Berry Berry Good!

This year I can finally boast a few berries! Berries attract birds and just last evening a male Cardinal stopped by – a rare, but very welcome, occurrence in my young garden – the cover is not yet thick enough for a Cardinal's liking. Robins are still lingering. Robins actually spend the winters here where there are enough berries and fruit to sustain them. I see them regularly in a nearby state park through the entire winter where there are many dogwoods and chokeberries. (It is the Red-winged Blackbird that announces Spring for me.) The Catbird's calls were closer than ever this year, and more frequent.

My plan is for my garden to eventually offer a natural Winter feast. See, I hope to be able to migrate along with our feathered friends in the upcoming years. The Winters, though beautiful, are just too long here. My backyard birds will be able to feast on berries and seeds still standing in the garden instead of my feeders while I follow the sun. The progress in the garden looks promising.

The wild grapes were very abundant this year. I have seen migrating flocks of Cedar Waxwings enjoying these in the past.

Wild Grapes

Rosa Palustris Hips

Rosa Setigera Hips

Virginia Creeper Berries

Virginia Creeper will attract fruit eating birds such as Chickadees, Nuthatches, Mockingbirds, Catbirds, Finches, Flycatchers, Tanagers, Swallows, Vireos, Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Thrushes through the Winter.

Redosier Dogwood Berries

Cardinal Dogwood Berries

Cardinal Dogwood Berries

Elderberry Black Lace

Woodpeckers, Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Orioles, and Grosbeaks are attracted to Elderberries.

Purple Prince Crabapple

Many birds enjoy Crabapple. So birds, enjoy the berry feast while I feast on, ah, hmm, er ... a bird of a different feather.

I am always thankful for the joy, work, clarity, groundedness, peace, harmony, abundance and enlightenment of the garden and life. Happy Thanksgiving.

Order Up!

What am I doing today? NOT working, NOT cleaning, NOT laundry, NOT painting the walls ... I am going to catch up! I have so many posts on my list and here it is March already. I also have more orders to place for plants and seeds!

I have already placed two orders. From Nature Hills I ordered my rhubarb (Canada Red) - yeah!, everbearing strawberries and long awaited Serviceberry, Amelanchier Laevis - another check off my "list!" The Serviceberry is an excellent northeastern native choice. It is an understory large shrub or small tree that has spring blooms, fall color and berries that are a favorite of the birds. It is hardy to Z4. I will be placing this tree in my new "woodland edge" section of my garden. I will be working on this section over the entire summer into fall.

Serviceberry, Amelanchier Laevis
 Photo taken from Nature Hills Nursery website.

From Johnny's seeds well, I ordered seeds! And quite a few. For some of my newer flower beds and near the potager, I ordered a variety of sunflowers. Sunflowers are easy to grow and they make a big, bold statement as well as providing a good screen. The birds and bees love 'em, too. I make sure to choose varieties that DO have pollen. I chose Ring of Fire, Valentine, and Velvet Queen. I still have some Mammoth seeds leftover from last year.

Mammoth Sunflower

Also for decorative, edible edging in the potager, I ordered some nasturtium, kaleidoscope mix. I also have some nasturtium seeds saved from last year as well as a TON of marigold seeds.

 Nasturtium

For the real tasty stuff I ordered scarlet runner bean - also a favorite of humming birds. I plan to put together an arbor for that to climb on. April will be a month of making garden support structures! I also ordered royal burgundy bush beans - they are purple but turn green when you cook them, how fun! - northern pickling mini cucumbers, bright lights swiss chard, a couple lettuce/greens mixes, cilantro, and some dill and fennel. The fennel I ordered is not a bulbing type and I do not plan to harvest it. I ordered it as a host plant for butterflies - dill and parsley are also favorite host plants. I plan to work the fennel, some of the dill and some parsley into the flower border along the potager. The border now is mostly all lilies with a backdrop of wild grape and I will be reworking it.

The flower border a couple of years ago. This will be reworked - 

slightly wider with three distinct sections.

Lastly, I ordered some verbena seed, Verbena Bonariensis. I have read repeatedly that this is a favorite of butterflies and that it reseeds itself. I will be working this into the border along the "nice driveway."

I plan to place at least three more orders. From one of my native plant sources, Prairie Moon, I will be ordering some common witch hazel and a swamp rose (bare root). Both of these are natives. The common witch hazel will go in my very new "woodland" garden section (surrounding future patio). The swamp rose will be incorporated into the border along the potager in the above picture. There is a section that tends to be very wet in the spring. The swamp rose will provide winter hips for fruit eating birds.

From Mountain Rose Herbs, I will be ordering some seeds: calendula (thanks to my blogging friends!) for edging in the potager, borage for the flower border, and california poppies for along the driveway.

From Bluestone Perennials I will be ordering some plants for the border along the driveway which I plan to expand. I am planning big and bold! One choice is indian grass, an American native grass that grows to 6' tall and is hardy to Z4. This will be a nice screen as well as provide cover for butterflies and birds, and winter interest. I will also order goldenrod. Contrary to popular belief, goldenrod does not cause hay fever - that would be ragweed. It is a favorite among all sorts of insects and offers a great fall show. Also on my list is giant cone flower, Rudbeckia Maxima. This will grow 5- 7' tall! Another great screen and appealing to butterflies. The leaves are blue in color and also attractive.

Whew, I will be busy as a bee! Time to order up!