Help Stop the Spread of Bird Disease

Prevention is key to stop the spread of bird diseases to humans and other birds. Backyard bird feeding has been a favorite pastime for many homeowners. However, birds can carry various diseases that can be passed along to other birds and sometimes to humans through their saliva and feces. >>What To Do If You See A Sick Bird

Birds can become sick after eating leftover feed that has become moldy and from bird poop that piles up around the feeder. Promote a healthy feeding environment for birds, and you for that matter, by routinely cleaning your feeders. >>About Birds and Bird Feeding

Feeder Care

• Clean feeders once every 2 weeks or more often if you have heavy traffic.
• Wash your feeders thoroughly in soapy water then soak or rinse in a solution of 1 parts bleach to 9 parts water.
• Completely dry before refilling with bird seed.
• Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned every 3 to 5 days when you refill the nectar.
• Remove any excess seed that accumulates on the ground below the feeder.

Birds play an important role in ecological balance by propogating plant life and controlling insects. A healthy population is vital in maintaining other natural resources. Whether you live in urban, suburban, or rural areas, there are birds that need your help. >>Getting Started: What You Can Do

More Safe Feeding Resources

• Safe Bird Feeding
• Is Backyard Bird Feeding Helping or Hurting?
• National Wildlife Health Center
• Feeder Placement and Landscaping

Birds For Natural Pest Control

Attracting birds to your backyard is not only fun for birdwatching but can also serve as natural pest control. Spring is a time when migrating birds return to our yards to enjoy the warm weather. However, so do the many unwanted pests that prey on the new growth of our precious plants. Don’t get me wrong, not all bugs are bad. Actually, 95% of all insects are beneficial or harmless to people. So keep the insecticides on the shelf and reach for the birdseed instead (see also Other Bird Foods).

Insect-eating Birds

Most birds that visit your feeders are not interested in eating seed, but rather the live insects and other cold-blooded vertebrates that are flooding your yard come spring. Remember, not all insects are bad so get rid of that ugly bug-zapper and let nature do its thing.

• Crawling insects: Blackbirds, bluebirds, sparrows, crows, wrens, cardinals, bobolinks, and more
• Tree catepillars: Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, warblers
• Flying insects: swallows, nighthawks, flycatchers, warblers, swifts, Cedar Waxwings
• Tree-Crevice insects: chickadees, nuthatches, creepers, woodpeckers, Black-and-white warbler
• >>More on insect-eating birds

If you don’t already have birds flocking to your yard to gobble up those pesky grubs and aphids, then take a little time understand what attracts certain birds to your area. The basics to providing a healthy habitat for your feathered friends includes food, water, shelter, and a place to nest. >>More on bird basics

Other Bird Foods

• Suet cakes for western bluebirds, chickadees, jays, towhees, warblers, and more. Since suet can be quite messy, but commercial cakes are mainly convenient for humans, not so simple for the birds. Buy cakes that contain ingredients that are easy for birds to eat and avoid the slippery, fat-covered seeds that are hard to crack. >>More tips and how-to recipe
• Hang a pine cone covered with peanut butter outside a window for woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice. PB is best served during cooler weather and be sure to only use small amounts. Imagine trying to swallow a PB & J without a glass of milk! >>More on peanut butter
• Halved fruits like oranges, berries, bananas, cherries, etc for orioles and tanagers. Chop up and soak raisins and currants for mockingbirds, catbirds, wrens, and thrashers.

Other Bird Topics of Interest

• Top Flowers For Birds
• Pests and Problems in Your Garden
• Backyard Bird Food Chart
• Birdseed Types
• Feeders For the Yardless

Hot Pots For Cool Spaces

Retro Bullet Planters by Hip Haven

Shop Grounded $144.99

16 inch Jardiniere Pots by Bauer Pottery Company

Shop more colors Bauer Potter Co. $220

White Ceramic Midori Planters

Shop Sprout Home $20.65 small $64.00 Large

22″ Aqua Oil Jar

Shop various sizes & colors Bauer Pottery $132-$550

Faux Cement Planters

Shop Smith & Hawken $69 small $119 Lg

Sea Holly For Northwest Agave Fans

What do you do when you desire the architectural rosettes of Agave but live in the Northwest? Substitute Agaves for the sword-shaped leaves of ERYNGIUM Agavifolium (Agave-leaf Sea Holly).

Potted arrangements are an alternative, but containers have their own maintenance requirements, like over-winterizing, routine watering, and not to mention expensive.

Agaves are not native to the Northwest and don’t like our cold, wet winters. Introducing non-native, non-hardy plants to your borders can become hosts for unwanted pests and disease. Who wants to work that hard? Look for cold-hardy plants that have the same characteristics of the plants you love and save you, and your plants, a lot of hardship.

• More Sea Holly info and photos at www.greatplantpicks.org

• Cold hardy Agaves at High Country Gardens

Spring Garden Photos

I finally emptied my camera’s storage card to take some pics of our yard. We went from winter to summer in 24 hours. Two days ago there was frost on the roof, and yesterday a toasty 84°F.

Click the links for plant information and mature plant photos

EUPHORBIAS are sporting their new chartreuse blooms. Just to the left of Bob, our garden Buddha, you can see IMPERATA cylindrica ‘Rubra’ (Japanese Blood Grass) starting to sprout up. We plan to plant Bamboo in the galvanized containers this spring to hide the ugly gray fence. I leveled the containers. The fence is just that crooked. NASSELLA tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) is the transition to our xeriscape garden. The bamboo poles mark the, barely visible, ECHINACEA purpurea (Coneflower).

Sprouting here is ASTILBE (False Spirea). I think this one has pink plumes. Just out of the picture, we have another variety that has white plumes.

I tried to focus in on the flower bud of our ALLIUM tuberosum (Garlic Chives). These plants doubled in size since last year.

TIP: When planted close to Chives, carrots will tend to grow larger

This area is located in the complete opposite end of the yard. The fence is part of the dog run I built a couple of years ago.

A. Neighbor’s Bamboo B. ACER circinatum (Vine Maple) C. RUDBECKIA hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) D. Japanese Iris E. SPIREA ‘Goldflame’ F. NANDINA domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)

Modern Pots for Tasty Herbs

Add style to your kitchen by growing some of your favorite herbs in these modern, self-watering pots by Grobal. Depending on the plant, you only have to water every 3-4 weeks. Grobals balance water and nutrient supply by using a unique capillary action.

FACT: Many plants die of over-watering!

Many other houseplants can be grown in your Grobal, succulents look especially stylish. You can even start from seed, check out the Baby Grobals. The one downside I see is that regular houseplant fertilizer is not recommended, but Grobal makes their own Grobal Food. However, this is a minor trade-off for a pot that regulates water and nutrient supply with minimal effort.

How do they work?

Herb Salt Recipe From The Garden

There are many culinary uses for herbs, whether dried or fresh. One of my fellow bloggers from Austrailia has a great recipe for Herb Salt. Trudi uses the salt for salad dressings, soup stock, or anything she deems appropriate. Her favorite herbs for the recipe are Celery Leaves, Parsley, Summer Savory, and Tarragon. Basically, any herb at her disposal. To add some color interest to her salt, Trudi mixes in a little Chilli Powder, Calendula and Borage Flowers.

IMPORTANT: Remove all moisture from you herbs

Trudi dries the herbs in her Vacola Dryer under 50 C (100 F), in order preserve their green color. Some herbs, like Basil, take longer than others, but the process usually takes about 1 day and 1 night. Food dehydrators can be expensive but are a great investment if you plan to dry herbs, flowers, and other foods regularly. For the impatient types, you can dry herbs in a conventional oven to speed up the process. Place the leaves on a cookie sheet and warm the temperature to no more than 180 F for 3 to 4 hours with the door propped open. More info on Harvesting and Drying Herbs

If you’re making large batches at a time, be sure to gather plenty of leaves from your garden. Drying herbs will dramatically shrink your original amount. Once the herbs are dried, crush them by hand or give a whirl in a food processor for a fine texture. Finally, mix together well with sea salt.

Thank you Trudi for sharing your recipe and allowing me to share with others!

Emeril’s version of Herb Salt

Herb Salt Recipe: A Healthy Salt Alternative

Tips For Growing Herbs

Herbs are a great way for beginners to get their hands dirty in the garden. In my opinion, herbs are easy and one of the most useful plants you’ll ever care for. Whether you’re thinking about potting culinary favorites or incorporating ornamental varieties into your landscape, here’s just a few things to consider:

• Exposure - most herbs like to be placed in a sunny part of the yard, or at least 6 hours out of the day. Sun lovers include chives, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary. However, there are those that prefer a little afternoon shade like lemon balm, parsley, rosemary, basil, mint, and mustard to name a few.
• Soil - Compost based products are recommended for landscape and potted herbs. Potted herbs need soils that help retain moisture, and landscaped herbs prefer compost rich, water-draining soil.
• Water - Most herbs become drought tolerant after a year of routine watering. Soak your potted herbs in the morning to help them get through a hot summer day, especially if they’re positioned in the sun.
• Feed - Weekly feedings during the growing season (March through September) helps plants produce leaves and stay healthy after routine cuttings. Any product that boosts leaf production is sufficient.

If you’re looking to take your herb garden to the next level, check out The Herb Garden Redefined. This Austin, Texas, nursery features an eclectic, circular-designed garden with herbs from around the world. Here you’ll find Mexican, Southeast Asian, Lemon-lime, Provencal, and Mediterranean varieties.

These Essential Herbs (photo by Rod D. Brodman) only have to be planted once but can be enjoyed in the garden and kitchen for many years to come. This Sunset pre-planned herb garden is easy to install and maintain.

Herb is short for the botanical term herbaceous, which means the above ground stems do not become woody. These 10 Ornamental Herbs need not be confined to just herb gardens. They are beautiful, fragrant, and attract wildlife. Agastache ‘Tutti Frutti” is a delightful addition to my sun-loving border.

Create Your Own Garden Art

I recently stumbled across this unique succulent chair by Sandra Nelson, a fellow blogger at Art In The Garden. Susan found this retro style chair at a thrift store and was drawn to the shiny chrome frame. Although there are no before pictures, the photo shows Susan cut off the less-than-fabulous material and replaced the form with chicken wire.

As with any wire container, you must keep the soil from seeping through the holes by filling them with dampened sphagnum moss (note: don’t buy sphagnum peat moss). Be sure to press the pieces firmly into the holes and fill the spaces completely. Chicken wire and peat moss can be found at any local, full-service nursery or home improvement store. To limit messy leakage when watering, line the moss with a sheet of plastic, which also acts as a moisture barrier. Remember to cut one good drainage hole at the bottom of both the seat back and bottom.

Next, slit the plastic where you plan to insert the roots of your succulents. Sandra planted sedums, hens and chicks, and thyme. Buy the smallest plants available to make inserting the plants’ roots through the wire holes and plastic slits easier.

Fill the frame’s center with potting soil. Not just any soil but a free-draining potting mix with slow-release fertilizer. Firm the soil around the roots of the plants by pressing it down with your hands.

Ever so gently, water your self-acclaimed artwork thoroughly and keep the soil evenly moist until new growth appears. At that point, you only have to water when the soil becomes dry. You’re better off giving your container a good soaking, rather than just misting the top layer. TIP: If the plants start looking wilty, then you’ve waited too long.

Be prepared to learn from your mistakes because no one said this was an exact science.

Thanks Sandra for your creativity and best of luck to you! Imagine how fabulous this chair will look once the plants fill in. If you would like to see your project featured on my blog, please respond with your ideas or visit Have A Garden Question .

Native Plants For Your Area

Landscaping with native plants is often referred to as Naturescaping. There are many benefits of using native plants, but one of the biggest in my book, is less maintenance. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time in my garden but I have many other outdoor interests too.

With natives, you don’t have to worry about invasive plants or huge water bills. Translation: less chemicals and more money in your pocket. Many of these plants only need water to get established the first year then become drought tolerant. (note: drought tolerant DOES NOT mean “no water”, they still need an occasional soak).

Sometimes chemical weed control is necessary, but only when all other options have failed. Chemical runoff by rain has detrimental effects on fish habitats. See my Weed or Not To Weed post for more ideas on weed control without chemicals. Naturescaping preserves biodiversity, which is healthy for you and others.

Plant Native is an organization dedicated to moving native plants and naturescaping into mainstream landscaping practices. They are a great one-stop resource for finding native plants by state, region, or local nursery:

• More on Native Plants,
• Community Service in your area
• Find a Local Nursery
• Native Plant Books by area