Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Birds and Blooms Extra

It’s a fun and exciting time in the garden. Flowers are in full bloom, plants are at their peak, and countless creatures are stopping by: birds, butterflies, moths, bees, bugs and more. I’m thankful that my husband likes to gawk at all of the happenings in our garden as much as I do. Recently we watched a bumblebee visit every tiny white bloom in one of our window boxes. And earlier this summer we noticed a pair of cedar waxwings (the first ones we’ve seen in our yard!) stealing material from an abandoned robin nest. We always reflect on those moments, noting how much there is to see when you just pay attention. The photos in our special Backyard Tales section on page 19 are definitely proof of that. Readers…

Mountain chickadees are quite popular here. I enjoy watching them through my window—I can always tell it’s them by their call.” Karlie Larson SPIRIT LAKE, IDAHO YEAR-ROUND TUNES Chickadees are nonmigratory, staying within their ranges all year. A mountain chickadee’s buzzy call is distinguished from the black-capped by its harsher tone. THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME While black-capped chickadees live in deciduous forests, mountain chickadees prefer to congregate in conifers in western forests from Canada to Texas.…

Only in gardening does division turn into multiplication. We’re talking about the process of dividing plants—digging up clumps of crowded perennials and splitting them into smaller individual plants. “Dividing perennials gives you more plants to place in your landscape or to share,” says Justin Hancock, horticultural craftsman for Monrovia Nurseries. And, of course, there are more perks to dividing plants. Just be sure they are pest- and patent-free first. “The biggest value in dividing perennials is that it keeps most plants healthy and looking their best,” Justin says. While not all perennials and grasses need to be divided, the process can help reinvigorate them and encourage them to produce more blooms. It’s usually plain to see when they are ready for a breakup. “The most obvious sign that your plant…

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 July issue, we hid it on page 47. 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 Aug. 3, 2020, and ends on Oct. 7, 2020. Visit birdsandblooms .com/contests for official rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes sponsored by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC.…

Rainbow’s End Hosta Hosta ‘Rainbow’s End’, Zones 3 to 9 Brighten up any yard with this shade-loving hosta. Enjoy its wide array of colors, from bold, changing leaf streaks to eventual purple flowers on red stems. Cut back flower stalks after end of blooming period. Attracts: Light needs: Part to full shade. Size: 10 to 12 inches tall and 18 to 21 inches wide. Grown for: Containers, borders or beautifying shady spots. Foliage: Large dark green leaves streaked with yellow that change to a bright white during summer. Similar cultivars: Paradigm, Sagae and Frances Williams. BIRD BENEFITS Hummingbirds stop by to sip from the beautiful late-summer lavender flowers.…

1 Mary Ann TYPE: GREIGII; BLOOM TIME: EARLY SPRING Low-growing greigii tulips are native to Central Asia. Their striped, wavy leaves are as big an attraction as their cup-shaped flowers, which splay wide open in sun and then close up at night. Some gardeners find greigii to be more long-lived compared to other tulip types. Why we love it: Mary Ann is a head turner, with magenta and white petals that mature to pale pink and raspberry. Blue-gray-green leaves are delicately striped with burgundy. 2 Midnight Magic TYPE: DOUBLE (PEONY FLOWERED); BLOOM TIME: LATE SPRING Double early tulips light up any spring landscape with fresh color but are subject to whims of rain and wind. Double late tulips extend the growing season with longer-lasting bloom power. Double tulips,…

A sturdy roof will keep the materials mostly dry. The frame should be made out of natural or recycled components. Sticks and logs help ladybugs, since they spend winter underneath the pieces. Chunks of wood with drilled holes are ideal for overwintering mason and leafcutter bees. Straw and pine cones host beneficial hoverflies. Cavities attract hibernating carpenter bees. Bark shreds provide a home for beetles, spiders and millipedes. PRIME REAL ESTATE Place your hotel on a post or tree about 3 to 6 feet off the ground, preferably facing the south or southeast. This keeps the hotel warm on chilly days, allowing bees and other pollinators to go about their business.…

COLUMBINE Hummingbirds love the bright spring flowers. SERVICEBERRY This native tree is one of the earliest sources of summer fruit for birds, and it hosts caterpillars. ELDERBERRY The flowers on this shrub provide nectar and are followed by tasty berries appearing in late summer. BLAZING STAR The purple flower spikes attract hummingbirds and then turn to seed in fall. COTONEASTER Autumn Inferno is a shrub that offers fiery red fall foliage for you and small red berries that birds can’t get enough of. HOLLY Its long-lasting berries are an important winter food source.…

There’s a river nearby with lots of awesome birds of every shape and color, as well as beautiful ducks that I admire while I’m fishing. Lisa Barlet NEWBURG, NORTH DAKOTA I live near a former nature center . The property offers every habitat you could want—open fields, shrubbery, shoreline and more. Katie Wickert LINESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA Marco Island in Florida is my top choice. There are so many types of birds there. Kathy Lorigan EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA We’re fortunate to live near the 32,000-acre Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin. There’s always something to see there! Sue Gronholz BEAVER DAM, WISCONSIN Durham Cove, part of the Marion Reservoir in Marion County, Kansas, is an escape for me. It’s a large secluded body of water perfect for a variety of migratory birds. Jennifer Broadstreet Hess…

How to submit: Share photos and stories with us using the online form: birdsandblooms.com/submit. Please send submissions only through our online form. What you’ll get: If we print your submission in the magazine, we will send you a complimentary copy of the issue in which it appears, and any compensation as may be specified by us in writing. Returns: We regret that we cannot return unsolicited materials. Rights: By submitting material to us, you grant RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC, its affiliates, partners and licensees worldwide use of the material without time limitation, including the right to use your name and city/state/province in connection with any such use. We reserve the right to modify, reproduce and distribute your material in any medium (now or hereafter existing) and in any manner or…

Chickadees are very verbose birds. They sing fee-bee when amorous. They scold chick-a-dee, adding more dees the higher their anxiety. And when the risk is acute, such as a soaring hawk overhead, they shriek. “That shriek means ‘freeze’ to the flock,” says Arch McCallum, a retired biology professor and the lead expert on mountain chickadees for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of The World. If you live in the Mountain West, a vocal black, white and gray bird might be a black-capped chickadee or its closest cousin, a mountain chickadee. The two are similar in size, about 4 inches long, with large heads, long tails and small bills. Both have a prominent black cap, white cheeks, light gray to buff sides, and a black throat patch, but only mountain…

Tulips originated in dry mountain regions. To encourage rebloom, snap off the old blooms when spent but leave the stem and foliage until completely dried. Tulips require full sun and good soil drainage. Avoid planting in irrigated garden areas. Some hybrids, especially triumph tulips (the largest single group), are specifically bred to put all their energy into the first year. For reblooming, try species, Darwin hybrids, single late or fosteriana tulips, and consider the others annuals.…

I love snapping photos at the garden center where I work. My phone came in handy when I noticed these bumblebees enjoying the coneflowers on a summer day. Gwen Freeman STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Driving down some of the back roads in the Daniel Boone National Forest in eastern Kentucky, I’ll often come across insects and butterflies feeding on wildflowers. This great spangled fritillary butterfly was drinking nectar from Joe Pye weed while being illuminated by the sun. Peggy Yaeger CORBIN, KENTUCKY We noticed this iridescent tree swallow on a rail fence while driving through Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland. Actually, we heard the swallow first, since he was making quite a noise. We weren’t sure whether he was upset about something or just making a general announcement. I prefer to…

Q Are there any container annuals that butterflies will visit? Donna Devillez BROOKLYN, CONNECTICUT Melinda: You’ll be amazed by how many butterflies you can attract with a flower-filled planter. Pentas are a butterfly magnet and are often found in butterfly houses. If you’re looking for something heat and drought tolerant, lantana is another favorite. Include some flat daisylike blossoms of single zinnias, cosmos and dahlias. Add fragrant heliotrope for both your benefit and the butterflies’. Grow cool-weather tolerant annuals, such as pansies and sweet alyssum, to provide nectar early or late in the season. Q Do any types of shade tolerant plants attract butterflies? Adrianne Long FREDERICK, MARYLAND Melinda: You may be surprised to find a variety of native plants that tolerate shade and support butterflies. Always be sure to…

WINGSPAN About 11/4 inches. DISTINCTIVE MARKINGS The upperside of each wing is orange with large black patches and stripes. A small, pale crescent moon-shaped marking is on the underside of each hindwing. RANGE Most of the U.S. east of the Rockies and parts of southern Canada. HABITAT Gardens, fields, roadsides and near woodlands. HOST PLANTS Many types of asters. EGGS Adults lay minuscule white-green eggs in clusters on host plants. NECTAR FAVORITES Asters are your best bet for attracting pearl crescents, but they’ll visit almost any butterfly favorites.…

1600 Unlike honeybees, which were first introduced to North America from Europe in the 1600s, bumblebees are native to the continent. 86 In cold temperatures, bumblebees can shiver to bring their bodies to their minimum flight temperature of 86 degrees. 250 It’s a big world—in fact, about 250 bumblebee species are spread around the globe. 2017 The rusty patched bumblebee, which was once commonly found, has been on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered list since 2017. 50 These fast fliers have big families! A bumblebee colony holds anywhere from 50 to 500 individuals. 200 A bumblebee’s wings beat about 200 times per second. That’s one busy bee! 70 Be kind to bumblebees—around 70% of flowering plants rely on the work done by pollinators like bumblebees.…