Fellow gardeners unite! We have nothing to lose but our green beans and day lilies! Backyard gardening is growing in popularity as more and more people discover the relaxing therapy of working the soil and enjoying the delightful taste of fresh vegetables and fruits, and the beauty of flowering plants. Plus, the vegetables are healthier and fresher than anything available at a super market. … [Read more...]
Squashing Squash Borers
More and more families are establishing vegetable gardens in their backyards, and some are even digging up space in the front yards where there may be more sunlight. The reasons for the implosion in the number of small gardens are numerous. For starters, home raised vegetables are far less expensive than those bought at the store. In addition, the trend towards organic foods is on the upswing. … [Read more...]
Backyard Battles
My backyard has transformed from a serene and peaceful setting to a battleground of world war proportions. The armies, though, have feathers. A red-tailed hawk recently decided to enter my air space and was intercepted by a half-dozen scud missiles, otherwise known as crows. While the hawk could easily handle any of the crows in a one-on-one contest, he was out of his league when six … [Read more...]
To Watch a Mockingbird
One of my favorite movies of all time is “To Kill A Mockingbird” based on the novel by Harper Lee. In the movie, Atticus Finch (played by Gregory Peck) tells his son, Jim, that no one should ever kill a mockingbird because they do no harm to any one. Well, there is a certain robin outside the window of my office that might disagree. There is a pair of mockingbirds nesting in an evergreen … [Read more...]
In Search of Backyard Miracles
If you have a backyard, or some woods and meadows near your home, genuine miracles are happening every day. Birds are nesting, all wildlife is busy raising little ones and the plant world is bursting at the seams. It appears all birds may have nested early this year. Don’t know exactly why, but many turkey hens were on nests sooner than usual. So were grouse. Maybe it was the quick green-up in … [Read more...]
Meet Wrenfield, the Troubador
We call him Wrenfield, our tiny troubadour. Wrenfield is a Carolina wren. We think he’s been around our house for several years. He wakes us each morning with a cheerful song and is one of the last birds to stop singing in the evening. He has quite a repertoire of songs and chirps. For a little fellow, he sure makes a lot of noise. Wrenfield is always cheerful. He seems happy to just be alive … [Read more...]
Grackle Attack
They come in swarms, just as spring arrives. Only this year they came early. The grackles, that is. And they’ll eat you out of house and home. Throughout the winter, I feed my birds sunflower seed hearts. Because it has already been shelled, birds such as robins, mockingbirds and my beloved bluebirds can eat and digest the hearts. But sunflower seed hearts and chips are expensive, about twenty … [Read more...]
Don’t Fence Me In!
Back yard gardeners in central Virginia – and in most other parts of the entire country – have a deer problem. More than drought, more than a late cold snap, more than a swarm of locusts, deer represent the biggest threat of all to azalea bushes, hasta plants, lilies and most every vegetable in a garden. Deer have adapted quite nicely to man, thank you very much, but the reverse is not necessarily … [Read more...]
Talking with the Animals
My back yard has turned into a wildlife resort. There is more deer poop than grass in many places. Of course, me being a birder and all, and my scattering seeds and corn for the critters does little to discourage all sorts of animals and birds from homesteading on my property. I feel especially sorry for the birds and animals this year because there is very little for them to eat in the fields and … [Read more...]
Attract Birds with Water
On a recent winter morning, the temperature had plunged to single digits C.O.L.D., cold. Early, on, I was in the yard scattering seeds and I also put a gallon of fresh water in our heated birdbath, which was nearly frozen over. By the time I got back to the house and peeked out the kitchen window, the birds had already discovered the water. Virtually ignoring all the seeds, they flocked to the … [Read more...]
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