Archives

BACKYARD SECRET – BIRDS NEED WATER IN FREEZING WEATHER

Jan25

       Those Georgians that feed birds have been busy during the past few days keeping their feeders stocked with suet, seeds, cornbread and other bird favorites.  However, I suspect many folks have not offered their bird neighbors water.  The truth of the matter is that birds need water in winter as much as they do in summer.

       The problem is that when the temperature drops below freezing our birdbaths freeze.  Nothing is sadder that watching birds fly up to a frozen birdbath vainly looking for water.
With that in mind, if the water in your birdbath does freeze, there are a few things that you can do.  One is to pour water onto the ice.  If it is not extremely cold, birds will be able to drink and bathe before it freezes.

       Another thing that you can do is to place a shallow pan such as those placed beneath potted plants atop the frozen ice.  If you do take this approach, fill the pan so that it is only 1.5 inches or so deep.

       You can also purchase devices that heat birdbath water.  My wife and I received one for Christmas.  The problem is it is still in the box!

 

      

 

BACKYARD SECRET – TWO SEEDS WILL ATTRACT ALL OF THE SEED-EATING BIRDS THAT VISIT YOUR FEEDERS

Jan21

         For all practical purposes, white millet and black oil sunflower seeds will attract all of the seed-eating birds that you are likely to see at your feeders.  Birds such as sparrows (chipping, white-throated, fox, field, white-crowned, and song) dark-eyed juncos, mourning doves and eastern towhees all relish white millet. Even cardinals devour their fair share of these seeds.

       The long list of birds that prefer to dine on black oil sunflower seeds includes cardinals, house and purple finches, Carolina chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, blue jays, red-headed and red-bellied, downy, and hairy woodpeckers, American goldfinches, and pine siskins.

       In order to attract these and other seedeaters offer seeds placed on or near the ground as well as elevated feeders.

BACKYARD SECRET – MOST EXOTIC PLANTS IN OUR YARDS HAVE LITTLE OR NO FOOD VALUE FOR NATIVE WILDLIFE

Nov19

       Some experts say that at least 80 percent of the plants growing in our yards are exotics that have little or no food value for native wildlife. This has contributed to the decline in native plant and animal populations in suburban settings. 

       Just one example of this is studies have shown there is 35 times more caterpillar biomass in native woody vegetation than is found in exotic woody plants.  This is important because caterpillars are a key source of food for many wild animals.  For example, 96 percent of terrestrial birds eat caterpillars.

       With this in mind, if you are interested in increasing the variety and numbers of native animals in your yard, expand the number and diversity of native woody plants that grow on your property.

FLOWERING DOGWOOD

DON’T FORGET TO FILL BIRDBATHS

Jul27

       With the number of hummingbirds swelling at our hummingbird feeders, it is easy to forget to keep the water in our birdbaths from drying up.  Don’t let this happen!  With daily temperatures soaring in the nineties and feel like temperatures reaching well above one hundred, our avian neighbors have a tremendous need for water.

       It goes without question that birds require water to drink, bathe, regulate their body temperature, and maintain their feathers.

       With that in mind, check your birdbaths daily.  In the kind of weather we are facing right now, it is not uncommon that the water in birdbaths needs to replenish daily.  What the birds do not use simply evaporates. Keep in mind, the water should always be clean and fresh.

       Indeed, providing your backyard birds with water is one of the most important things you can do for them at this time of the year.

DO NOT PLANT THIS MILKWEED IN YOUR GARDEN

Jun18

        With each passing year, more Georgia gardeners are planting milkweeds in hopes their efforts will bolster the dwindling monarch butterfly population.  The University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension Program recommends we do not plant the common milkweed in our gardens (Asclepias syriaca) in the state.

       This reason they want us to defer from planting this particular milkweed is it is not native to Georgia.  This recommendation is based on the fear that this milkweed could potentially become invasive and usurp habitats currently occupied by Georgia’s native milkweeds and other wild plants.

BACKYARD SECRET – STAGERING SOWING ZINNIA SEEDS PROVIDES BUTTERFLIES WITH NECTAR UNTIL FROST

May19

       Zinnias have long been a favorite of Georgia gardeners. They not only adorn our flower gardens with a wide variety of blossoms, they provide food for a wide range of butterflies and other pollinators.  However, since we typically sow zinnias seeds only in the spring, zinnia blooms are scarce in autumn… This is unfortunate as pollinators often find food hard to find late into the fall. Here are a couple of ways you can alleviate this situation.

       One way that you can prolong the zinnia’s blooming period is by deadhead plants.  This will stimulate the plants to produce more blossoms.  The downside of this practice is you eliminate a food source for songbirds.

       Another way that you can enhance the availability of zinnia blossoms until frost is stagger the times you sow seeds.  By sowing seeds every few weeks well into the summer, when some zinnias fade away, they are replaced by plants just coming into bloom.

       This simple practice will enhance the available of nectar and pollen well into autumn a when food is often scarce and add color to your gardens.

USE CAUTION WHEN TRIMMING SHRUBS IN SPRING

Apr13

       The beautiful spring weather we have been enjoying in my neck of the woods apparently prompted many homeowners to take on any number outdoor jobs.  One of these projects was cutting shrubbery. In truth, shrub pruning should have been accomplished much earlier in the year.

       When I brought a load of household garbage and recyclables to a nearby recycling center, the huge amount of shrub clippings piled in one of the huge recycling bins at the center told me a lot of folks took on this particular chore this weekend.  That prompted me to wonder how many bird nests their well-meaning activities disturbed.

       Whenever we talk about providing nesting habitat for our backyard bird neighbors too often we only think about birds that nest in nesting structures.  Consequently, too little thought is given to providing nesting sites for birds that routinely nest in the thick shrubbery growing in our yards.  The shrub-nesting birds I most often encounter in my yard are northern cardinals, mockingbirds and brown thrashers.  They will nest in thickest shrubs. Since these birds begin nesting in the spring, it is best to avoid trimming shrubs at this time of the year.

       There is nothing worse than to trim a branch off a shrub and find that nestled deep within the shrub an active bird nest.  When a nest exposed it becomes more vulnerable to nest predators and the weather.  Often nesting birds will abandon such a nest.   Birds are more prone to do prior to their eggs hatching.

       If, for some reason, you just have to trim your shrubs right now, before you begin, carefully search for nests.  If you don’t find any, go ahead with your job.

       When I think about the recycling bin that I saw this weekend, I wonder if the folks that created pile of trimmings took the time to ensure that their shrubs were being used by the bird neighbors to build their nests and raise their young.

WATCHING FLYING SQUIRRELS DINE AT YOUR FEEDERS

Nov18

       Chances are, in spite of the fact Georgia is home to both northern and southern flying squirrels, you probably have not seen them at your feeders; this due, in large part, to the fact they are nocturnal.

       The vast majority of Georgians will never see a northern flying squirrel since its range extends only into a small section in northeast Georgia.  The southern flying squirrel, on the other hand, ranges across the entire state, including the range of the northern flying squirrel.  With that in mind, I am going to focus my comments on just the southern flying squirrel.

       Those of us that have mature oaks and hickories growing either in or close to our yards have the best chance of seeing these fascinating mammals. Acorns and hickory nuts are two of their favorite foods.  However, they are also fond of sunflower seeds. The best way to feed them to southern flying squirrels is to place them in a platform feeder.

      Some people have accidentally discovered southern flying squirrels visit their yard when the animals’ activities triggered motion-activated security lights. In addition, some homeowners point incandescent yard lights on their feeders so they can watch the animals feed. Others prefer to bathe their feeding area in the glow of red lights.  Although red light is not totally invisible to the squirrels, we can see squirrels moving about.

       In recent years, some homeowners have begun watching flying squirrels with using UV-flashlights.  If you decide to use these special devices, read the instruction material that accompanies them.  Improper use of them can lead to eye damage.

       When you shine UV light on the animals, you will discover that areas on their flying squirrels’ body will appear to be pink.

       Whatever source of light you use, if you notice that your light source is altering their activities, shut the lights down. 

 

EASTERN COTTONTAIL RABBITS CAN HELP CONTROL DANDELIONS GROWING IN LAWNS

Apr3

      If you have an aversion to spraying herbicides on your lawn to control dandelions, the eastern cottontail rabbit just might help provide a more environmentally safe approach to weed control.

       It just so happens, that cottontails are fond of dandelions.  They eat the leaves, bright yellow blossoms and even the plant’s seeds.  This approach works for some homeowners. These individuals report that the rabbits cause little or no damage to ornamental and garden plants.  On the other side of the coin, many folks are afraid taking the risk cottontails might damage their cultivated plants.

       You might want to try this control technique.  If it does not help solve your problem, explore other approaches.  If it does, this member of the leporidae family might be the answer to an often-perplexing problem.  If you try it, you can tell your friends that you are controlling dandelions using a technique that has been around for a long time—weed control by leporidae.

MEALYCUP SAGE IS A GREAT WILDLIFE PLANT FOR CONTAINERS AND TRADITIONAL GARDENS

Dec10

     One of the many traits I like about gardeners is their willingness to share information with others.  A good example of that is this past week during a conversation with Jean O’Shields (she and Terry Waith coordinate the Community Wildlife Project for the Garden Club of Georgia). During our call, Jean told me about a plant that was still blooming in her Ft. Valley garden long after a recent freeze killed many of her flowering plants.  The plant is mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea).  She was impressed with the plant’s hardiness, beauty, as well as the fact that it attracts loads of pollinators long after most plants were dead or not producing pollen or nectar.

       I must admit that I had never heard of the mealycup sage. After doing a little research on the mealycup sage, I now wish that I had made an acquaintance with it years ago.

       Don’t be put off by the plant’s unattractive name.  Its name stems from the fact that the plant bears cup-shaped flowers covered with a dust-like substance.

       While mealycup sage is not a Georgia native, it is a native of North America.  Its range includes parts of Mexico, Texas and nearby states.  Horticulturalists have developed several cultivars that enable gardeners to choose plants that display flowers ranging from white, blue, dark purple, to two-tone blue and white blossoms.

       The plant blooms from late spring until fall.  Georgia gardeners will be pleased to know the plant is rabbit and deer resistant.  It also tolerates drought, is low maintenance, will grow in a broad range of soil conditions ranging from well-drained soils ranging from alkaline to acidic.  It will even grow is clay soil types.  The plant will grow in full sun to partial shade.

       Mealycup sage is an ideal addition to traditional gardens, borders, xeriscapes as well as containers.  If planted in containers, they do best in three-gallon or larger containers.

       Since the plant will attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies, it is an ideal candidate for inclusion in wildlife-friendly container gardens.  Here it can be combined with other plants such as coneflowers and zinnias that are also attractive to wildlife.

       If you create a container garden for wildlife and would like to earn certification in the Community Wildlife Project’s Container Gardening for Wildlife Category, download an application found on the Garden Club of Georgia’s website (gardenclubofgeorgia.org).  When you visit the website, look at all of the other ways in which you can create a beautiful, wildlife friendly, backyard.

       The Community Wildlife Project is a conservation initiative sponsored by The Garden Club of Georgia, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and The Environmental Resources Network (TERN).