Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Birds and Blooms Extra

Tomato Soup, Mac ’n’ Cheese, Milkshake! No, you haven’t opened a food magazine. Believe it or not, those are names of coneflowers that are mentioned in this issue’s Top 10 plant list. In “Bold by Nature” on page 10, writer and gardener Wendy Helfenbaum details 10 unique coneflowers that grow in hues from bright orange and yellow to lime green. Not only do they have super fun names, such as the ones above, but they also bloom in interesting shapes that slightly differ from the classic native purple types. Also in this issue is a handy guide to growing salvia, a popular summer stunner known to attract all kinds of pollinators, but especially hummingbirds. In “A Summer Staple” on page 36, read about the growing conditions and the care needed…

1 Guatemala Gold ZONES 5 TO 9 New for 2024, this compact golden orange cultivar creates a dense mound of foliage and blooms from late spring to early summer. This herbaceous coneflower needs full sun and well-draining, fertile soil. Water it deeply during the first growing season. It will tolerate some drought once established. Why we love it:This coneflower grows to 10 inches high and wide, staying tidy with no need for staking. 2 Color Coded One in a Melon ZONES 4 TO 8 Featuring 5-inch fragrant, melon-colored flowers and matching cones, this new type has overlapping, horizontally held petals. This coneflower does well in part to full sun and well-draining soil. Reaching 24 inches tall and 20 inches wide, it blooms from mid- to late summer. Why we love…

It’s always exciting to see male painted buntings. It was an amazing year for them in 2022 here in Texas Hill Country. I was very thrilled to have multiple birds back again in 2023. Here’s one perched on a stump with a chaste tree around it. Rachel Spencer KERRVILLE, TX UNMATCHED BEAUTY Some people refer to this bird by its name in French: nonpareil, which means “unrivaled” or “without equal.” As a weekend hobbyist photographer, I happened to see this anhinga posing for me with wonderful breeding plumage against a beautiful background in perfect light. I took this photo with my Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera and a super telephoto lens at Lake Apopka’s north shore in central Florida. Robert Blanchard KISSIMMEE, FL Friends told me about a rufous hummingbird…

ZABULON SKIPPER I took this photo with my iPhone of a zabulon skipper drinking nectar from Joe Pye weed at Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County, Maryland, along Minebank Run, a restored urban stream. Healthy streams are great for supporting wildlife habitats! Allegra MarcellBALTIMORE, MD FIERY SKIPPER When I am photographing butterflies, fiery skippers often catch me off guard. This little one was so vibrant and content with the globe amaranth. Monica SlackEL CAJON, CA PECK’S SKIPPER My brother’s gardens always come to life with fluttering butterflies and buzzing bees. I loved seeing this Peck’s skipper on a zinnia. Stephanie WeidemoyerTELFORD, PA SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER George KurzikHELLAM, PA EUROPEAN SKIPPER Trisha Snider ST. THOMAS, ON WOODLAND SKIPPER It’s not summer without skippers in the garden. Typically I get great shots of…

8,000 Of all hummingbirds found in the U.S., the rufous migrates the farthest. Some rufouses fly as many as 8,000 miles every year. 1 The smallest bird in the U.S. is the Calliope hummingbird, which weighs one-tenth of an ounce, the same as a table tennis ball. 800 Anna’s hummingbirds have extended their breeding range north 800 miles to Canada in recent decades. 2 Two subspecies of Allen’s hummingbirds breed in the same small slice of Oregon and California coast. 54 On cold nights, broad-tailed hummingbirds might enter torpor to stay at an even 54 degrees. 900 A Costa’s hummingbird’s heart beats between 500 and 900 times each minute when at rest. When in a torpid state, its heart beats only 50 times per minute. BIRDS & BLOOMS EXTRA (ISSN…

SUN-LOVING FUN Alliums can tolerate hot summer weather, with long-lasting blooms that attract butterflies.Plus, deer and rabbits tend to leave it be. Millenium Allium Allium hybrid, Zones 4 to 9 Low-maintenance alliums feature deep pink, spherical flowers that bloom from mid-to late summer. Plant them 10 to 15 inches apart and divide in spring or fall. This hybrid genus forms clumps, and it doesn’t self-seed. Millenium will add jolts of color and texture to your summer garden. Attracts: Light needs: Part sun to full sun. Size: About 18 inches tall Grown for: Dozens of fragrant, globe-shaped blossoms on each plant in mid- to late summer. Foliage: Thin, glossy and deep green in color. Cultivars to try: Medusa, Summer Beauty and Summer Peek-a-Boo alliums are worth checking out.…

Q I planted sunflowers on the east side of our property. They came up tall and beautiful but faced our neighbors’ home on the east. What can I do to get them to face us next year? Duane Southworth FLINT, MI Melinda: You may have noticed young sunflower plants tend to move their flowers to face the direction of the sun. As they mature, the necks become stiff, preventing such movement, so mature plants end up facing in one direction. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, discovered that sunflowers facing east attracted more bees. The east-facing flowers were warmer, giving the bees an energy boost during a time when the plants tend to release more pollen. This resulted in more viable seed production. So what does this mean for…

Photographing butterflies in Minnesota, especially when they visit native plants, is something I love to do. I took this photo of a great spangled fritillary on a native smooth oxeye (or false sunflower) at a restored prairie site this past June. The white dots on its wings were a beautiful reflective silver in person. Travis BonovskyBROOKLYN CENTER, MN While on a bird-watching adventure with a friend in Bonner Springs, Kansas, we struck out on our search for migrating warblers, but we happened upon this group of great spangled fritillary butterflies. They were very lively and a great source of entertainment. Karen LangtryOVERLAND PARK, KS CATERPILLAR Black body with black spikes protruding from rows of reddish orange bases. Head is also black with some areas of orange or red. Great spangled…

While the East and Midwest have rose-breasted grosbeaks, head across the Great Plains region and you’ll meet their orange-hued cousins, the black-headed grosbeaks. Like all grosbeaks, these birds are true to their name and have large beaks that allow them to easily crack open seeds. (The “gros” in “grosbeak” is a French word meaning “thick.”) If you’re in their range, look for black-headed grosbeaks in deciduous trees and open woodlands. They’re also usually willing to stop by backyards during spring and fall migration. Vibrant Colors The males of this species get their distinctive color in their second year. “The male black-headed grosbeaks are fairly straightforward to identify,” says Emma Greig, project leader for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch. She suggests looking for a rufous-orange chest, bright white wing…

From time to time, I’ve run a mister in my garden. Hummingbirds, larger birds, dragonflies and butterflies will dip through and enjoy a quick mist. A couple of times there have been doves perched on a branch near the mister. Kathryn Rucci ORLANDO, FL My pond has a waterfall with spots for the water to puddle so the birds can cool off. Boni Trombetta WEST CHESTER, PA I have a birdbath with a fountain—the birds love it! Cyndi Craycroft CINCINNATI, OH Living in central Florida, we get and stay hot. We grow passionflower vines to add shade, in addition to having birdbaths and moving bird feeders to shade. Tom Dotson LAKELAND, FL During hot weather I move my feeders into shady areas. I also refrain from mowing the lawn or…

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 get a one-year subscription to Birds & Blooms. In the May issue, we hid it on page 34. 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 June 18, 2024, and ends on Aug. 20, 2024. 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:…