Birds in the Garden
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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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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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Birds, Birds in the Garden, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Music in the Garden, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, The Seasons, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Purple Finch & Springtime Blossoms: Rejoicing as Sleeping Beauty Awakes . . .
 Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) in Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) It’s been a raw and chilly April in Vermont, and yet springtime songbirds, undaunted by the lingering chill, have flocked to my garden in search of sustenance. Some species are merely passing through, but others will settle and set up summer residence. This month’s standout is the […]
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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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Birds in the Garden, Viburnum, Wildlife, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Sublime Beauty of Spring Twilight & Melancholy Song of the Hermit Thrush…
Swollen Buds of Viburnum x burkwoodii ‘Mohawk’ in Silhouette Against the Sublime Beauty of Spring Twilight The melancholy song of the hermit thrush —rising and falling; a flute amongst the hemlock boughs of moody twilight— is a sound I eagerly anticipate each spring. As soon as winter’s ice begins to recede and the scent of […]
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