Okay so it’s been awhile. Long story, won’t go there…
ANYHOW, on with the post and all of that. So, wildlife gardeners, I would like to recommend using Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society’s Ebird as a tool when planning a backyard habitat. It seems to be very underused by wildlife gardeners and I am not quite sure why. When selecting plants for birds, you need to know what species are in your area so you know exactly who to plant for. You can use the “Explore Data” feature and find your location then check different species to see if yes, planting wax myrtle is a good idea since Yellow-rumped warblers have sighted nearby. If you have limited space and are trying to figure out which plants are going to attract the most local species, first find out what exactly what the local species are. It might surprise you. Since the majority of birds are not seed eaters at our feeders it can be difficult to know who is in residence.
Also please report your sitings in Ebird. You would be helping other gardeners to know what to plant for. Now I don’t report every dang bird I see every day but twice a year during migration I try to report every dang bird I see. Hopefully this will give other people in my area an idea of what passes through or which permanent residents are lurking about. I also use the data frequently so wish more people would report sitings. There hasn’t been a red-headed woodpecker listed for my location since 2009 – let’s hope that isn’t correct!
This month’s Bloom Day is a native plants for native bees theme once again. I’m a lazy gardener I’ve decided. All of the shrubs presented here are low maintenance, prune and shape if you wish or let go if you don’t feel like it. Basically I just dig a hole (having good soil in the first place), plop a plant in the ground, put it on my drip line and let it rip. These guys are stout and can take abuse. In spring I do go through a bit of shaping and trimming but nothing major, as well as keep the surrounding area clear of invasive plants. Japanese honeysuckle is my nemesis in my zone 7b woodland garden. I can personally recommend these plants to any gardener who would like a care free, wildlife friendly landscape.
Chionanthus virginicus, Fringe tree or Old Man’s Beard bloomed early this month to my surprise. They are known to flower at a young age and I got lucky. This specimen had only been planted last fall and she is about 5′ tall, so I wasn’t expecting blooms. What a show she put on and the hummingbirds loved her! This is a female, which is not as showy as the male plant but she will get lovely, larger blue berries that attract birds if she managed to get pollinated. I do have a male as well but he is too young to bloom yet.
Chionanthus virginicus Zones: 3-9 is a small tree or shrub reaching 12′ to 20′ feet. Grow in sun to partial shade; prefers moist, well drained soil. Mine is grown as an understory tree with dappled sun, located in a drier site and doing fine. Fall color is yellow and can be showy.
Hydrangea arborescens, Smooth hydrangea. Oh yes it starts out that lime green. I love this plant! The flowers are huge and take their time opening so it prolongs the bloom season a bit. This stunning native has several cultivars which usually range from 3′ to 5′. Finally a native shrub that comes in a more compact size. Hydrangea arborescens can be grown in zones 3 to 9 and requires part shade. Water requirements are average and like a hydrangea is a drama queen so will tell you when it needs a drink. The bees love it! It’s another low maintenance native shrub with no serious insect or disease problems. I don’t touch this plant until about January when I finally clip off the dead blooms before the next season’s growth begins. Blooms on new wood so you can prune or not depending on how you wish it to be sized. A must for the woodland garden.
Hydrangea quercifolia, Oakleaf Hydrangea Alice. I can’t get enough Hydrangea quercifolia. What’s not to love about this native shrub? They just grow and grow with little care, the flowers are magnificent and turn a beautiful papery golden brown later so you don’t need to be clipping dead blooms. Bees are all over the blossoms. The bark is exfoliating and twisty so even in winter it’s pretty. The fall color is just WOW.
Hydrangea quercifolia can be grown in zones 5 to 9, requires part shade and will reach 6 to 8′. That’s what the tell me anyhow but I have seen them at 12′ with an equal spread so take this with a pound of salt, make room for this beauty. It’s low maintenance with no serious insect or disease problems, medium water requirements. The above photo is an Alice cultivar, which looks exactly the same as my species specimen but I will say that Alice bloomed more profusely.
Hydrangea quercifolia, Oakleaf Hydrangea Snowflake. So I decided to find out what all of the fuss is about with the Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea. Now I know. It’s certainly different with the second bloom. Wish I’d bought two. Of course to stuff another Oakleaf on my property I’m going to need to buy the neighbors land for more room.
Itea virginica, Virginia Sweetspire Henry’s Garnet is a favorite of native bees. They are busy on the fragrant flowers all day. Itea virginica can be grown in zones 5 to 9, full sun to part shade and has medium water requirements. Mine is grown as an understory plant with dappled shade and is thriving. It’s low maintenance with no serious insect or disease problems. I don’t prune, fertilize or touch this guy and he’s happy. I grow it for the bees and the fall color, which ranges in the oranges and yellows with red. Itea virginica is a wonderful, trouble free native shrub for the woodland garden.
Clarkia elegans, Elegant Clarkia is a native annual which I seeded for the heck of it and the bees and hummingbirds adore it. This plant requires a bit of water I have found, and being the low maintenance gardener that I am, I’m not sure that I will grow it again. My woods are mostly oak so quite dry and my understory plants are on a drip irrigation system. The idea of hand watering confuses me – I have to remind myself that I have a chore to do. I’ve gotten very spoiled!
Erm…well I thought this was Ratibida columnaris, Mexican Hat but I’m not sure any more. It’s coming up at the base of an oak, let’s see if it hats out soon. The bees visit frequently and I know that it is a native so I’m happy they showed up. The bright yellow spots are quite cheerful on the forest floor.
Viburnum nudum, Smooth Witherod Winterhur Female. These are just passing and the bees are still all over her. I don’t have a male but my female still produces beautiful deep pink and blue to purple berries which the birds love. With the birds eating the berries it means no dead heading blossoms, just a spring tidy up with a pair of scissors. The fall color is amazing, reds to purples.
Grow Viburnum nudum in full sun to part shade, zone: 5 to 9. It reaches 5′ to 12′ with an equal spread. Low maintenance, no pruning or dead heading. Water requirements are average and it can be grown in my zone, 7b, with a little more shade than in norther climates. The sun here is fairly strong so a little goes a long way.
On a note, I also have Viburnum nudum Count Pulaski and it hasn’t even begun to bloom yet. This cultivar flowers much later than the others I have grown, and somehow manages to get pollinated. Don’t ask me what’s doing the job but it produces berries so the birds, bees and I are all pleased.
I dedicate my bloom day photos to native plants for native pollinators.
Aronia melanocarpa Chokeberry Autumn Magic. Can a habitat garden have too many native chokeberries? Not only is Aronia a spring food source for bees, in the fall they produce berries which are a preferred food source for birds. The autumn color is stunning.
Neviusia alabamensis Alabama Snow-wreath. Native to the southeastern United States and in my opinion, a lovely, underused shrub. Alabama Snow-wreath is a trouble free, thicket-forming shrub reaching 3-6 ft. in height and width. It has exfoliating orange brown bark and the flowers are showy, feathery stamens. Grow in part shade. A favorite if native bees.
Vaccinium corymbosum Highbush Blueberry ssp. is an outstanding native wildlife shrub. The blossoms make for a favorite pollen source for bees, soon followed by a berry food source for birds. The bark is exfoliating on this 15′ shrub and the fall colors are just stunning.
Halesia tetraptera Pink Carolina Silverbell Arnold Pink. These are just about to open on my baby specimen but the bees are already on it. When the flower opens it will look like tiny, spreading wings from a tale of garden faeries. Native to the central and southern United States, a mid size tree reaching 20-30′. Trouble free, grow in part shade with moist loamy soil.
Cornus florida Flowering dogwood. Lucky me, there are several naturalized specimens of native Cornus florida on my property. After the bees get done with it, beautiful red berries will appear for the birds. They are always a favorite tree for migrating birds in the fall.
Yesterday was a good day. We were able to help our neighbor raise a bat house in his backyard. I’m all for that, more bats means less bugs. This particular style house is a rocket box and you can find the plans to build your own at: Rocket Box Bat House Plans.
First, the bat house had been mounted on a 16x4x4 pressure treated post.
A 3′ hole was dug where the house was to be located.
Some cement mix and water was poured in the hole before the 4×4 mounting post would go in it.
The bat house was raised! Yippie!
Temporary braces were nailed to the post to keep the house level while the cement dries. The base of the mounting post had been set in a thick plastic trash bag to help keep it dry. This is not mandatory.
Before securing the braces, the men checked to make certain the post was straight.
With the post level, the men then filled the rest of the hole with cement mix and water.
All straight and braced.
After a few days the support braces will be removed and the plastic trash bag trimmed to ground level.
A job well done.
For questions about bats in general, please join the Bat House Forums. The bat community is a small one but here I have found very experienced bat hosts. It’s a very friendly group and all of my questions have been answered by people who have been doing this a long time.
Have you ever noticed how butterflies gather on moist spots in a garden? This is known as puddling. Butterflies pull the moisture and minerals they need out of the damp soil. Males are known to be drawn to these puddles frequently, seeking salts salts and minerals which heighten their libido and encourage breeding.
You may easily make your own butterfly puddle in a backyard by by filling a small bowl, dish or flower pot bottom with sand and adding water until the sand is soggy. Make sure the bowl is at least 16″ wide or you will be adding water to it often as it evaporates, and the larger size will also allow for more butterflies and allow for them to find it easily.
Select a spot in the garden and dig the bowl into the ground to a level that is flush with the dirt. You could as well simply set the bowl on the ground, or on a pretty rock or over turned clay pot, but I have found that digging it in helps to keep the evaporation rate down a bit and in Georgia, that is an issue!
Add about a tablespoon of composted manure or mushroom compost to the sand, and there is the option to throw in a small pinch of salt to attract male butterflies. The bowl can include decorative river stones as well as some flat surfaces such as clam shells for the butterflies to sun bathe on.
It is also recommended to to add a bit of rotting fruit such as banana, apple or pear slices. Supposedly this attracts butterflies quite successfully, but honestly I have not tried this yet. It is advised not to change the fruit supply too frequently as butterflies prefer it somewhat fermented.
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Okay so it’s been awhile. Long story, won’t go there…
This month’s Bloom Day is a native plants for native bees theme once again. I’m a lazy gardener I’ve decided. All of the shrubs presented here are low maintenance, prune and shape if you wish or let go if you don’t feel like it. Basically I just dig a hole (having good soil in the first place), plop a plant in the ground, put it on my drip line and let it rip. These guys are stout and can take abuse. In spring I do go through a bit of shaping and trimming but nothing major, as well as keep the surrounding area clear of invasive plants. Japanese honeysuckle is my nemesis in my zone 7b woodland garden. I can personally recommend these plants to any gardener who would like a care free, wildlife friendly landscape.
Have you ever noticed how butterflies gather on moist spots in a garden? This is known as puddling. Butterflies pull the moisture and minerals they need out of the damp soil. Males are known to be drawn to these puddles frequently, seeking salts salts and minerals which heighten their libido and encourage breeding.
