gardeninacity

Posted on November 8, 2014 by gardeninacity

Bird Feeding Fatigue

I’m suffering from BFF. Not Best Friends Forever, but Bird Feeding Fatigue. Normally scrupulous about keeping my various birdfeeders well-stocked, for about eight weeks I didn’t put out so much as a single seed.

After a long hiatus, on Wednesday I filled the feeders with fresh suet, safflower, and nyjer.

Part of the reason is that we just finished up a very busy period at work, one that required lots of weekend hours. Something had to give during this time.

But it’s also true that this has been an uninspiring year for Chicago-area bird feeding. This has been confirmed by Tim, the manager at the local Wild Birds Unlimited store. (Tim knows his birds.)

Hey, house sparrow! That nyjer seed is for the goldfinches! And it's expensive! — Hey, house sparrow! That nyjer seed is for the goldfinches! And it’s expensive!

We saw fewer orioles, woodpeckers, and grosbeaks, but so many, many house sparrows. House sparrows are actually finches that were introduced from Europe. In North America they have multiplied beyond the limits of good manners.

2013-02-08 14.02.20 — House Sparrows, locusts of the bird world.

And speaking of bad manners, I must add that house sparrows are ravenous eating machines. They are the locusts of the bird world. They eat the safflower I put out for northern cardinals, they eat the nyjer seed I put out for the goldfinches, and they devour the peanuts I put out for the woodpeckers and nuthatches. They even learned to like the grape jelly that I put out for the orioles.

Now, you can say that we must not use human standards to judge the worth of birds and other animals. From a philosophical point of view, that may be correct.

2013-02-08 14.01.31 — Few sights are more satisfying than a Northern Cardinal in the snow.

But here’s the thing. I’m the one paying for the bird food, and I do it for myself as much as for the birds. I do it so that Judy and I can watch the birds we like from our back porch. In my opinion, house sparrows are remarkably dull little birds. What’s more, they are birds that need no help from me to be fruitful and multiply.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak visits for a few weeks in May and June. After they leave, no more safflower seed until winter.

So here’s my new plan. No more blank checks at the bird food store. The all-you-can-eat bird buffet is closed. I will not give up on feeding the birds, but there are limits.

I will keep fresh water in the bird baths throughout the year, including in our heated bird bath during the winter. Water can be harder to come by than food for wild birds.

I will not put out safflower during the summer, after the rose breasted grosbeaks are gone. I will put out peanuts only during winter. And I will put out grape jelly only while the orioles are around.

Suet is the one food I will put out throughout the year, because nobody eats it other than the woodpeckers. Disgusting stuff, but I like woodpeckers. (Suet is rendered beef fat, in case you were wondering.)

My least favorite birds will probably still consume a majority of the bird food, but I will no longer be pouring birdseed down a bottomless pit.

Do you feed birds in your garden, and if so, do you ever suffer from Bird Feeding Fatigue?

32 Comments

Posted on November 6, 2014 by gardeninacity

Book Review: 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names, by Diana Wells

100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names will not make you a better gardener, but it should make you a more amused and informed gardener. And it may provide you with the material for some witty or scholarly remarks you could mention casually at next summer’s garden walks.

Diana Wells provides brief, entertaining, and erudite background on the names of 100 popular garden plants. Often she adds tidbits about people with whom said plants are associated.

Here are a few samples:

The name Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) comes from the Latin for “twisted nose”. This is because the pungent smell makes some people wrinkle their noses.
For centuries Yarrow was used medicinally, for example to slow bleeding. The botanical name, Achillea, derives from Achilles using the plant to treat his soldiers’ wounds. The common name comes from the Anglo-Saxon gaerwe, meaning to prepare, as people thought Yarrow could prevent illness.

Hyacinth 'Blue Jacket': grew from a bloody head wound? I wonder if wild Hyacinths were mostly red. — Hyacinth ‘Blue Jacket’ doesn’t look like it grew from a bloody head wound. I wonder if wild Hyacinths were mostly red.

The subject of bleeding leads me to Hyacinth (Hyacinthus), a beautiful youth loved by Apollo. Unfortunately, the young man received an accidental but fatal head wound. While dying in Apollo’s arms, a flower grew from Hyacinth’s bloody forehead. Apollo’s lovers had a habit of turning into plants. Maybe he should have tried to get them covered under his insurance.

King Clovis of the Franks: saved by irises?

Iris are named after a messenger of the gods in Greek mythology. The fleur-de-lis is actually an iris (I always thought it was a Lily). Irises growing in the water enabled King Clovis of the Franks to identify a shallow river crossing he used to escape hostile Goths. After that it was the symbol of the Kings of France. Louis VII had irises on his banners during the Crusades. They were called fleur de luis, which then became fleur-de-lis.

If this is the kind of thing you appreciate, then read 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names. If it isn’t, then I have nothing for you at the moment.

Now here’s a totally unrelated question. Has anyone else discovered that WordPress no longer allows you to word searches of your photo gallery? All of a sudden all I can do is call them up by month of posting.

38 Comments

Posted on November 2, 2014 by gardeninacity

Cistus Nusery: Another Reason to be Jealous of Portland Gardeners

Cistus Nursery is a “retail micro-nursery” located 15 miles from Portland, Oregon.

It was another nursery that we visited as part of this year’s Garden Bloggers Fling.

Cistus emphasizes plants for a Mediterranean climate and hardy tropical plants, so it has fewer plants that would fit into my own garden than you might find at Joy Creek Nursery.

Cistus has a fine selection of plants for sale, but I spent almost all my time wandering the display garden.

Lots of drought tolerant plants, like these ones here that could be Yuccas or Aloes, I never learned to tell the difference. I just have a mental block when it comes to succulents. I’m not proud of it, but there you are.

I was very impressed by the Plume Poppies (Macleaya cordata), which appeal to my preference for tall plants.

The staff was laid back and friendly.

Lots of fun elements to be found in the display gardens.

We visited Cistus on the first day of the Fling and Judy did not arrive until that evening, so I had to take these pictures.

Do you like to visit retail nurseries when you’re in new places?

47 Comments

Posted on October 30, 2014 by gardeninacity

Light in October

In September, Autumn feels like a vacation from Summer. The cooler weather and softer light are both refreshing.

At a certain point in October, though, it starts to feel as if you are preparing to leave a beloved place.

The sun is so low in the sky that even the middle of the day feels like just before dusk.

Still, it is unwise to give in to seasonal melancholy. (I wonder if it is true that northern peoples are more given to depression.)

The Northern Sea Oats just gets better and better. The seeds turn from green to tan to golden brown.

The soft light makes the fall colors shine. This year there is more fall color than usual at the end of October.

Starry Solomon’s Plume has nice fall color, doesn’t it?

We are also sustained by the many holidays and festivals that occur during the shortest days of the year.

Some asters are still blooming, like these Short's Aster. — Some asters are still blooming, like these Short’s Aster.

A few days in California or Mexico, if you can afford it, wouldn’t hurt either.

But the flowers of most have matured to small fluffy seedheads.

We cannot begrudge the earth its rest. Gardeners also need time off from the garden. I cannot imagine the life of a gardener where there is no winter. Sounds exhausting.

39 Comments

Posted on October 29, 2014 by gardeninacity

Zigzag Goldenrod, a Lovable Thug

If you have a shady garden but would like to grow an ornamental goldenrod, do not despair. Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) is quite happy in shade, though I think it likes part shade best. Actually, I suspect that Zigzag Goldenrod would be happy growing in concrete under a quonset hut.

As the Missouri Botanic Garden website puts it diplomatically, this plant “may spread by rhizomes.” Which is like saying that a tropical storm may get windy.

To speak plainly, Zigzag Goldenrod is a thug. But it’s a lovable thug, like Nathan Detroit from Guys and Dolls.

In addition to being at home in shade, Zigzag Goldenrod is a plant that takes care of itself, tolerating dry conditions once established. It’s also a fairly compact, rarely growing taller than 3′. Doesn’t mind clay soil, either.

The small yellow flowers are attractive and appear in clusters along the stem. Sometimes the stems do zigzag, but sometimes they don’t.

According to the Xerces Society, Zigzag Goldenrod is of special value to native bees and honeybees.

The only thing is, this is one of those plants that does best for the gardener in the wilder parts of the shade garden. You don’t want it running rampant amongst your dainty beauties.

This post is my contribution to the meme “Wildflower Wednesday”, hosted by Gail of Clay and Limestone on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Pay a visit to see some more wildflowers.

Do you grow Zigzag Goldenrod?

38 Comments

Posted on October 27, 2014 by gardeninacity

Switchgrass Switching Places, Again

And now for the saga of the nomadic Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Today I dug out a slice of turf along a corner of the Sidewalk Border in order to create a sunny spot for said switchgrass, which had already been moved once.

Digging up grass is one of my favorite garden chores. I use an edger to cut small slices of turf, then pick up each slice and shake out the soil, throwing the grass itself onto a pile which ultimately ends up buried in the compost. This process is extremely satisfying, especially crumbling the clods of earth as they fall away from the turf roots.

Anyhow, the Switchgrass had to be moved both times because it was being shaded by neighboring perennials. This may sound unlikely given that Switchgrass grows four to six feet tall.

The two long-established Switchgrass clumps in the Sidewalk border. — The two long-established Switchgrass clumps at the back of the Sidewalk border.

The problem is that Switchgrass is a warm season grass, staying dormant until around the end of May. Many other perennials have already achieved substantial height by then. The result is that in the back of even a sunny border the Switchgrass never catches up with its neighbors to get the full sun it wants. And so it goes into a slow decline.

There were no good existing spots for transplanting this substantial grass, and I hated the idea of throwing them on the compost – so expanding one of the borders seemed like the natural solution.

Like other gardening rules, the rule of thumb that tall plants go in the back of the border doesn’t always work. Tall plants that emerge late (like Switchgrass) may languish at the back of the border, depending on what’s growing around it.

Northern Sea Oats, beautiful but floppy. My hope is that it will eventually lean on the transplanted Switchgrass.

I’m fairly confident that these two Switchgrass plants will like their new home. They are still at the back of a border, yes, but the back of this border faces south along a grassy path. Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) and Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) grow between the new Switchgrass and the sidewalk.

My hope is that as it expands the upright Switchgrass will hold up the floppier Northern Sea Oats.

Do you always put tall plants at the back of the border?

31 Comments

Posted on October 25, 2014 by gardeninacity

New Plants for the Shade Garden

As you may know, our new patio has created some new shady space for garden plants. Most of those I’ve put in so far are familiar to me – Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica). But I’m also trying a couple that are new to my garden: Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) and Eastern Star Sedge (Carex radiata).

Newly planted Bush Honeysuckle in my garden, showing some fall color.

Bush honeysuckle is a small Midwestern native shrub with yellow honeysuckle-like flowers and good fall color. It’s supposed to grow to only 3′, though Judy skeptically observed that ours had arrived already 2′ tall in its container.

Bush Honeysuckle flowers. Photo from prairienursery.com.

Its early to mid-summer flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, while the seeds are eaten by some songbirds.

Eastern Star Sedge. Photo from Prairenursery.com.

Eastern Star Sedge is a finely textured sedge that likes moist shade. It grows only 1-2′ tall. Star-like flower clusters emerge in spring.

Eastern Star Sedge, newly planted along the edge of the patio.

This plant is another source of seeds eaten by songbirds.

Eastern Star Sedge. Photo from Prairienursery.com.

Have you had any experience with either of these plants?

47 Comments

Posted on October 23, 2014 by gardeninacity

More Fall Color in the Garden

As we near the end of October, fall seems to be ambling rather than marching on. We have yet to see a frost, and the warm weather means colors have shifted only slowly.

Seedheads of Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) are no longer green, but seem to shimmer like hundreds of tiny goldfish. They look good with the yellowing foliage of Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana).

A closer look.

The ‘Northwind’ Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is still almost entirely green, though the seed panicles are turning tan.

‘Italian White’ sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are making a last stand, set off by the fluffy seedheads of ‘Gateway’ Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum ssp. maculatum).

In the back garden, Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) has turned a bright orange-yellow.

The only flower still newly opened is the dwarf New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) ‘Purple Dome’. I admit to being a bit disappointed in ‘Purple Dome’. It’s not as floriferous as I had hoped, and is a bit too scraggly to be considered a dome.

Last year I planted a small Asian Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma), ‘Early Amethyst’. It has a modest display of berries this year, though they look nice close up.

Speaking of fruits, I showed some ‘Cassie’ rose hips in my last post. Here are some ‘Darlow’s Enigma’ hips, more red and than ‘Cassie’, and more oval-shaped.

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) smothers the telephone pole in the alley, providing a colorful seasonal display.

And ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry (Amelanchier xgrandiflora) leaves shimmer like jewels.

I am posting this as part of Garden Bloggers Foliage Day, sponsored by Christina at My Hesperides Garden. How is the fall color in your garden?

48 Comments

Posted on October 21, 2014 by gardeninacity

Shrub Rose ‘Cassie’ is a Flower Powerhouse

It’s October 20th, and everybody in the garden is winding down. Everybody but ‘Cassie’, that is.

'Cassie' blooming in late October. — ‘Cassie’ blooming in late October.

‘Cassie’ is a medium-sized shrub rose that refuses to acknowledge the change of seasons. She just keeps pumping out small, semi-double white flowers.

She even keeps the flower buds coming.

All this while her canes fill with small orange hips that gradually disappear down the gullets of birds.

'Cassie' overflows with small white flowers in June and July. — ‘Cassie’ overflows with small white flowers in June and July.

Of course, ‘Cassie’ is at her peak in June and July, when she is covered with mildly fragrant blooms.

‘Cassie’ is about as close to trouble-free as a rose can get. I give her absolutely no coddling, and every year she comes back with vigor and clean foliage. Cut back in early spring, she grows to about four feet high.

Do you have any roses or other plants that don’t know when to quit?

60 Comments

Posted on October 19, 2014 by gardeninacity

The Joy of Plants at Joy Creek Nursery

Portland gardeners are lucky ducks. They seem to have an unusual concentration of high quality nurseries in their area, nurseries whose display gardens would make them worthwhile destinations even if they had nothing for sale.

Blue Hydrangea and grasses at the Joy Creek display garden.

We don’t have that in Chicago, where land is at too much of a premium to be used that way by a retail nursery. By the way, I took these pictures as Judy missed the first day of the Fling. So they may not be up to the usual quality.

We visited two such nurseries during the Fling: Joy Creek and Cistus. One of the Portlanders told me that these two nurseries define two local styles of gardening. “You’re either a Joy Creek gardener or a Cistus gardener,” she told me.