Could 09, 2024
A part of the enjoyment of getting a backyard is watching the birds drawn to it. We put out birdfeeders, birdhouses, birdbaths, fountains, and ponds to deliver them in. However what actually attracts birds is plants — and I’m not speaking about turf grass. Timber, shrubs, grasses, and flowering perennials and annuals present hiding and nesting locations. They produce berries, seeds, and nectar, and so they feed bugs like caterpillars, which many birds depend on in flip to feed their younger. Birds delight us not solely with their magnificence and antics however by displaying us that we’re efficiently creating wholesome habitat for wild creatures.
Placing some crops within the floor and nurturing them is a good begin, and birds will come. However to make your yard actually interesting to birds, with quite a lot of meals and nesting locations, take a look at the brand new e book Bird-Friendly Gardening: Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape by Jen McGuinness, longtime blogger at Frau Zinnie.
An avid birder and gardener in Connecticut, Jen shares the fundamentals of what birds want for meals, water, and shelter. She consists of secure feeder practices and methods to present nesting supplies and the correct of bins for various birds. However the meat of the e book consists of round 25 bird-friendly backyard initiatives, full with plant lists and the fowl species attracted by them. These embody: a local plant container backyard, hummingbird patio or balcony backyard, native plant rain backyard, drought-tolerant backyard with native grasses, woodland retreat, warbler-friendly habitat, condo-friendly plantings, flowering vines hideaway, and streamside backyard. No matter measurement yard you might have, or nonetheless bold you’re feeling, you’ll discover a couple of initiatives that may deliver extra birds into your life.
Jen helpfully consists of the native vary for every advised plant, so you may decide and select amongst them relying in your local weather. And naturally you may at all times substitute crops which are higher suited in your area. Right here in Central Texas, for instance, I’d go for yaupon holly or possumhaw holly as a substitute of Allegheny serviceberry, and Lacey oak as a substitute of dwarf chestnut oak. Simply search for acceptable native crops that provide related options.
Interspersed among the many backyard initiatives are “birder highlight” profiles of individuals throughout the U.S. who’re working to assist birds not directly. Their tales add a welcome human aspect, connecting us to people with a ardour for birds that they wish to share with others.
That zeal for serving to birds is clear all through Jen’s e book. Whether or not you’re an skilled birder keen to draw extra species to your yard or a beginner eager to attempt a couple of small backyard initiatives to see if birds will present up, this e book will show you how to get began. Your feathered associates will thanks!
Disclosure: Cool Springs Press despatched me a replica of Chicken-Pleasant Gardening, and I reviewed it at my very own discretion and with none compensation. This put up, as with all the things at Digging, is my private opinion.
I welcome your feedback. Please scroll to the tip of this put up to depart one. In case you’re studying in an e-mail, click here to visit Digging and discover the remark field on the finish of every put up. And hey, did somebody ahead this e-mail to you, and also you wish to subscribe? Click here to get Digging delivered on to your inbox!
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Digging Deeper
Could 11: Tour 4 Austin gardens on 5/11, from 9 am to three pm, on the Inside Austin Gardens Tour. Every backyard “is created and cared for by a Travis County Grasp Gardener and demonstrates sensible gardening practices that inform and encourage.” Tickets are $25, or free for youngsters 12 and below.
Could 18: On Austin Home’s Great Outdoors Tour, held 5/18 from 10 am to three pm, discover “Pinterest-worthy swimming pools and outside kitchens to considerate plantings and trendy city density options.” Tickets are $30.
Could 18: Pop as much as Dallas for the 2024 DCMGA Garden Tour on 5/18 from 10 am to five pm. Tickets are $18 if bought on-line prior to six pm on 5/17, or $22 after 6 pm on 5/17 or on the occasion. For a sneak peek, click here.
June 1-2: Take a self-guided, 2-day tour of ponds and gardens in and round Austin on the annual Austin Pond and Garden Tour, held 6/1 and 6/2, 9 am to five pm. Tickets are $20 to $25.
Come study gardening and design at Garden Spark! I arrange in-person talks by inspiring designers, panorama architects, authors, and gardeners a couple of occasions a yr in Austin. These are limited-attendance occasions that promote out shortly, so be a part of the Backyard Spark e-mail listing to be notified prematurely; merely click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Keep tuned for more information!
All materials © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized replica prohibited.
Could 09, 2024
A part of the enjoyment of getting a backyard is watching the birds drawn to it. We put out birdfeeders, birdhouses, birdbaths, fountains, and ponds to deliver them in. However what actually attracts birds is plants — and I’m not speaking about turf grass. Timber, shrubs, grasses, and flowering perennials and annuals present hiding and nesting locations. They produce berries, seeds, and nectar, and so they feed bugs like caterpillars, which many birds depend on in flip to feed their younger. Birds delight us not solely with their magnificence and antics however by displaying us that we’re efficiently creating wholesome habitat for wild creatures.
Placing some crops within the floor and nurturing them is a good begin, and birds will come. However to make your yard actually interesting to birds, with quite a lot of meals and nesting locations, take a look at the brand new e book Bird-Friendly Gardening: Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape by Jen McGuinness, longtime blogger at Frau Zinnie.
An avid birder and gardener in Connecticut, Jen shares the fundamentals of what birds want for meals, water, and shelter. She consists of secure feeder practices and methods to present nesting supplies and the correct of bins for various birds. However the meat of the e book consists of round 25 bird-friendly backyard initiatives, full with plant lists and the fowl species attracted by them. These embody: a local plant container backyard, hummingbird patio or balcony backyard, native plant rain backyard, drought-tolerant backyard with native grasses, woodland retreat, warbler-friendly habitat, condo-friendly plantings, flowering vines hideaway, and streamside backyard. No matter measurement yard you might have, or nonetheless bold you’re feeling, you’ll discover a couple of initiatives that may deliver extra birds into your life.
Jen helpfully consists of the native vary for every advised plant, so you may decide and select amongst them relying in your local weather. And naturally you may at all times substitute crops which are higher suited in your area. Right here in Central Texas, for instance, I’d go for yaupon holly or possumhaw holly as a substitute of Allegheny serviceberry, and Lacey oak as a substitute of dwarf chestnut oak. Simply search for acceptable native crops that provide related options.
Interspersed among the many backyard initiatives are “birder highlight” profiles of individuals throughout the U.S. who’re working to assist birds not directly. Their tales add a welcome human aspect, connecting us to people with a ardour for birds that they wish to share with others.
That zeal for serving to birds is clear all through Jen’s e book. Whether or not you’re an skilled birder keen to draw extra species to your yard or a beginner eager to attempt a couple of small backyard initiatives to see if birds will present up, this e book will show you how to get began. Your feathered associates will thanks!
Disclosure: Cool Springs Press despatched me a replica of Chicken-Pleasant Gardening, and I reviewed it at my very own discretion and with none compensation. This put up, as with all the things at Digging, is my private opinion.
I welcome your feedback. Please scroll to the tip of this put up to depart one. In case you’re studying in an e-mail, click here to visit Digging and discover the remark field on the finish of every put up. And hey, did somebody ahead this e-mail to you, and also you wish to subscribe? Click here to get Digging delivered on to your inbox!
__________________________
Digging Deeper
Could 11: Tour 4 Austin gardens on 5/11, from 9 am to three pm, on the Inside Austin Gardens Tour. Every backyard “is created and cared for by a Travis County Grasp Gardener and demonstrates sensible gardening practices that inform and encourage.” Tickets are $25, or free for youngsters 12 and below.
Could 18: On Austin Home’s Great Outdoors Tour, held 5/18 from 10 am to three pm, discover “Pinterest-worthy swimming pools and outside kitchens to considerate plantings and trendy city density options.” Tickets are $30.
Could 18: Pop as much as Dallas for the 2024 DCMGA Garden Tour on 5/18 from 10 am to five pm. Tickets are $18 if bought on-line prior to six pm on 5/17, or $22 after 6 pm on 5/17 or on the occasion. For a sneak peek, click here.
June 1-2: Take a self-guided, 2-day tour of ponds and gardens in and round Austin on the annual Austin Pond and Garden Tour, held 6/1 and 6/2, 9 am to five pm. Tickets are $20 to $25.
Come study gardening and design at Garden Spark! I arrange in-person talks by inspiring designers, panorama architects, authors, and gardeners a couple of occasions a yr in Austin. These are limited-attendance occasions that promote out shortly, so be a part of the Backyard Spark e-mail listing to be notified prematurely; merely click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Keep tuned for more information!
All materials © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized replica prohibited.