Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Birds and Blooms Extra

“Birding is something that you do for enjoyment… so if you enjoy it, you’re a good birder. If you enjoy it a lot, you’re a great birder.” That comment from Kenn Kaufman, one of our bird experts, reminds me of my mom. She simply likes to feed backyard birds, and that makes her, and so many others I know, a great birder. My mom has been gardening for as long as I can remember and definitely makes the most of her city lot. At least every other year, she’s digging and expanding a flower bed or planting a new shrub. And she desperately wants more than one hummingbird per year to visit her yard, which is a beautiful space. (My favorite part is the patio with comfy furniture for summer…

Peppers add a tantalizing jolt of flavor to your cooking. While it’s getting easier to find a variety of fresh and dried peppers at the grocery store, it’s much more fun and economical to grow your own. Start seeds indoors at least eight to 10 weeks before transplanting them into your garden, or look for starter plants at your garden center. By mid- to late summer, you’ll have ripe peppers ready to pick. And then the real fun begins—eating them! TOP 10 1 HABANERO 2 ANAHEIM 3 THAI 4 SCOTCH BONNET 5 JALAPENO 6 TABASCO 7 PEPPERONCINI 8 CAYENNE 9 POBLANO 10 SERRANO 1 Habanero If you’re looking to fire up your food, throw in some habaneros. These small, wrinkled orange peppers are intensely hot with a slightly sweet flavor…

It’s a fact; not all plants play well together. Perhaps they’re competing for sunlight, nutrients or water, or maybe they attract the same pests and diseases. Whatever the reason for keeping some plants apart, doing a little homework before you head to the nursery can save you a lot of time, frustration and money. FIGHTING FLOWERS Nancy Ondra, author of The Perennial Matchmaker: Create Amazing Combinations with Your Favorite Perennials , says there are a few factors that affect the compatibility of potential perennial partners, including preferred growing conditions and relative vigor. But a bad combination isn’t the end of the world. You can easily dig up and move the incompatible plants. Nancy points out that growing plants out of their comfort zone can induce stress, which reduces the amount…

3 Three things can cause spicy or sharp-tasting radishes: hot weather, dry soil or picking them too late. 5 Have you ever seen a white carrot? These delicious veggies are available in five colors: orange, red, yellow, white and purple. 6 It’s a good idea to do a soil test before planting. An ideal pH range for root vegetables is between 6 and 6.8. 10 It can take up to 10 months for ginger to mature, limiting the regions where it’s grown. 1 Root vegetables need at least 1 inch of water per week to aid in good root development. 100 George Washington Carver developed more than 100 different products from sweet potatoes, including ink, synthetic silk, alcohol and paper. 2 You’ve got two options when growing horseradish: Provide lots…

It’s hard to miss the cheerful yellow and contrasting black and white wing markings of male American goldfinches, especially when they’re crowded around your backyard bird feeder. When winter arrives, the males take on a more subtle brown to match the females. If food is plentiful, American goldfinches won’t typically migrate very far, which means their distinctive per-chicko-ree call can be heard year-round. At the Feeder Goldfinches primarily eat seeds, which means they are big fans of bird feeders. Although goldfinches will eat most small seeds, they love thistle (Nyjer) and sunflower seeds. Keep goldfinches coming back by replacing uneaten food every three to four weeks. Make sure the seed stays dry. Most tube and mesh feeders are fine; a sock feeder also works well. Around the Backyard Seeds may…

BUILT TO LAST The grand champion nest-builder is...the bald eagle! In 1963, an eagle’s nest near St. Petersburg, Florida, was declared the largest at nearly 10 feet wide, 20 feet deep and over 4,400 pounds. That nest was extreme; most bald eagle nests are 5 to 6 feet in diameter and 2 to 4 feet tall. Nest construction can take three months. Eagles typically use the same nest year after year, adding to it each season. SMALL AND FLEXIBLE It should come as no surprise that hummingbirds, our smallest birds, make the smallest nests. Hummingbirds build on top of tree branches, using plants, soft materials and spider webs. Ruby-throats decorate theirs with flakes of lichen. Anna’s hummingbirds may lay eggs before a nest is completed, continuing to build the sidewalls…

I was surprised when this Baltimore oriole landed in my crabapple tree instead of at the grape jelly feeder, but I love how the white blooms are a striking contrast to the oriole’s beautiful orange chest. Who knew I would attract so many colorful birds to our Indiana yard with this crabapple tree? John Roberts WARSAW, INDIANA DID YOU KNOW? Crabapples provide year-round interest for birds. Try to avoid the cultivars prone to disease. This indigo bunting was a spring visitor last year. I was fortunate enough to capture this picture of him sitting on a thorny rosebush in our backyard perennial garden. He was like a flower among the thorns. David Nehls IONIA, IOWA DID YOU KNOW? You can attract indigo buntings with thistle, white millet and sunflower chips.…

I love photographing birds, and the American goldfinch is one of my favorites. Last spring, over a dozen goldfinches were at my backyard bird feeder at one time, and I captured this brightly colored male perfectly posed as he watched the feeding frenzy. Janice Perry MORRIS, ILLINOIS Last summer, I moved my hanging bird feeder to the middle of a flower bed, hoping to entice more birds to it. My plan worked, and eventually this female American goldfinch decided to perch on a beautiful liatris and wait her turn. Unfortunately, the raccoons also found the feeder later that night, and knocked it down, consuming all the seeds. I think this photo was worth the trouble, though! Tanya Jones OMEMEE, ONTARIO…

1 Garden inspiration for any budget can be found in Nancy J. Ondra’s Container Theme Gardens: 42 Combinations, Each Using 5 Perfectly Matched Plants, $20, barnesandnoble.com 2 Jennifer Ackerman explores the surprising talents and intellect of birds in The Genius of Birds, $28, barnesandnoble.com 3 Learn what to plant to attract wildlife to your backyard with Gardening for Birds, Butterflies & Bee s from the editors of Birds & Blooms magazine , $25, birdsandblooms.com/book 4 Get the most out of veggie gardens with High-Yield Vegetable Gardening: Grow More of What You Want in the Space You Have by Colin McCrate and Brad Halm, $19, barnesandnoble.com 5 Birding for the Curious: The Easiest Way for Anyone to Explore the Incredible World of Birds, by Nate Swick, is a great beginner’s…

Q & A In early spring, my oriole feeder was busy every day. Then the activity abruptly stopped. I know when the eggs hatch, the birds stop coming to the feeder, but will return. When can I expect them to come back? Donna Wolfe GOODRICH, MICHIGAN Kenn and Kimberly: You’re not alone in trying to solve this mystery. With so many people feeding orioles these days, we get this question a lot. The answer is nestled in their beautifully woven hanging nest. Yep, it’s about raising the kids! During the breeding season, orioles focus on more protein-rich food, foraging mostly for insects to feed their young. But once the young orioles have fledged, the parents frequently bring them to visit feeders. We suggest that you keep tabs on when they…

We were pleasantly surprised to see that 100% of people who took our poll are planting milkweeds in an effort to boost the monarch butterfly population. For ideal monarch habitat, combine native milkweeds with a variety of nectar plants that bloom throughout the growing season. GO ONLINE Check us out on Instagram to see great reader photos of birds and blooms every day. Visit instagram.com/birdsblooms. GARDEN TIP Remove milkweed seedpods before they open to prevent unwanted spread to neighboring yards.…

Celebrate Moms In honor of Mother’s Day, May 8, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite moms! How many of these female birds can you identify? Hint: One of the birds has the word “painted” in her name. Go to page 64 to see how many you got right. Share your photos with us! Go to birdsandblooms.com/photo-galleries to submit your best ones. They might be featured on our website!…

supplies • Lightweight concrete mix• Wheelbarrow or large bucket• Trowel• Plastic containers (yogurt tubs, cups, etc.) in various sizes and shapes• ¾-in. PVC pipe• Concrete dye• Vegetable oil• Foam brush• Gloves• Bricks• Stones• Handsaw• Screwdriver STEP 1. Prepare the concrete in a wheelbarrow or large bucket by following the manufacturer’s instructions. STEP 2. Select plastic containers in different shapes to create the planters. You’ll need at least two containers per planter: one for the outer form and one for the inner form. STEP 3. Oil the forms well with the foam brush. Be sure to oil the inside and outside of any forms you intend to use. STEP 4. For healthier plants, add drainage holes. Cut PVC pipe with a handsaw to a length that will create a hole from the inner container to the outer one. To do this, measure how deep…

Submission Guidelines We love hearing from readers—in fact, we couldn’t publish this magazine without you! To make sharing your photos and stories even eaiser, we’ve created an online submission form at birdsandblooms.com/submit-your-story. Each reader whose story, photo or short item is published will receive a Birds & Blooms lip balm made with help from Wisconsin bees! Because of the volume of submissions, our small staff can’t acknowledge receipt of submissions, but we’ll always let you know if they’re published. By submitting material to us, you grant RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC, its affiliates, partners and licensees worldwide use of the material without time limitation, and the right to include your name and city/state in connection with any such use. We may modify, reproduce and distribute your material in any medium and…