Bird Friendly Gardens
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Design, Autumnal Equinox, Bark, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Flowering Trees, Foliage, Fragrance, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Late Autumn Garden, Texture, Trees with Textural Bark, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Garden Design, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Sweet-Scented Seven-Son Flower: Heptacodium miconioides Blossoms Welcome Autumn . . .
Heptacodium miconioides in and amongst September garden favorites: Rudbeckia, Solidago, Miscanthus and Physocarpus opulifolius It’s no secret that we northeastern gardeners struggle with a limited growing season. Bare trees for nearly six months is a bit much to take. We want to hold onto the glory of autumn. Where winters are long and summers are […]
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Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden
Who, Who, Who? Who Cooks for You? The Beautiful Barred Owl, Of Course!
Barred Owl (Strix varia), Surveys the Garden from a Fence Post If you’ve spent time in the woods at dusk or dawn —or gone camping anywhere along the east coast— chances are you have heard a Barred Owl, even if you’ve never seen one. This beautiful raptor’s call, “Who cooks for you, who, who, who“, often […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths
Welcome, Pretty Papillon! Attracting Butterflies & Moths to the Garden
Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) in My Wildflower Meadow, Visiting Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio glaucus) on Lilac Blossoms (Syringa vulgaris ‘Mme. Lemoine’ ) in My Garden- Read More About This Lovely Butterfly in My Previous Post by Clicking Here. Fritillary on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) – Read More About This […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden
Morning Coffee with the Eastern Phoebe
 An Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), Perches Upon the Rusty Metal Garden Bench in Front of Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Edo Shibori’ As part of an ongoing effort to savor every last drop of summer, I’ve vowed to take my work and meals outside whenever possible. For the past few days, I’ve been lured out to coffee on […]
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Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden, Water Gardens, Wildflowers and Meadows, Wildlife, Winter
Attracting, Supporting & Observing Wildlife in the Late Autumn Landscape
Wild Turkey Wander in My Country Neighbor’s Meadow, Beyond the Roadside Saplings. Wild Turkey are Omnivores, Feeding on Fern Fronds, Buds, Seed, Fruit, Berries, Insects, Grubs and Amphibians. Turkey are Often Spotted in Open Fields, Pastures, Wetlands and Orchards by Day. By Night, Turkey Seek the Cover of Mixed Forest, Where They Roost in Trees. […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Design, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden
Swing Season: Falling for September’s Slow, Sultry Color Shift . . .
Bits of Early Color: Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’ and Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens Glow Like Stained Glass in the Last Rays of Low Sunlight The last days of summer: golden light, cricket chorus, scampering squirrels and vibrant colors. It seems Mother Nature —ready to rest from a long growing season— has decided to stretch out […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden
Singing for Their Supper: Gardening to Attract Migratory Songbirds . . .
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’ Fruits in the Garden – A Cedar Waxwing Favorite Late in summer, when tall grass sways in golden light and crickets sing long into morning, the garden begins to ripen in shades of red, orange, violet and plum. In August, migratory birds —making their way to exotic, tropical destinations— flock […]
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Annual Flowers, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars, flowering shrubs, Flowering Trees, Garden Design, Hummingbird Moth, Hummingbird/Butterfly
In Praise of the Poetic Papillon: Attracting Butterflies, Moths & Other Pollinators to the Garden…
Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) in My Wildflower Meadow, Visiting Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio glaucus) on Lilac Blossoms (Syringa vulgaris ‘Mme. Lemoine’ ) in My Garden- Read More About This Lovely Butterfly in My Previous Post by Clicking Here. Fritillary on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) – Read More About This […]
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Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Black Bear, Wildlife
Springtime Awakenings …
North American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), Emerging from the Compost Trail in My Garden (photo taken from inside the house!) I had a surprise guest in my garden this morning: Ursus americanus, the North American black bear. Long time readers will recall a similar encounter last summer (see photos here). Coincidentally, while sipping my cup of […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumnal Equinox, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, shrubs, Shrubs for early spring blossoms, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Shrubs with Textural Bark, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Falling for Autumn’s Slow Color Shift …
The Brilliant Vermillion Fruits of Tea Viburnum (V. setigerum) are Striking Against this Silvery-Mauve Screen of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ in My Garden With two large garden design & installation projects to button up before the end of the year, fire wood to stack and countless post-Irene repairs to tackle, it seems the weeks are […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Color in the Garden, Conifers, Decorating the Garden, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Structures, Gardening Inspiration, Gardening without Lawn, Hardy shrubs, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Massachusetts, Native Plants, New England, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Pergolas and Arbors, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Replacing Lawn, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest
Renovate! How the Garden Next Door Went from Just Grass to Just Gorgeous …
A Prim & Proper Arbor Goes Drop-Dead Gorgeous in a Sexy New Shade of Sangria It’s been awhile since I last featured one of my residential garden design projects on The Gardener’s Eden. And to be completely honest, I’ve been too busy planning and installing gardens to do much writing these days. But over the […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Shrubs for ornamental fruit
Hello There, Wayfaring Stranger: Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’ Greets Migrating Birds with Bright Red Fruits
Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’ – Variegated Wayfaring Viburnum with Fruit in August At this time of year —with migrating birds flocking to shrubs and trees, feasting on seeds and berries— the garden is alive with color and song. I love watching cedar waxwings and rose-breasted grosbeaks as they harvest ripe red fruit from branches of the […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Meadow Gardens, Native North American Meadows, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, organic gardening, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Pollinating Insects, Wildflowers and Meadows, Wildlife
Notes on Nature’s Bold Artistry: Brilliant, Blooming Butterfly Weed & Her Colorfully Patterned, Wild Guests …
Asclepias tuberosa – Our Beautiful, Native Butterfly Weed Catches the Golden Light of Summertime Along the Wildflower Walk In search of inspiration for your next creative project; pattern, form or color play? Sometimes, you needn’t look further for fresh ideas than your own backyard! While out admiring the blooming butterfly weed in my Wildflower Walk […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Flower Seeds, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Gardening without Lawn, Native North American Meadows, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennials for summer, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Propagation, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, seed starting, Seed- Saving, Seeds, Weeds and Weeding, Wildflowers and Meadows, Wildlife
Strolling Along the Wildflower Walk …
A Stroll Through the Wildflower Walk in Late Afternoon The Wildflower Walk may have started as an accidental feature in my garden, but —second only to the Secret Garden— it always generates the most oohs and ahhs. And when the sunny drifts of Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) hit their crescendo in July, it’s easy to see […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark flowers, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Poisonous Plants, Shade Gardening, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Woody Plants
A Bolder Shade of Summertime … Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’
 Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Golden’ with Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine’ in the Entry Garden Some like it hot. And, some wither and fade in the mid-day sun. Blossoms come and go quickly at this time of year, but beautiful foliage lasts all season long. Does your garden go through awkward phases throughout the summer; gaps between […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds
Sitting in the Catbird Seat …
Sitting in the Catbird Seat: My Resident Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) There’s a broken branch in my doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’). The leafless eyesore is driving me crazy —this otherwise beautiful shrub sits right outside my kitchen window— but I’m not going to prune it. No, I won’t touch it, because it […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Dining Outdoors, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, Flowering Trees, Foliage, Garden Design, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Nature, North American Trees, Plant Spotlight, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Springtime’s Shimmering Silverbells: Halesia tetraptera in Full Bloom…
Carolina Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) Carolina Silverbell Blossoms Attract Bumble Bees and Hummingbirds Looking up from the Terrace Dining Table, Into Thousands of Tiny White Bells Halesia tetraptera When it comes to the springtime show in my garden, Carolina Silverbell really knows how to steal the stage. Smothered in […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds
Nesting Plans…
Nest Photograph â“’ Â Tim Geiss at Poltergeiss Chirping, cawing, calling and singing; suddenly, the forest has come alive with the sound of migratory birds. Soon, it will be nesting time and you know what they say: the early bird catches the best real estate. OK, so maybe that’s not quite what they say, but Cornell […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Foliage, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Textural Bark, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Living Garden: Crow Feasting Upon Staghorn Sumac Berries…
Crows feasting upon native staghorn sumac berries (Rhus typhina) in my garden this morning… This morning while lingering over my breakfast, I heard some loud caw-caw-cawing coming from the edge of the back garden, and then noticed a pair of American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) enjoying an early meal of fruit from staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Native Plants, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Wildflowers and Meadows
Birds, Bees & Butterflies in the Garden: A Seminar on Attracting Winged Beauty! Brattleboro Garden Club in Vermont
I’ll be presenting a free gardening seminar with slide show & discussion: “Gardening to Attract Birds, Bees & Butterflies” Please note that the Brattleboro Garden Club has changed the time of this event to 6 pm. Thank you! This event is sponsored by the Brattleboro Garden Club and will take place Monday, March 14th at […]
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Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Ferncliff, Garden Maintenance, Garden Paths, Glamorous Gardens, Hoar Frost, Lawns, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, ornamental grass, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Vermont, Viburnum, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
Sparkles, Drifts, Patterns & Shadows: The Beauty of a Frosty Winter’s Morn…
Frosty Holiday Decorations Oh, the shimmering, glimmering glamour of a frost-covered garden! After days of howling wind, I awoke to a still hush and brilliant sunrise. I simply had to rush outside to greet the glistening morn. Of course, there was no time to change into snow boots and jacket. Oh no. So I grabbed […]
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