Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Birds and Blooms Extra

The garden games began last summer when my partner Jim and I each guessed how many delicious red fruits we’d harvest from our cherry tomato plant. He guessed 92, and I predicted 205. Almost every evening we eagerly went out to our small veggie garden to gather up the ripe tomatoes. Then we tallied them on our official tomato log—a magnetic refrigerator notepad. Well, we ended up with a bumper crop that surpassed Jim’s guess the first month. And once we hit 300, we stopped counting because I had clearly won! Even without a little friendly competition, tomatoes are super fun and easy to grow. We love cherry types for snacking and slicers for BLT sandwiches. Unfortunately, we really don’t have room for any more! If you’re tight on space,…

You recognize common feeder birds by color. Red? Cardinal. Blue? Blue jay. Yellow? Goldfinch. But when all those colors and more are on one bird, you’re looking at a painted bunting. Males have bright blue heads, red bodies and yellow-green backs, with darker green on the wings. They develop this bold color in the fall of their second year. Females and juveniles sport a lime green hue, an unusual color among North American feeder birds. Look for painted buntings in the south central and southeastern states. They have two distinct summer breeding areas. One covers a large area from Texas to Mississippi and north to Kansas, and another is centered in the coastal Carolinas. Painted buntings undertake a short winter migration to Florida, Mexico and Central America, when they gather…

Please do eat the roses—plus the violets, pansies and daylilies. Many easy-to-grow flowers are both beautiful and delicious, adding delicate flavors and bright colors to fresh or baked foods. Petals are the tastiest part of most flowers. The white base of a rose petal can be bitter, so tear or cut it off first. But feel free to eat entire squash blossoms, nasturtiums, violets, sage, pansies, chives and violas. Keep in mind, though, that not all flowers are edible, so nibble only on those types you know are safe to consume. And always be sure to double-check that they’re grown organically—no pesticides, please. For the Table The absolute easiest way to use edible flowers is as garnish on plates or on soups. The tastiest way? Mix them in salads, dips,…

THREE TIGERS Eastern, western and Canadian tiger swallowtail butterflies look almost identical, but the latter two are smaller. Use geography to tell them apart. Western tigers are found from the Rocky Mountains westward; eastern tigers from the Great Plains eastward; and Canadian tigers in central New England, New York, Michigan, Minnesota and Montana, and northward.…

Juicy slicers for BLT sandwiches, cherry types for salads and snacking, Romas for homemade sauce—the tomato possibilities are endless, but the amount of space in your garden and on your countertop is most likely not. One plant goes a long way, so before you run out and buy the first tomato seedling you spot, first decide how you’re going to use your harvest in the kitchen. Slicers The smooth round fruits of slicers are super delicious on sandwiches. You probably recognize or have grown many of the most popular varieties available. Better Boy is well-known and has a classic tomato taste. Celebrity is an All-America Selections (AAS) winner with good flavor and disease resistance. Early Girl is one of the first to ripen—it’s ready to harvest in about 60 days.…

Q I didn’t see a single goldfinch, purple finch or rose-breasted grosbeak at my feeders last spring, but I used to see them all the time. Do birds regularly move to new locations? Paula Forsythe CAMP DOUGLAS, WISCONSIN Kenn and Kimberly: Goldfinches and purple finches are famous for their wandering ways. They can be common one year and scarce or completely absent the next. Their numbers may change from month to month, or even from one day to the next. But even if they disappear for a while, there’s a good chance they’ll come back. Rose-breasted grosbeaks aren’t usually so unpredictable, so if they’ve disappeared from your yard, we wonder if the habitat has changed. Your own yard may look the same, but check the surrounding neighborhood. If there are fewer…

True or False? A. BIRDS CAN’T SEE RED and are mostly colorblind. B. IN THE 1920S, GERMAN SCIENTISTS bred traditionally yellow canaries to have red feathers. C. A RARE GENETIC MUTATION in some cardinals may cause their plumage to be bright yellow instead of scarlet.…

WATCH Be on the lookout for butterflies in your garden. Kimberly Miskiewicz of Raleigh, North Carolina, spotted this eastern tiger swallowtail sipping nectar from her garden phlox blooms. Learn Flip to page 26 to discover the subtle differences between eastern and western tiger swallowtails. Make Get your hands on an old bowling ball and create adorable ladybug garden art. birdsandblooms.com/ladybug GET AWAY Mark your calendar for the International Festival of Owls in Houston, Minnesota, from March 2-4. There are tons of kid-friendly events, including owl story walks, a hooting contest and more. festivalofowls.com SHARE How do you make gardening fun for the whole family? birdsandblooms.com/submit…

BUCKET LIST BIRD Find a painted bunting in the wild by checking ebird.org for locations where they’ve been recently sighted. BOY BAND Only male painted buntings sing songs like: graffiti graffiti spaghetti-for-two. If you think you see a plain green female bursting into song, it’s most likely an immature male in his first year. A group of volunteer researchers, the Painted Bunting Observer Team, studies and monitors the birds in North Carolina. Learn more: paintedbuntings.org…

Tomatoes definitely thrive in warm summer weather, but even they have a heat threshold. Daytime temperatures above 90 degrees and nighttime temperatures above 70 may result in blossom drop and poor fruit development. And then when night temperatures linger below 59 degrees, less viable pollen is produced, which results in fewer fruits. Tomato growers in hot climates should consider varieties such as Solar Flare, Talladega, Summer Set and Heatmaster. If you live in a cooler climate, you will likely have greater success with Early Girl, Celebrity and New Girl. All three are ideal for shorter growing seasons. Cherry tomatoes are a good choice for most gardens but especially those in the cool conditions of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University has introduced several varieties suited to the area. These include…

1 Stroll through the garden’s Cherry Tree Walk along Lake Sydnor. The trail winds through the Lucy Payne Minor Garden, which is bursting with daylilies and daffodils, and the Vienna Cobb Anderson Meadow, where birds and bees fly among the flora. 2 Share the best of the season with your favorite kid at the Children’s Garden, from going on a plant scavenger hunt to climbing a 100-year-old mulberry tree. Young visitors also love feeding the fish and spotting turtles soaking up the sun in the nearby pond. 3 Whether it’s a yoga class, a honeybee-themed garden tour or a container gardening workshop, the 50-acre Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden provides plenty of opportunities to learn a new skill or sharpen an old one. Go to lewisginter.org to plan your visit.…

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 January issue, we hid it on page 54. 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 Feb. 6, 2018, and ends on April 10, 2018. Visit birdsandblooms.com/contests for 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:…

Forsythia Forsythia species, Zones 3 to 9 When this shrub blooms, it’s a sure sign that warmer weather is on the way. Forsythia is one of the first plants to flower in spring, making its bell-shaped golden blossoms a welcome sight. For best results, prune as soon as flowers fade, because next year’s buds form on this year’s growth. Attracts: Light needs: Full sun. Size: 8 to 10 feet high. Grown for: Sunny yellow spring blooms that last 10 to 14 days. Foliage: Dark green leaves emerge after flowers fade. Cultivars to try: Northern Gold is an upright grower; Meadowlark is fast-growing with an arching form; Spring Glory is ideal for warmer climates. BIRD BENEFITS Place seed feeders near forsythia and other shrubs so birds can wait their turn for…

1 Lettuce LIGHT NEEDS: 4 HOURS PER DAY Lettuce is fast and easy to grow, and it can be seeded as soon as the garden is ready in early spring. In shade, stick to loose-leaf varieties, such as Green Salad Bowl and Black Seeded Simpson, that are ready to pick just four to five weeks from seeding. Avoid heading types of lettuce, which take longer to mature when there is less light. Why we love it: Low on space? No problem! Loose-leaf lettuce thrives in pots, planters and window boxes for weeks of fresh salads. 2 Spinach LIGHT NEEDS: 4 HOURS PER DAY Spinach grows best in the cool weather of spring and fall, thriving in little sunlight. In fact, growing it in the shade prolongs the harvest by delaying…

The range of sounds a northern mockingbird can make is amazing, and I’m fortunate to have one of these wonderful birds frequent my backyard. I think this photograph exemplifies what mockingbirds do better than any other bird: sing their hearts out. I especially love the way the sunlight illuminates the inside of its open beak. Steven Biegler NORTH BELLMORE, NEW YORK I snapped the shutter at the perfect moment last spring. Yellow warblers like this one were making their way through Connecticut as part of their migration journey. William Canosa BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT The Florida scrub-jay lives only in Florida. For the past five years, my wife and I have visited a site where a family of three to five of these naturally curious birds resides. During one visit, I walked…

* D – Determinate Grows to a certain size and stops. The fruit tends to ripen all at once and in a relatively short period of time. * I – Indeterminate Continues to grow, flower and produce new fruit throughout the season. Use tall stakes and big towers to keep these large plants upright. * V, F, N Indicates that the plant is resistant to verticillium, fusarium and nematodes. Consider varieties resistant to more than one, and to other diseases, when possible. * AAS – All-America Selections Plants with this designation have been tested nationally and selected for their suitability for backyard gardens. * H – Heirloom A tomato variety that has been around for more than 50 years, and preserved to keep it true to its parentage. * Tumbler…

Hyacinth . When I was a kid, all the children at my church received a hyacinth plant on Easter. I learned to love them early and have loved them ever since. Amy White COBLESKILL, NEW YORK Moonflower. It is a gorgeous plant and it smells heavenly. Pamela Rupp CINCINNATI, OHIO I love the scent of old-fashioned four o’clocks . The fragrance compliments the dark rosy blossoms. Barbara Haywood BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA Mock orange because it’s like the scent of lilacs, roses and honeysuckle all rolled into one. When you take a whiff of those little blooms, you just say aah. Janice Huckelberry CYPRESS, ILLINOIS There’s nothing like the aroma of lavender . It is so calming. Nancy Abbott GROVE CITY, OHIO Rugosa roses are delightfully fragrant, but the smell of…

75 During migration, 75 percent of the population can be found along a 75-mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska. 8 Sandhill crane offspring can be ready to leave the nest and even start swimming just eight hours after they hatch. Although the chicks are independently mobile, they will stay with their parents up to 10 months after being born. 90 Most of their diet (90 percent) is plant material, including waste grain, roots, berries and nuts. Insects and snails are on the menu, too. 200 During migration, these cranes may travel more than 200 miles a day. They’re fast fliers, reaching speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. 7 Sandhill cranes mate for life and attract their partners via a courtship dance with moves like…