Tough Little Bird

Image of a White Breasted Nuthatch with a sunflower seed in his beak.

I've been trying to get a photo of this little guy for weeks but he's been too fast and jerky. He flies in for a seed and, most often, immediately flies out.

Nuthatches Sitta carolinensis have a short tail and are about 5 3/4 inches long, have black caps, blue/gray upper over an all-white face and breast. The extent of the rust on it's bottom is variable. Typically they have a large head with little visible neck.

This one has a longer, thinner (but very strong) bill indicating it is more similar to the western Nuthatches. Their song and call are both loud and nasal sounding more insistent than musical.

The Nuthatch will climb up, down and around tree trunks and branches searching for insects or hiding seeds/nuts. Able to hang upside down, they are often confused as a Woodpecker. They have short legs, long toes, and very strong claws.

Nuthatches are commonly found in leafy trees - maples, hickory, basswoods, oaks and conifers. They prefer mature woods and woodland edges. They nest year round in holes and crevices of old trees. They will sometimes smash bugs all around the opening to repel squirrels from taking their nest. The tree cavity is a small cup lined with soft material (usually the hole is made by others).

This Nuthatch typically likes insects, nuts and large meaty seeds found at feeders. They get their name from jamming nuts into tree bark and hatchet them into pieces with their sharp beak. Feeders with sunflowers, peanuts and suet usually will entice them if they are in your area. The choice of eating insect pests (tent caterpillars, flies, grasshoppers, aphids, and others) make it a very beneficial bird.

In the winter Nuthatches flock with finches, chickadees and titmice. They are usually in pairs and mate for life. They stay over a good portion of the United States year round. It is difficult to tell the male from the female as they look very much the same - as do juveniles. Both parents feed the fledglings.

The Nuthatch, in the wild, lives from 2-3.5 years although can be as long as ten. Hawks, owls, squirrels, and woodpeckers are the natural enemies. The House Wren will try to destroy their eggs. Nuthatches will make use of man made winter-time roosts constructed for small birds. They will also nest in man made boxes if placed and constructed correctly.

A Nuthatch is a fun addition to your winter bird feeder - always lively - it never seems to get a case of the "winter blues."

Burn Baby Burn

Images: Euonymus alatus -aka- Burning Bush -aka- Winged Euonymus (Celastracceae Staff-Tree Family) Whew, that's a whole lot of names for this stunning red bush. A native of Northeastern Asia and Central China.

The Burning Bush is an average looking bush most of the year. It's form is rather loose, slow maturing to 4-5 ft. tall and wide for some varieties and 12-15 ft. tall and wide for others.

It prefers moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun. It is very adaptable to full shade, poor and compacted soil, various soil pHs, heat, drought, periodic shearing, and pollution. In the less ideal places, it will grow less vigorous and the fall color is a mixture of pink-red and faded yellow. Some years, according to the weather, they may not be as showy in the fall.

They should not be planted where they need to be pruned as this will eliminate the fall color. It is rated for Zone 4.

Some nurseries consider varieties of the Burning Bush invasive because it can escape to wooded areas by the seeds being carried by birds. Mine have not.

The tiny spring flowers are usually not noticed but birds do like the resulting berries. The leaves are clear emerald green in the summer.

In the summer, the form, lack of showy flowers make it average. But, and here is a huge BUT, in the fall it outstrips all other bushes and most trees for it's shouting red colored leaves.

Since mine turned red, I can't let a day go by without making sure I look at the beautiful red color. Today, when going into Galva, I saw a home with the entire back fence row of the property lined with Burning Bushes. It was stunning!

This week is definitely the week to take notice of yards with Burning Bushes - I'm betting you hadn't even given these bushes a second glance up until now.

When buying bushes for your yard, think about adding a Burning Bush. Plant as a fence row or an addition to your other beds. I don't really care for them as a lone or specimen plant because they don't hold their own most of the year. They are a bit like a spring flowering lilac bush in that regard. When they are doing "their thing" they are the most important bush in your yard.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus (French author, philosopher, and journalist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957)

Relying on the Reds

Images:

Acer rubrum "Franksred" - a Japanese Red Maple.


The second picture is as this beauty was just beginning to turn about a week ago. Today it is almost totally red as shown in the first picture.

This native North American maple is six years old and will grow to 45-55 ft. It can grow 8 to 15 inches a year and because of our abundance of rain this year, it has been enjoying a very large growth spurt.

It is upright with an oval top. The leaves are a glossy green which turn to orange/red in the fall. It is the first tree to color up in the fall and the most brilliant.

Hardy to Zone 4B. It is resistant to storm breakage. It takes regular watering the first few years until established. Then you can just sit back and enjoy the show.

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Squirrels and birds like the seeds.

Most maples are pretty in the fall: Red Sunset and Autumn Blaze both turn orange/red. The Norway Maple Acer platanoides Crimson King has maroon leaves all summer and then turns a maroon yellow in the fall. Even the native North American Acer saccharin Marsh Sugar Maple turns yellow/gold in the autumn.

Maples need room and sunshine. Most don't like compacted soil or heavy pollution. They have few disease or pest problems. Some are prone to storm damage - check the labels when buying or situating near structures. Make sure your tree is rated for Zone 5 or colder.

The 80 ft. Sugar Maples also produces maple syrup and hard maples are often used for floors and ball bats. The leaves of maples are numerous. Unless the quantity is forming a mat of several inches over turf grass, either let the wind blow them under flowers, bushes and trees for insulation this winter or mulch with your mower.

Alternatives to Chemicals

Image: One brand product for vinegar used as a weed control solution.

Disclaimer: I have not used this brand and I'm not advocating it's use, purchase, or vouching for it's safety. Sorry, needed to be said.

"Ontario introduced very strict controls on pesticides this past April. In essence, gardeners in this province can no longer use any pesticide product for cosmetic purposes i.e. controlling or killing insects, diseases, fungi or weeds in an ornamental garden setting. This is reflected at the garden centres and hardware stores, where shelves once brimming with chemical control products now contain a mere shadow of what they once did. The Ontario bans also extend to the use of these products by municipalities, botanical gardens, golf courses and everything other than farm, nursery or greenhouse use." (Taken from newsletter@perennials.com)

The Ontario controls are sure to inspire comments on both sides of the issue. Since the controls are already in place in Ontario, residents are trying to figure out how to destroy weeds & insects and still stay within the law. It appears some who administer this new law are coming down on a very strict interpretation that even prohibits "anything" that kills weeds, including natural and homemade concoctions. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Vinegar is a natural weed killer with some effectiveness. The Perennials company ran a contest for ideas on how to use vinegar and how effective it was at killing weeds. Check out the site for those results. But, one idea is worth restating here: Natural and homemade remedies can have negative personal and environmental health consequences, also.

It only takes some slight investigation to realize the consequences of the homemade remedies (for garden, health, foods, and beauty products) must be investigated and understood before they are used. It is primarily an unregulated industry.

Those that dislike government control (IE: regulated), often prefer the alternative products. Those that want to positively influence the environment, may be led to try alternative products. Gardeners with allergies and especially respiratory problems may try these. The reasons are numerous and mostly with good intentions.

According to what I've read, strong (20% solution) vinegar vapors can cause nose bleeds when used without a mask. Most of us are aware the vapors from bleach can be dangerous but what about something as simple as salt. Yes, salt may kill weeds but may also soak into the soil and then root systems of nearby trees.

Another warning: natural products in different forms may have different levels of toxicity. The portion of the plant that is used may determine if it is poison or not. The process used to cook, distill, or administer may also affect strength. Even where a plant comes from or the soil it's grown in may be a factor in toxicity. Not all old home remedies are safe to use.

I have several very old herbal and home remedy books. Lots of fun to read. As an example, one concoction is used to treat a certain disease. What it actually does is paralyze the nerves. Used too strong, on youngsters, or weak systems, and it will kill. You have to be very careful.

Lest you think I'm writing this because I'm not an advocate of alternatives to chemicals, no that's not the point. Sometimes people tend to jump into alternative anything with both feet without realizing most alternatives also have good and bad. Plus, marketing/advertisements seldom tell the risks or if they do, they're in fine print.

If you are searching for solutions, investigate ALL the information first and then make intelligent decisions BEFORE using - for your health and for the health of your garden and the environment. Another warning: Information about " health and environmentally friendly" products found on the web are not necessarily factual. Use research from reputable sources along with reading other claims to come to your own conclusions. It could be a matter of life or death.

Pumpkin Patch

Images:

My little granddaughter with a decorative pumpkin she is sure belongs to her.

A commercial pumpkin farm in rural Illinois. The crop is ready for harvesting and will be trucked to the canning factory.

The pumpkin is a fruit of the plant Cucurbita pepo. It forms on a trailing vine with heart-shaped leaves. The Greek word for "large melon" is "pepon."

Both the fruit's flesh and the seeds are valuable because of the nutrient content. 

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt): Calories 49, Protein 2 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Dietary Fiber 3 grams, Calcium 37 mg, Iron 1.4 mg, Magnesium 22 mg, Potassium 564 mg, Zinc 1 mg, Selenium .50 mg, Vitamin C 12 mg, Niacin 1 mg, Folate 21 mcg, Vitamin A 2650 IU, Vitamin E 3 mg.

High in beta-carotene, they are a favorite among vegetarians. Thought to reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease and some forms of aging. Figure one pound of raw, untrimmed pumpkin for each cup finished pumpkin puree.

Plant in full sun, well drained soil that is high in organic matter. They need plentiful and consistent moisture until fruits begin to fill out. This year was a perfect year for squash and pumpkins. They need lots of room to grow.

Direct seed into hills that are from 4-8 ft. apart after all danger of frost. Or, use transplants for an earlier start since you want them to mature before the first frost. Mulch plants to retain moisture, suppress weeds and discourage squash vine borers. Black plastic mulch speeds the growth process.

Harvest pumpkins before hard frosts, leaving one inch of stem. Cure in the sun for the longest storage then store in a cool, dark, dry place. I usually put a thick layer of newspapers under them on a dry basement shelf.

At the end of the season, remove all vines to reduce the chance of mildew next year.

Categories are: Miniature, Naked Seed, Cushaw, White Painting, Jumbo, Processing, Rouge Vif d-Etampes, and the Standard Oranges (small, intermediate, large.)

Native Americans dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. They also roasted long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and ate them. The origin of pumpkin pie occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in hot ashes.

The practice of making jack-o-lanterns originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack."

Some facts from the University of Illinois:

• 496 million pounds of pumpkins were produced in Illinois in 2008. Illinois is in the top 4 in pumpkin production.
• Around 90 to 95% of the processed pumpkins in the United States are grown in Illinois.
• Pumpkin flowers are edible.
• Pumpkins originated in Central America.
• In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
• Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
• Bees are the primary pollinating insect for pumpkins. Insect sprays can kill bees.
• Snapping the stems from the vines results in many broken or missing "handles." Pumpkins without stems usually do not keep well.
• Wear gloves when harvesting fruit because many varieties have sharp prickles on their stems.

How Do You Spell "Enthusiast"

I firmly believe the human race invented "clubs" because we have this intrinsic desire to be with like-minded people.
We need to be able to talk on and on about our own obsession and receive, in return, more of the same.

It is never as obvious as it is when visiting with another garden enthusiast. Gardeners are one of the most happy and welcoming groups and want to include instead of setting exclusive barriers.
A stranger that even hints of a gardening interest is immediately embraced (often literally) by a hard line gardener.

Gardeners are generous to a fault. The chance to share information, a seed, a cutting, a whole plant and we are happy people. If we are the beneficiary of said same, our gift receiving quota for the year is satisfactorily met.
Tell us there is no Santa Claus and I'm sure we can point to any number of instances when we have been given (as in free) some wonderful garden bounty that has continued to thrive and give us pleasure.

Mention a certain plant and you will receive many different variations of how to care, how to eradicate, propagate, pick, pull, plant, or pluck.

As an example, there is the wonderful garden information BLOG, Dave's Garden, which has grown into a world-wide discussion of all things garden. Today it has over 478,537 members and this past week 20,911 of them NEEDED to discuss something about gardening.

I've even heard the term "obsessive-compulsive" used around some of us gardeners. When used (usually by a non-gardening enthusiast) we tend to smile, look off in a distance, and mutter "yeah babe." We would probably high five but tend to not use large expansive moves in case we forget we have a shovel or other sharp instrument in our hand.

As with all club types, we are just sure we know something special about our own particular obsession and the world would be better off if they felt the same. In the gardeners’ case, we may feel the need to share with non-enthusiasts in the vain effort to convert. Surely, if they just knew what they were missing they would embrace it as we do! Oh, yes, I've seen many a non-enthusiast run at the first opportunity (often when we finally take a breath while expounding upon something like the benefit of the Danaus plexippus caterpillar.)

A friend is never as special as someone who shares our own idiosyncrasies and obsessions. I'm just sure if you've read this to the end, you may have the latent tendencies of a full blown garden enthusiast or are already so embroiled in this topic you are currently shouting "I'm with ya girl; gardeners RULE!"
I do appreciate gardening enthusiasts - be they from over the world, specific to the United States, only the Midwest, or simply my little corner of the world.

They bring a comforting moment in this world where things aren't always sunny. They take us to what might be on the 'morrow when today might be difficult. They bless us with beauty and positive observations when we are daily bombarded with negative and ugly. They help to improve this earth in the face of so many tearing it apart.

“Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes - The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Yes, gardeners, our little corner of obsessive is generally for the good of mankind. I guess if we must use that human desire for being with like-minded enthusiasts, gardening and its many diverse topics is a pretty good place to settle our muddy boots.

Here Comes the Bride

Growing flowers to use at a wedding is a fun way to help keep expenses down. It does take pre-planning and cooperation between the bride and gardener.

Not all wedding seasons will have an ample supply of flowers but there are always things you can garner from outside and then add a few store bought flowers and accessories.

Spring:

A few choices are tulips, daffodils, violets, pussy willow branches, Lily of the Valley, iris, peonies, lilac and forsythia branches. Spring flowers often require planting bulbs in the previous fall to get the desired colors and bloom times.

Summer:

Choices here can be perennials and annuals. Asian lilies, roses, hydrangea, daisies, yarrow, ornamental grass leaves, cosmos, ivy, sunflowers and hosta leaves.

Early Autumn:

Cone flower, liatris, Oriental lilies, zinnia, hosta flowers, coreopsis and asters.

Late Autumn:

Sedum, leaves, ornamental grass seed heads, mums, wheat, and hard-type berry bushes.

Winter:

Pine cones, evergreen branches, grape vines, holly and bittersweet.

If you have the opportunity, experiment the year before. Flowers have definite personalities once they're picked. An unhappy bride walks down the aisle with drooping flowers.

Realize weather conditions can effect the bloom times.

Fragile flowers will need those little florist water containers if used in carried bouquets. Speaking of fragile, some flowers don't remain fresh looking when picked no matter what you do to them. Others, loose petals at a steady rate once picked.

Flowers in vases are easier to manage for the non-professional. Wrapping mayonnaise jars in material and ribbons in the wedding colors is inexpensive and beautiful. Fall containers and accessories are plentiful with pumpkins, gourds and dried flowers. Pressing leaves or coating in wax is an easy process that can be accomplished early in the planning.

Bought poinsettias and other typically Christmas season flowers can be bought potted for much less than a bouquet. Poinsettias cut well or entire pots can be surrounded by evergreens for table decorations.

Whether all or a portion of the wedding flowers are from the garden, it will save the wedding party money while still providing fresh arrangements.

The list is almost endless and the bride can find her colors in any season.