up a bee bath in your yard is another way to support an ideal environment for the honeybees and native bees that are so important to our gardens. When to Provide Water “In terms of honeybees, they won’t start foraging until it’s 55 degrees or warmer. They are the wimpy…

59,000,000 The oldest fossil that resembles current-day mantises is at least 59 million years old. 1,800 A European mantis lays up to 18 oothecae (clutches) during its adult lifespan, each containing at least 100 eggs. That’s over 1,800 eggs produced in its lifetime! 6 ½ Wild European mantis females typically have a lifespan of six and a half months. Most females outlive males by about a month. 10 Mantises are a delicacy in more than 10 cultures worldwide, including in India and Nigeria. They’re considered best served fried, roasted or smoked. 12 Twelve mantis species are known for capturing birds. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are prime targets because of their small size. 22 Female mantises can boost their egg production by at least 22% (and even up to 135%) by consuming their mates. 40 Most small mantis…

For prolific author Sneed B. Collard III, chipping sparrows hold a special place in his memory. When doing field research for his book Fire Birds, he accompanied Richard Hutto, currently an emeritus professor of biology and wildlife biology at the University of Montana, out bird-watching. “I clearly recall him pointing out the buzzy trill of the chipping sparrow,” Sneed says. Richard had pointed out that this species sounds like someone rapidly running a stick along a picket fence. “I’ve never forgotten that,” says Sneed, “and now I eagerly listen for the return of that picket fence sound each spring.” Distinct Features The most noticeable field mark for chipping sparrows is the chestnut brown cap on top of their heads, but the feature that helps really identify them from similar-looking species,…

Snapdragon BOTANIC NAME Antirrhinum majus. ZONES 7 to 10. TYPE Tender perennial or annual. SIZE 6 to 36 inches tall. BLOOMS Large, two-lipped flowers in a rainbow of colors, both solid and bicolored. Blooms from early summer to fall. May languish in hot weather. USES Pollinator gardens, flower beds, borders and cutting gardens. Angelonia BOTANIC NAME Angelonia angustifolia. ZONES 9 to 11. TYPE Perennial. SIZE 12 to 18 inches; cascading types spread outward and downward. BLOOMS Large, two-lipped flowers with blue, pink, purple, white and variegated petals. Blooms from summer to fall. USES Ideal for containers, borders and beds; cascading types are great in hanging baskets. FUN FACT Angelonia is also commonly known as summer snapdragon. Grown as a perennial in warmer climates, it is native to Mexico and the West Indies and earned its name because it’s more…

Q What’s the best way to obtain indigo seeds, and do you have advice on how to grow them in a garden? Russ Hutchins SUMMERVILLE, SC Melinda: Many plants go by the common name of indigo and are used to create shades of blue dye. Indigofera tinctoria is commonly known as true indigo and is a member of the pea family. This tropical, evergreen shrub grows up to 4 feet tall and is an annual, biennial or perennial depending on your hardiness zone. It was an important commercial crop in the southeastern United States until synthetic dyes took over the market. It’s naturalized in some milder parts of the country. Several seed retailers sell these seeds that can take 15 to 30 days to germinate. Start the seeds four to…