Squirrel proof bird feeder strategies: Going for gold

Best squirrel proof bird feeders: How to set up a feeding station and cages to keep them out

Our squirrels train everyday to beat us at our own game. Like the ultimate Olympian, they don’t seem to give up, don’t feel fear, and don’t seem to care about a little pain or even feel sorry for us when they win gold and walk away with a full belly of our finest bird food.

A cage helps, so do weight-sensitive feeders, but it takes more than just throwing them up in the nearest tree to guarantee successs.

So how do we keep squirrels out of our bird feeders?

They know what so many of us fail to accept – there are no squirrel proof bird feeders. There are feeders that work well most of the time and baffles that stop them in their tracks – for a time anyway – but there is nothing that can guarantee that squirrels aren’t getting fed on any given day.

We can try to keep squirrels at bay with a host of elaborate combinations baffles, cages and pressure sensitive feeders, but in the end there is always that one squirrel that accepts any challenge we throw at it with great gusto.

Baffles go a long way to keeping bird feeding station free of squirrels.

I have a name for these squirrels. I call them my Olympic calibre squirrels and right now we have one that comes in the form of a large grey male squirrel that, I swear, has no respect for me, my expensive bird feeders or the baffles meant to keep him on the ground.

My approach to keeping the squirrels off my feeders is a simple one and involves a single, centralized feeding station in an area where the squirrels are unable to access from above or from ground level.

He may not respect me, but I have the utmost respect for him.

I can live with one squirrel occasionally getting up on the feeder. The problem is when the entire neighbourhood has access to my expensive feed.

And, I can say with great certainty that there are very few yards with more squirrels than mine. Winter, spring, summer, fall, it doesn’t matter. There are always a handful of squirrels looking for a handout. Grey, black and red squirrels with a good mix of chipmunks thrown in just for fun.

Our resident red fox has taken care of some of them but the squirrels and chipmunks are always ready to restock with their kin whenever the numbers get manageable.

So it goes without saying that my vigilance is paramount at all times.

Harming squirrels is not the answer

First, let me say that I never harm our squirrels in any way. I don’t use the hot, spicy bird seed and I refuse to use the spinning feeders that just seem cruel to me. Maybe the squirrels like to go for a spinny ride once in a while, but I can’t help but think that the spinning feeders go just a little too far to protect a handful of bird seed.

My approach to keeping the squirrels off my feeders is a simple one and involves a single, centralized feeding station in an area where the squirrels are unable to access from above or from ground level. Although there are a lot of trees around the feeder, any limbs are kept cut back enough that even an Olympic calibre squirrel can’t score a medal with its best jump.

By using a bird feeding station rather than individual feeders, I am able to use a number of different, less expensive feeders and specialty feeders that the squirrels can’t get to. These include everything from simple hopper feeders to suet feeders and compressed seed cylinders.

The key is to keep the feeding station away from areas that allow the squirrels to jump up or down on the feeders.

I could give readers specific distances that the feeder station needs to be away from objects where the squirrels are capable of leaping from, but I think every situation is unique and needs a certain amount of individual experimentation. A good starting point, however is at least four feet off the ground and about ten feet from above for the daring aerial acrobats.

Our biggest weakness is usually an approach from ground level where, like a basketball player, a good vertical jumper can score almost every time.

The most success our squirrels have had is when I have left a feeder dangle too low to the ground.

Our most talented athletes manage to take a running leap off the large baffle flinging themselves into the air – often with an impressive twist or even what appears to be a salkow? – and then grasping the feeder with a toe hold any Olympic wrestler would be proud to have in their arsenal.

Squirrel and raccoon baffles are excellent deterrents

I use a combination of a large steel raccoon baffle as a first defence followed by a cap baffle (see image above) that sits on top of the raccoon baffle and provides the final defence. If they can jump past this combination, the bird seed is toast.

Once defeat is guaranteed, I’ve got one more deterrent that works well. Like any good defence, it involves bending but not breaking and works on the premise that all that work to get up on the feeders probably isn’t worth it.

I like to call it “the pantry is almost empty but go ahead and help yourself.”

It involves simply refraining from the urge to fill up your feeders to the point where it’s not really worthwhile for the squirrels to make the effort to get on the feeders. This won’t stop them for a second, but it will cut your losses if one or two manage to out jump your barriers and go for gold.

What if you can’t or don’t want to use a single pole bird feeding station?

There are lots of reasons to not want to use a centralized feeding station in your yard.

I love the look of beautiful bird feeders hanging in a tree being visited by cardinals, chickadees and a host of finches.

It’s an idyllic look in any woodland garden and one that we should all be able to enjoy without the annoyance of having squirrels swinging like monkeys from every bird feeder in the yard.

There are lots of options available. A quick search on Amazon provides a long list of squirrel proof feeders with some obviously more effective than others.

Squirrel deterrent feeders can be expensive

The answer involves the ability to dig into your pocket, pull out your wallet and hit the cashier at the high-end bird feeding store with your credit card without flinching.

It can get expensive.

Eliminator from WBU

A good feeder is not cheap, but there are reasons feeders designed to keep squirrels at bay without a series of baffles and bobbles can get very expensive.

First there is the feeder itself. If you are buying, pay what it takes to get a good one preferably one that shuts out squirrels and other critters depending on their weight.

Wild Birds Unlimited, for example, sells its “Eliminator” model that closes off access to the seed once the squirrel sits on the base of the feeder.

Wild Birds Unlimited describes how the feeder works: “When a squirrel touches the perches or perch ring, its weight closes the seed ports, foiling its seed-stealing plot. The Eliminator’s unique technology allows you to set the sensitivity level, so you can also exclude large birds such as pigeons or doves.”

Does it work? Absolutely. Can squirrels figure out a way around it? Absolutely. They will try their best to hang from a branch or even the top of the feeder so they do not add weight to the spring loaded seed dispenser.

By positioning the feeder in a location that makes it difficult for the squirrels to access it from a low hanging branch, the chances of keeping the squirrels at bay increases. Consider adding a half dome to make access from the top more difficult.

But even if the squirrels can’t extract seed, the raccoons will take their turn at it once the sun goes down. The result can be an expensive birdfeeder on the ground and susceptible to a hungry, snarling raccoon. I don’t like the feeder’s chances here.

Caged bird feeders are a good choice: Droll Yankee is top choice

Add a solid cage around the feeder and the problem of squirrels and even raccoons is more or less solved.

The best caged feeders work very well. There is a reason Droll Yankee feeders are a little expensive in comparison to other feeders. Their reputation as a company that builds solid feeders that work well is undeniable.

The Droll Yankees Domed Cage Sunflower Seed Bird Feeder is an example of a bird feeder, cage and dome built to keep the critters away while providing excellent access for he birds to high quality seed.

The six feeding ports on the feeder that takes 2.5 pounds of food provides plenty of choice for smaller birds to feed.

The cage allows our smaller songbirds to eat while keeping larger birds like blue jays and starlings away from the feeders. At the same time, squirrels and other undesirables can’t get to the feeders.

The plastic dome provides some shelter for the birds during inclement weather, but more importantly helps to keep the seed dry during rain or snow storms.

Of course the Droll Yankee feeders are not the only recommended caged feeders.

Fundamentals squirrel proof feeder.

The “Fundamentals Squirrel Proof Feeder” from Wild Birds Unlimited is anotheer effective caged feeder. They describe their Fundamentals feeder in the following way: “Our Fundamentals Squirrel Proof feeder is weight-sensitive, so when a squirrel gets on the feeder the feeding ports close, denying access to the seed. Birds can use the four perches or they can cling to the metal shroud to feed.

If it makes sense to add a dome over the entire feeder assembly, it can go a long way in keeping the bird seed dry, while at the same time helping to keep squirrels, chippmunks and raccoons off the feeder.

If raccoons are a problem, just try to remember to take the feeder in for the night or locked away in a safe spot outside away from the racoons but also in an area where mice and rats are not attracted to it. A large galvanized garbage can with a solid lid works for me.

What is the easiest ground cover to grow?

Easiest may not always be the best choice

The very nature of ground covers is their eagerness to put on an abundance of quick growth to “cover” the ground as quickly as possible. So it goes without saying that pretty much all ground covers are easy to grow.

But the question we are trying to answer is: What is the easiest ground cover to grow?

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the ground cover best suited for the conditions in your yard, is the easiest ground cover for you to grow.

Our pachysandra ground cover poking up through the intense red leaves of our Japanese Maple in fall.

Soil conditions, the amount of light in the garden, drainage, the amount of foot traffic, how close you are to the street and salt spray, all play a role in how quickly the ground cover will take to its new home.

But that’s not what you came here for.

You want to know what is the easiest ground cover to grow in your garden to ensure the quickest success possible, right?

Let’s go out on that limb a little farther and say that you are gardening in a woodland garden or shade garden under the canopy of large deciduous trees and a smattering of understory trees and shrubs.

Info graphic showing some of the easiest to grow ground covers including native plants.

Pachysandra: Easiest ground cover to grow in our front shade garden

What is the easiest ground cover to grow under these conditions?

Again, let’s take another step out on that limb and say Pachysandra or Japanese spurge. That’s the easiest ground cover to grow in a shady garden with decent soil.

I have a large patch of pachysandra growing in our front garden that was grown basically from clippings and now covers a large area under our serviceberry, Japanese maples, a crimson maple and a sugar maple.

It grows thick and tidy, stays green all year and can take moderate foot traffic. It’s not so thick that I can’t grow plants up through the pachysandra and I certainly have a number of plants, including some that you can consider ground covers in themselves, that grow up through the pachysandra where they add texture and interest to the garden.

I would say pachysandra is the easiest to grow in my garden under these conditions.

But it’s not the best ground cover to grow. That’s another discussion all together.

I am confident in saying, however, that the best ground cover would be a ground cover that is native to your area and works hard to benefit the native wildlife from the smallest of insects to the largest of mammals.

Native Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), wild strawberry (Frafaria virginiana), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) or Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) just to name a few are “better” choices than the non-native pachysandra.

The ground cover creeping phlox spills over rocks in the front garden.

Creeping phlox is the easiest in a sunny, dry area

In another area of the front garden close to the street that gets a lot of sun, the easiest ground cover to grow is creeping phlox. It’s a real winner in my books because of the incredible flower display it puts on in early spring before it turns into a lovely carpet of almost moss-like foliage.

In the sunny area of our front garden, creeping phlox is the easiest ground cover to grow.

Is it the best ground cover to grow, though?

Maybe native ground covers like Field Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) would be better, or Silverweed (Argentina anserina) or even creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis.)

Looking for more information on ground covers? Please check out my other posts on ground covers I use in the woodland garden.

• Bunchberry perfect ground cover for woodland garden

• Three great ground covers for the woodland garden.

• Hardy Geraniums as a ground cover

• Snow in summer ideal for hot dry areas

• Moss and moss-like ground covers

Understory trees grow up through the massive grouping of ostrich ferns that form the perfect ground cover for the woodland garden.

Ferns are the easiest ground cover for our shady back garden

Finally, in our backyard, under our mature locust tree is a large area that was originally a large expanse of turf grass that required weekly mowing and everything else that goes along with grass.

It gets a little more dappled sun than the front yard and the soil is more sandy and maybe not quite as good.

It gets literally no foot traffic or salt spray.

For more information on growing ferns, you may be interested in The Plant Lover’s Guide to Ferns, informative book.

One look at the massive ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) garden that has easily out competed the grass and there is no question that ferns are the easiest ground cover for that area.

If I recall, I started with a handful of donated ostrich ferns from a coworker and those few ferns have grown and spread to hundreds maybe even thousands in number and cover a massive area with their cooling summer appearance.

For more on our massive fern garden check out the following post: Creating a fern garden in a small yard.

A baby raccoon uses the expanse of native ostrich ferns in a part of our front garden to move around safely under the cover of the large ferns.

If there was ever any doubt, one look as the fern glen and you’ll agree the ostrich ferns are the easiest ground cover to grow in that part of the garden.

The fact that ostrich ferns are native to our area is an additional bonus.

Again, like the other ground covers, I grow trees and shrubs up through the ferns to add texture and interest to an otherwise sea of 3-4-foot-high ferns where female deer often use the cover to hide their fawns in spring.

In this case, they are the easiest to grow and the best ground cover for that area.

But for many gardens, a huge expanse of massive ostrich ferns would be neither the easiest, nor the best ground cover choice. These ferns, when happy, spread like wildfire and would require a lot of thinning if you wanted to keep them contained to a small area.

In addition, the ferns are huge and would quickly over power a small garden.

The very traits that make them perfect for our yard, makes them the wrong choice for another yard.

Easiest ground cover depends on a number of factors

Like life, there are no simple answers to difficult problems when it comes to gardening. Trying to find the easiest ground cover for your garden may not even be the right question to ask yourself.

The better question is probably something like: What are the ground covers that suit the location, are native to my geographic area and will provide the most benefit to local wildlife.

Too often we choose the “easiest” solution that may not be the “best” solution because it is convenient at the time or we may not have taken the time to properly educate ourselves on what is truly “best” for our gardens.

Like way to many gardeners, I am certainly guilty of that. If I had to do it all again, I would change many of the decisions I made just a few years ago to replace non-native plants with native ones whenever possible.

If you are asking the question, what is the easiest ground cover to plant in my garden, please stop and ask the next question before proceeding.

And that is: what is the best native ground cover that will get the job done.

Bird feeder arms: A handy addition to any bird feeding station

Perfect for holding accessory feeders, orange halves and nesting material

If you have set up your bird feeding station but still feel you need more options, a bird feeder arm might be exactly what you need.

I have two bird feeding arms that prove extremely helpful when it comes to adding small feeder accessories or additional places for feeding our feathered friends, including extra orange halves for the orioles.

Both of my feeder arms are sold as accessories for the Wild Birds Unlimited’s (WBU) Advanced Pole Yystem, but similar items are available with other systems and there is no reason you can’t add a WBU arm to an existing pole bird feeding system providing it fits on your pole.

Bird feeder arm showing the Wild Birds Unlimited’s Decorative Branch Perch being put to use with Oriole feeders and orange halves and DIY jelly containers. On the far right you can see the cylinder used to hold the natural branch bird feeder arm. At the time there was no branch being used in the holder.

Our main arm is called the Decorative Branch Perch and consists of a heavy gauge, curved, approximately three-foot steel rod with four decorative wire leaves that are perfect for holding everything from orange halves to nesting material, not to mention the ability to hang small, lightweight feeder accessories from.

Of course, the stylized branch that can be moved around the pole for best positioning, is meant primarily as a perch for birds waiting their turn at one of the feeders, but I like to put it to use whenever possible.

More tips on setting up a proper bird feeding station on my earlier post.

It is a favourite spot for mourning doves to rest and I’ve seen hummingbirds also taking a breather on the thin wire that forms the stylized leaves.

Wild Birds Unlimited describes the Decorative Branch as: “the perfect way to give your birds a little R and R between feedings. Some birds will take turns eating at a bird feeder. Typically, they will wait out of view in a nearby tree or bush. Our decorative perch allows birds to remain in sight while they wait to eat. It can also be used to hang additional lightweight feeders.”

I put it to use most in the spring to stuff last year’s ornamental grass cuttings into the open wire leaves for the songbirds to use as nesting material, as well as oranges for the Orioles. The solid perch allows the birds to sit comfortably on the heavier wire and pull out the nesting material or work the orange halves.

Most of the year it works as a perch for birds just waiting to get to the feeders.

It can also be used to hang small accessory feeders to hold fruit of even meal worms for Blue birds and the like.

This blue jay was photographed on a natural branch fixed to a bird feeding pole via an accessory bird feeding arm attachment.

Natural branch bird feeding arm is excellent addition

The other bird feeder arm I use on the pole system is really nothing but a cylinder that fits on the pole system and holds a single, mid-size tree branch.

This, of course, looks more natural and allows me to choose the type of branch to use as the arm. All that needs to be done is to find a branch with the right diameter to fit into the hole and then tighten the screw to secure the branch in place.

A chickadee sits on a natural branch fitted to an accessory on our bird feeding pole.

Although I use this primarily as a photographic tool to capture birds on an ever changing natural branch, it also comes in handy to hang small, lightweight feeders from. I can also spread bark butter (see my earlier post) on the natural branch to encourage woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and other suet-loving birds to come to the branch to get their photographs taken.

The beauty of this bird feeder arm is that the branch can be easily changed to create a new look. Finding a branch with lichen already growing on it is ideal for photography. When that branch is finished, just add another.

The accessory can also be moved around the pole to put the bird in the best light or have it against a nice clean background.

I also find that backyard birds will readily go to the natural branch as a first choice for perching. The more textured surface provides them with a natural perch, and larger birds can get a better grip on the branch.

It also provides the perfect opportunity in the spring to cut a flowering branch from, say our crabapple tree or another flowering shrub, to use as a photographic perch for the songbirds.

But, even if you are not taking the birds’ photograph, the memory of a cardinal, indigo bunting or goldfinch perched on a flowering branch, is not one you’ll soon forget and the perfect welcome to spring birding season.

Other arms worth considering

There are several other bird feeder arms to consider that will work with whatever bird feeding system you are working with. Amazon, for example, lists several add-on arms that are designed to attach to a number of feeding poles. The Hang-IT multi-purpose add on arm for shepherds hook comes in several colours and is strong enough to handle full-size bird feeders. It claims to fit on any Shepherds hook and gets plenty of positive reviews from users.

There are so many different poles and arms that it’s impossible to list them all, but the yosager deck feeding station complete with bird feeding arms that resemble the Wild Birds Unlimited Decorative Branch Perch is a good choice for those who like to feed from their backyard decks.

It never hurts to get a helping hand feeding the birds

Whatever system you choose, it never hurts to get a helping hand feeding the birds. In this case it’s a helping arm, but you get the idea.

With a little ingenuity you could make your own bird feeding arms simply by attaching a sturdy branch to your pole system. A little wire and some duct tape or aheavy-duty clamp would certainly be enough to provide the birds in your yard with a safe, sturdy landing spot to wait their turn at the feeders.

Garden gift ideas you’ll love

Gardening gifts For bird lovers, garden art collectors and just plain old gardeners

Gardeners ask for little more than sunshine, some warm weather and a little rain a few times a week.

That’s not to say we don’t like to receive gifts every once in a while, especially when they are garden or wildlife related.

Thankfully, there are a host of tools, trinkets and useful items most gardeners would be thrilled to receive.

Ferns & Feathers will strive to bring readers unique gift ideas from both large and small garden supply type outlets as well as home-made items from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and around the world.

I’ll try to update these items on a regular basis, so check back regularly for the latest items.

• Just a few items I’ve come across this month that may be of interest. This combination garden statue and bird bath would be perfect to tuck along a garden pathway or in a Japanese-style garden.

If you are looking for a little more colour in the garden, these stacking glass orbs will do the trick. Both the garden statuary bird bath and stacking orbs are from on-line home and garden retailer Vivaterra. If you have never checked out their on-line site, they offer a beautiful selection of higher-end home and garden items you will not easily find anywhere else.

• Gardening boots and shoes are a must, especially if you are in tick country. Muck Boot Company offers a huge range of gardening boots and shoes that will fit everyone’s needs. The women’s wide calf boot keeps both the dirt and ticks away, while the women’s stylish plaid boots are good for everyday use.

There are boots for kids as well as men in too many styles to mention.

Garret Wade, the fine American garden and woodworking store much like Lee Valley in Canada, offers high-end gardening tools and goodies like Grandpa’s Weeder, The ultimate green weeder that goes a long way in saving your back. It’s even currently on sale.

If you are looking for a real heavy duty bird feeder this giant 6-liter Bird Feeder from Garret Wade might be the perfect gift.

If you are like me, it’s getting harder to keep up with all the up-and-downs of gardening. This Portable Bench and Kneeler from Garret Wade can make a big difference. As described on the site: “Right-side up, it is a comfortable, extra-wide, portable seat. Flip it over, and it becomes a kneeler, particularly useful when you are doing gardening, yard work, or other jobs around the house, like painting baseboards. When used as a kneeler the handles offer support to make easy work of getting up from the ground. You can also take it along and be comfortable when watching fireworks or the kid’s soccer game. Use it as a camp stool or for tailgating.”

Could there be a more perfect gift for the woodland gardener than this Sherwood Fern Fairy Statuary with Bird Feeder. It’s time to Think Spring! at MyEvergreen on-line retailers for $165, regular $275. Evergreen is part of the Rakuten family of retailers. The beautiful bird feeder stands a full 2.5 feet tall and is made of durable, all-weather polystone to help give it a natural, carved wood look.

If you have never checked out the website Wind & Weather you owe it to yourself to wander over and take a look. They say they have a passion for the weather and it shows in many of the high-end weather instruments that are available at the California-based store. They also offer distinctive garden decor and artistic objects for the home. They are proud to say they “shop the globe” to provide customers with unique items.

• Still on the bird theme, another elegant addition to the garden is this polished Copper Hanging Birdbath measuring just over 12 inches in diameter. It can be purchased with a holder and chain that is made of black wrought iron. The whole thing is sure to age nicely in the garden. Although anything copper is obviously an expensive purchase, the inherent beauty of the metal and the fact it ages gracefully with the garden means it’s always a great investment. The wrought iron holder will rust and age the way wrought iron tends to do, so if this is not your style you may want to look at something different. Or, just purchase a copper bowl and use it as an on-ground water resource.

This on-ground bird bath is ideal for not only birds but other backyard critters that can’t jump or climb into a regular bird bath. A couple of these spread throughout the garden will give a hand to many wildlife species from toads, chipmunks, snakes and, of course, birds.

My post, Bringing water into the garden points out how important it is to have an on-ground water source in your garden for small mammals and reptiles as well as birds. This is an opportunity to add an on-ground feature that would make an elegant addition to any garden tucked into a low-growing ground cover, maybe thyme, moss or stone crop. We have our two on-ground water features tucked among the stone crop sedum that has grown around the water features and make them look like they have always been there.

Both bird baths are available through Amazon. A search on the Amazon site shows many hanging bird baths, some brightly coloured and at various price categories. Giving a bird lover or garden enthusiast a bird bath rather than a feeder requires them to do nothing but hang it up and add a little water every day or two.

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you) I try to only endorse products I have either used, have complete confidence in, or have experience with the manufacturer. Thank you for your support. This blog would not be possible without your continued support.

What flowers attract hummingbirds?

Create a hanging basket for hummingbirds and butterflies

What flowers are best to attract hummingbirds?

And, can we use the information on these plants to create a hanging basket or container planting specifically for hummingbirds and butterflies?

Choosing the best nectar-producing flowers is key, but there are other factors that will add to your success.

While most gardeners focus on using hanging baskets as well as containers to simply add colour and maybe experiment with different textures, creating a hanging basket or container specifically for hummingbirds and butterflies requires a slightly different approach.

A full, beautiful basket with the typical thriller, spiller and fillers combination is not the prime goal of our container or hanging basket for hummingbirds. We can work toward that goal but don’t get too carried away with trying to achieve that effect. We are not necessarily going for pretty here, our goal is to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Graphic shows some of the best plants to attract hummingbirds.

First, consider red as your primary colour choice. We are going hot here with a spot of strategic, cooler blue flowers.

If you are looking for a pastel-coloured hanging basket, chances are this is not going to work for you. Hummingbirds are particularly attracted to red, tubular flowers.

Obviously we have to consider the amount of sun our basket will receive and adjust the plants accordingly. In addition, we need to use plants that require similar conditions including both the amount of light and the amount of water required.

Hummingbird on Proven Winners’ Rockin’ Deep Purple Salvia.

What hanging basket should I use for my hummingbird container?

First, let’s consider the importance of the hanging basket.

Forget those small store-bought white plastic baskets that you can purchase at any home improvement or garden centre. They can work if they happen to have some of the right hummingbird magnet plants included, but we want a hanging basket that maximizes our chances of attracting hummingbirds and butterflies while still looking good for the entire summer.

• For more Hummingbird images including digital images similar to the one below, click here.

This digital painting of a Hummingbird at cardinal flower was created from one of my photographs. For more hummingbird images including digital images, check out my post here.

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Five great plants for Hummingbirds

1. Columbine native and hybrid forms

2. Cuphea or Vermillionaire

3. Calibrachoa

4. Supertunias

5. Verbena

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A plastic container is good for holding water and maintaining a high moisture content. If you have a large one you want to use just make sure that you use enough “spillers” to quickly cover the unsightly plastic container.

Creating a beautiful, yet effective container is going to take a little work and a selection of some of the best flowers that are not usually included in the store-bought baskets.

A large wire basket with a coco mat tucked inside is an excellent starting point. Add a plastic liner that reaches 3/4 of the way up the inside of the container to hold the water and punch a couple of small holes in it, but just enough to allow the water to drain slowly.

If you want to add a little moss between the coco mat and wire frame, it will certainly enhance the look of your basket and help it hold moisture.

How many plants should we add?

For a 12- to 14-inch (diameter) basket you’ll want to have at least three to five plants, and for a 16- to 18-inch basket you’ll be adding at least five to seven plants. Don’t hesitate to add a few more to create a more full hanging basket but realize that you may have to water it more often and tidy it up later in the season.

Use a good quality potting soil in the baskets. You can add a handful of well-rotted compost to provide a little added natural nourishment. I recommend using a soil that includes slow release fertilizer and water retaining crystals in it, or be sure to add your own before you begin planting the containers up.

Plants that attract hummingbirds

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the flowers.

Consider planting up two different hanging baskets or, better still, a hanging basket and large container just for the hummingbirds.

Explore the use of native wildflowers to your area.

Hummingbirds and butterflies are already familiar with these plants and should come more readily to the baskets when they recognize the flowers in the container. Some of these native plants grow too large for planters but should work well in containers. You can also plant some of the larger ones, like Cardinal flower, below where you want to hang the baskets. By mid-summer the cardinal flowers will grow up high enough to blend in with the spillers and create a true hummingbird haven.

Remember, we are not aiming to win an award for the most beautiful containers and baskets, we are looking to create hummingbird magnets.

Complete list of plants that attract hummingbirds

Here is a list of plants that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Not all will be appropriate for hanging baskets but most would work in a large container.

• Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) Unusual whorledd flowers in pink, red, white and red-purple. Fast spreader. Zones 4 to 10.

• Catmint (Nepeta spp.) Loose mounding clumps of silvery leaves with abundant, small, lavender-blue flowers. Hardy in zones 3 to 10.

• Columbines (Aquilegia spp.) Long-spurred flowers are held on bare stems above a rosette of pretty, lobed foliage. Most hardy in Zones 2 to 10.

• Coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea) Rosettes of scalloped leaves bear many long-blooming stems of tiny red, pink or white blossoms. Remember red is ideal for hummingbirds. Zones 3 to 0.

• Delphiniums (Delphinium) Beautiful spikes in all shades of blue, purple, and white rise above rosettes of foliage. Does best in cooler climates. Sones 3 to 10.

• Hyssops (Agastache) Densely packed, narrow spikes of tiny flowers, often with fragrant foliage, are more familiar to herb gardens but beloved by hummingbirds. Zones 4 to 10.

• Penstemons (Penstemon) Midheight perennials with abundant tubular flowers in blue, white and purple. Grows best in the West. They can be difficult to grow and are considered short-lived, but worthy of trying. Likes good drainage. Hardiness depends on species and varies from Zones 3 to 9.

• Phlox (Phlox paniculata) Old-tiime garden favourite with often fragrant flowers in pink, red, white and lilac. Zones 3 to 9.

• Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) Large bush with fragrant foliage and late-blooming, bright red flowers. Zones 8 to 10. Can be grown as annual in cold regions.

• Salvia (Salvia) Grows in Zone 8 but grown as annuals elsewhere. Has brilliant red flower. Cultivars are hummingbird magnets. Many are hardy in Zones 5 to 10, others only in the hottest Zones 9 to 10.

  Annuals and tender perennials

• Cleome (Cleome basslerama) Spidery whorls in pink, white and purple on 4-foot plants. Annual in all zones.

• Four-o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) Bushy tuber forming tender perennials with flowers in red, yellow, white and pink – sometimes more than one colour on a single plant. Blooms in late afternoon. Gow as annual in most zones. Perennial in Zones 9 and 10.

• Geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) Familiar container plants with pink, salmon, red, or white flowers. Anualls accept in Zones 9-10.

• Geraniums, scented (Pelargonium) A wide asoortment of leaf shape and scent. Flowers are much less showy that common geraniums, but highly attractive to hummers. Annuals accept in Zones 9 to 10.

• Impatiens (impatiens wallerana) Popular bedding annual with red, white, pink, lavender and mixed colours. Annuals in all but hottest Zones.

• Nicotianas (Nicotiana) Sweet-smelling tobacco relatives with tubular blossoms. Avoid “Nikki” hybrids. Annuals accept in Zones 9 to 10.

• Petunias (Petunia and hybrids) Popular annuals with sprawling plants and a variety of colourful flaring trumpet flowers. Annuals.

• Tithonia (Tithonia rotundifolia) Huge, bushy but single-stemmed branching plant , to 8 feet high and 4 feet wide with a multitude of brilliant orange-red daisylike flowers in late summer. Also attracts variety of butterflies. Annual in all zone.

Thrilling possibilities with native plants

In a large container, consider using a native, red and yellow columbine as a thriller in the middle of the basket or container. Adding a good performing hybrid columbine such as this early blooming “early bird red and white columbine (Proven Winners) combined with the company’s Songbird Cardinal red and white columbine will help ensure a prolonged blooming period from early spring, when the hummers start appearing, to later in the summer.

The blue and yellow varieties will work as well and provide a little more colour to the basket. The columbines, both native and hybrids, will grow tall and form a solid thriller to attract hummingbirds.

In the fall, be sure to replant the native columbine in your garden to ensure it blooms again for future years.

Another favourite red-flowered plant to attract hummingbirds is the Cuphea Vermillionaire, (link to Proven Winners site) often referred to as the Firecracker Plant. This annual can be grown in a pot or in the ground and likes full sun. Keep it well watered and fertilized and it will send out its long cigar-like red flowers throughout the summer.

It can get quite large growing upwards to two feet high with a 12- to 24-inch spread, so it too might be best in a large container. But it can be kept in check in a larger hanging basket and used as a thriller or spiller (if planted horizontally in the basket). Keep it in check with a little pruning.

Cardinal flower is an excellent plant to attract hummingbirds but it’s too tall to use in a hanging basket. It could work in a large container as a tall thriller.

Other plants to consider for your Hummingbird hanging basket

Calibrachoa (Proven Winners) is an outstanding performer in a container or hanging basket. Proven Winners calls them “Superbells” and they offer several pages on their website. (see link) This annual likes sun to part sun and is often used all by itself in store-bought hanging baskets. It can look very impressive in the basket by itself but, remember, pretty is not the end goal here. They are available in a wide range of colours from hot reds and fuschias to cool blues and purples as well as combinations of yellow/pink, peach/purple… Stay away from double varieties and lean to the hot colours for best results.

Supertunias are Proven Winners’ improved version of the petunia and are available in a host of sizes colours and combinations. I have used the vista series for several years. Bubblegum is a pink variety that blooms continuously all summer and fills the basket quickly. Bordeaux is a smaller version (purple and white) that works nicely in hanging baskets and containers.

Verbena is another excellent choice to and a good one to use as a thriller. Varieties such as Meteor showers have a more compact growth habit for use in containers and baskets.

Salvias are top performers when it comes to attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. I can personally attest to the effectiveness of Rockin’ Deep Purple in container plantings after using it last year and getting non-stop action.

Fuschsia, whether the regular hardy varieties seen in most nurseries or Cape Fuchsia with its more tubular flowers resembling Cupheas, are excellent choices for spillers in your baskets or containers. They do well in filtered light and are intollerant of high heat. Keep them well watered and out of full sun and they will perform admireably.

Native Lobelia (siphilitica) is another great addition to the garden and irresistible to hummingbirds and butterflies. This native hardy perennial would need to be planted out in the garden in fall to enjoy year after year.

Native lobelias would best be used as thrillers on account of how tall they grow. Their bright blue flowers will bloom in late summer and the plants are well-known for their ease of care and versatility. Unlike many of the annual lobelias commonly used in baskets as fillers, these lobelias can grow much larger – up to 4 feet. This is another plant I grew last year in our garden. Although it stayed around 2-feet high it can get quite large for a small basket. A large container might be a better solution, but it may work as a thriller in a large basket.

Add these accessories for even greater success

If you have not had much success attracting hummingbirds or a lot of butterflies, you might need a little help beyond the hanging baskets and containers.

Hummingbirds fight for position over a perch that is located right beside a hanging planter in our garden.

Consider adding a perch or swing for your hummingbirds

Try hanging a small commercially available hummingbird perch or swing near the hanging basket/container. In fact, two perches is probably even better and will give the hummingbirds options to rest. Try placing one in the open and another tucked away in a nearby tree or shrub.

Go here for my complete story on using hummingbird swings.

I have used a swing for a number of years and once the hummers discover them, the perches quickly become a favourite spot for them to watch over their favourite feeding area.

Add a small hummingbird feeder

Small tubular hummingbird feeders are available with a wire stick that allows you to add them to your hanging planters and containers. These smaller versions of the larger hanging feeders can be tucked away in the planters where they almost become invisible to all but the hummingbirds who zero in on them.

A mister or shallow fountain will give them another reason to hang out

Hummingbirds, like all birds and wildlife, enjoy bathing but they need shallow water or, even better, a light mist to feel safe. Misters and shallow fountains are available at birding stores, Amazon and other commercial locations. You can also make your own with a shallow dish and a small solar pump with a fountain attachment.

Be sure to keep the water clean for these little guys and they will reward you with their antics all summer.

Native plants in the Pacific Northwest

How to best use native plants in your garden

The native plants of Vancouver Island and the surrounding areas in the Pacific Northwest forever changed the way I see gardening today.

Two visits to the island and the mainland way back in the 1980s opened my eyes to the beauty of a truly natural landscape, and it was that lush landscape that has burned itself in my memory of what a garden should strive to attain.

Unfortunately, we gardeners in the northeast can only dream of the lush gardens possible in the Pacific Northwest. This thing called winter gets in the way of our dreams of lush, year-round gardens full of unusual native plants that attract four –count them four – species of hummingbirds: Anna’s, Black-chinned, Calliope, and Rufous. Of the four species, Anna’s Hummingbird is the only one found year round in the Puget Sound region of western Washington.

This outstanding edition of Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest should be a bible for anyone lucky enough to garden in this region.

Four species of hummingbird is reason enough to want to call the Pacific Northwest home. But there’s so much more, not the least the abundance of native plants gardeners have access to in the creation of their gardens.

This is where the Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Third Edition) comes into play.

Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest’s more than 370 pages of pure native plant gold is a treasure trove of information, inspiration and motivation for any gardener lucky enough to call this area home. Packed with 948 full-colour images showing the native plants – many in their habitats – as well as in the garden, authors Arthur R. Kruckeberg and Linda Chalker-Scott deliver in almost every way.

Even the introduction answers many of the questions most gardeners new to native plants want answered.

“The key to garden success (using natives) is the compatibility of a plant to its place in the garden,” they write. “This means that natives can easily coexist with exotics in the garden as long as the requirements of the plant – and the desires of the creator of the plantings – are met.”

A garden entirely made up of native plants may be most appropriate in a woodland or semi-wild setting in suburbia, in rural areas, or at the vacation cabin by the sea or in the mountains. And there is often good reason to emphasize natives in such places,” they write, before going on to show examples of dunes in Oregon, a subalpine meadow on Mount Rainier, a seashore at Cape Flattery, in Washington state.

“Planting salal, oceanspray, madrone, and huckleberry in a westside scene that contains Douglas fir can restore the beauty of a natural woodland setting. Once established, the native garden becomes a nearly self-sustaining, low maintenance setting.”

Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest is an excellent resource for any gardener lucky enough to garden in this area.

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The book is published by the outstanding, garden-focused Canadian publishers Greystone Books. Visit their website at Greystonebooks.com for a complete selection of their books, including some of the most highly sought after gardening books.

Other Ferns & Feathers’ posts based from Greystone books include: The Hidden Life of Trees, The Heartbeat of Trees, The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi, Seed to Dust.

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The book can often be purchased on the used market at Alibris Books on-line sellers. In this link there is a copy of the book for less than $4.00.

Still in the introduction to their book Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest, the authors use Herbert Durand’s suggestions in his book Taming the Wildlings, to help readers understand where they can use natives. The result is, of course, almost anywhere but here’s the suggested list:

• The small home garden: Perfect for defining boundaries, in borders and groups of shrubs. These natives need to be chosen with special care; matters of scale, quality of colour and texture, and habitat preference are particularly important in the small garden.

• Suburban and rural places: Natives can restore “the original charm of neglected woodlands and develop the latent beauty of any forested area.”

• The seashore, woodland, or mountain retreat: Natives are ideal for use in lands surrounding vacation homes in areas that were once wild. “The very purpose of a house in the wilds cries out for wildings.”

• Parks, open spaces, and Estates: The authors call on more native plants in public gardens and large private estates as well as small parks.

• Wildlife sanctuaries: Native plants have long been known to have a close relationship with wildlife and are vital for their future existence. “Plants from the surrounding wils for use in the re-created wildlife sanctuary should emphasize the attributes of shelter, nesting sites, and food. Most native trees and shrubs qualify without question; even though some might not have edible fruit or seed, they surely harbor insects and the like.”

• Highway platings: the authors point out the success that has already been achieved with native plantings along highways and call out for more experimentation with different plants, trees and shrubs as well as a focus on rest areas that can be “best reclaimed by planting natives.”

• Commercial, Industrial, and public sites: natives can be used not only to reclaim some of these areas but to screen their unsitely views.

• Ecological restoration with natives: the authors point out that “Today, land management agencies and private landowners alike have turned ecological restoration into a thriving pursuit.” More ecological restoration using natives is needed in the future.

An example of the attention to detail in the book including the small green icons under the pictures that establishes the best locations to plant these individual plants.

Icons help readers identify planting locations

What else makes the book particularly useful? How about icons used for each plant that identifies where it should be planted – drylands, rock gardens, seashore, meadows and prairies, shade, sun, restoration, wetlans and, of course, woodlands – all have their own icons.

Chapter by chapter of excellent information for plant enthusiasts

The authors actually spell out in the introduction how they tackle the task ahead beginning with a dicussion of the science of gardening, starting with the ecology of native plants in their natural environments.

In chapter 2, they provide practical advice for choosing, planting, and maintaining native plants that are best suited for your particular environment. (What more can a beginner native plant gardener ask for?) There are also tips for managing garden invasives.

Chapter 3 tackles the enormous task of providing descriptions of native trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, grasses and even some annuals worth considering.

If you’re a gardener in the Pacific Northwest you will want to tap into the authors’ incredible native plant knowledge that is covered in this book.

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For more Ferns & Feathers articles on Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, you will want to check out the following posts:

• Native plant plan for a front garden in Seattle

• Understory Gardens aims to bring more sustainable gardens to the west coast

• Native plants find a home on Vancouver Island

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Ferns & Feathers readers already know the importance of using native plants in our gardens. This book simply emphasizes that importance in a part of Canada and the United States that is already inherently blessed with a gardening lifestyle that begs us to protect and restore not only the native plants, but the wildlife that depends on it for survival.

Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest is an essential resource for gardeners to explore how to best use the natural gifts they are provided on a daily basis.

• If you are considering creating a meadow in your front or backyard, be sure to check out The Making of a Meadow post for a landscape designer’s take on making a meadow in her own front yard.

If you are on the lookout for high quality, non-GMO seed for the Pacific North West consider West Coast Seeds. The company, based in Vancouver BC says that “part of our mission to help repair the world, we place a high priority on education and community outreach. Our intent is to encourage sustainable, organic growing practices through knowledge and support. We believe in the principles of eating locally produced food whenever possible, sharing gardening wisdom, and teaching people how to grow from seed.”

About the authors:

Arthur R Kruckeberg (1920-2016) was professor of botany at the University of Washington for nearly four decades. He cofounded the Washington Native Plant Society and authored The Natural History of Puget Sound Country and Geology and Plant Life, as well as prior editions of Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest.

Linda Chalker-Scott is associate professor of horticulture and extension specialist at Washington State University . She cohosts the Garden Professors blog, and her books include The Informed Gardener, The Informed Gardener Blooms Again, and How Plants Work.

Richard G. Olmstead is prefessor of botany at the University of Washington and curator at the University of Washington Herbarium, Burke Museum.

The book is published by the outstanding, garden-focused Canadian publishers Greystone Books. Visit their website at Greystonebooks.com for a complete selection of their books, including some of the most highly sought after gardening books.

How to create a natural log planter

One of the best additions to a woodland/wildlife garden is a simple rotting log.

Not unlike a forest, where large branches and entire trees are left to slowly decay on the ground, our gardens benefit from the same rotting logs on our forest floors. These logs can quickly become home to any number of small woodland creatures, many of which are often unseen unless we really go looking for them.

If it’s large enough, you should see toads, snakes, even salamanders move in to the log along with a myriad of insects and fungi that all work in unison to break down the wood and add nutrients back to the garden.

The process is slow and might even go more or less unnoticed if it wasn’t for the birds and animals that visit the log looking for a quick meal.

A natural log planter is the perfect addition to a woodland garden. Place it along a path so you can enjoy it on your walks through the garden.

Don’t remove those large branches after tree trimming

One of the best decisions I made several years ago was to tell our local tree service company not to cart off the large branches they took down from our upper canopy trees and, instead, leave them be on the ground.

One area where a lot of branches fell was our massive garden of ferns (link to fern garden post). It was the perfect place to just leave the large branches on the ground to break down naturally.

Our massive ferns grow up through the large branches and hide them throughout the summer months. During the early spring and fall and winter, I get to monitor the slow breakdown of the large branches spread over the ground.

In another area of the garden, I used the large branches that were removed from the tree to create a natural woodpile to provide shelter and habitat for the backyard critters that need places like this to escape predators. I’m sure some of them use it as shelter throughout the winter.

In fall, I throw on a layer or two of fallen leaves to provide even more shelter and create an even better environment for the large branches to break down over time.

Five tips to find deadwood

If you do not have dead trees or stumps on your property to attract wildlife, you can always go out on a scouting trip to find a handsome trunk or large branch to place artistically in your landscape. Here are a few places to look for deadwood to create your planter.

• If there is a natural woods nearby; ask permission to collect a few good-size pieces of deadwood. It’s best to collect soon after a storm blows down the branches, before wildlife have a chance to move in.

• Call a nearby tree service company. They are usually willing to let you have anything you can haul off, or you may be able to arrange delivery for a small fee.

• Check with your local cable, electric or telephone company. Trimming branches and clearing trees are routine maintenance and they are more than likely happy to let you take them.

• Your local parks department and the town or city road crew may be able to help as well. They maintain public trees and are often looking to get rid of large branches.

• Keep an eye out for possibilities in your neighbourhood. Your neighbours will probably be pleased to let you cart off their branches. Explain to your neighbours why you want them and how you will be using them. It’s a good way to raise awareness about the value of deadwood.

Deadwood does not have to be left on the ground.

In her book, Natural Landscaping, Gardening with Nature to Create a Backyard Paradise, Sally Roth dedicates several pages to the benefits of using deadwood in the woodland garden.

It is almost as useful standing up as it is lying down, she explains. An interesting log or gnarly branch can add a very artistic touch to a shade garden or a final bit of realism to a woodland garden.

If you have a large, long branch that is manageable, consider creating your own “snag” by simply digging a deep hole and planting the deadwood vertically.

I have a 8- to 9-foot branch planted in the back of our yard near my outdoor photo setup that is a regular stop for woodpeckers, nuthatches, red squirrels and chipmunks.

These are particularly prized by woodpeckers, and they make an excellent foundation for a feeding area. I have drilled holes in the branch where I insert bark butter regularly. You can also wire suet to them or hang a feeder. The dead tree is also the perfect landing spot for birds approaching the feeding station. Keep it far enough away that squirrels can’t leap over to the feeders.

Create a simple log planter

Letting nature slowly break down the logs is certainly one way to help wildlife, but using the logs to create a path-side planter is an even better one.

How often have you been out for a walk and saw the local arbourist either cutting down or trimming up a large tree in the neighbourhood. That’s a great opportunity to ask if they would drop off a large branch or two at your home. If you have access to a truck, you could obviously just throw it in the back and take it home on your own.

Once you have it home, you can go to work carving out a portion of the log where you can pack in a rich forest soil loaded with compost, rotting leaves and bits of fungi that will quickly go to work breaking down the wood.

If you are comfortable using a chainsaw, you can create a large hollow in the log in no time. If a chainsaw is not something you want to get involved with, you can create the planter with simple tools like a hammer and chisel.

To speed up the process, consider using a power drill to first create holes in the area you want to hollow out. Once the holes have been drilled 5-6 inches deep, you can begin chiselling out the wood. Depending on the size of the log, you may have to drill and chisel out the wood a few times before you have the look and depth you want.

If it’s possible, use a longer drill bit to create drainage holes through the log. Drainage holes may not be necessary since the idea behind the project is to create a rotting log, and the wood in the log will absorb a lot of the moisture anyway, but drainage holes might be appropriate depending on what you are planning to grow in the fallen-log planter.

I have seen many of these natural planters with colourful bedding plants filling them up. That’s fine if you are looking to pretty up a corner of the yard, but a natural planter looks and feels much more appropriate.

Think wildflowers like hepatica, maidenhair ferns, mushrooms and small succulents. A natural path-side planter where you can control things like soil PH, is the perfect place to grow Bunchberry (cornus canadensis) or other acid loving plants.

In his book, Landscape with Nature, Using Natural Design to Plan Your Garden, Jeff Cox writes that “you can make a totally natural planter by hollowing out the centre 1 foot deep.” He suggests planting the old log planter with ferns, begonias, impatiens, or hens-and-chicks, but I prefer a more natural approach using native wild flowers including trilliums, dog-tooth violets and even wild ginger along with hepatica and spring beauty. It might also be the perfect spot to try some native orchids.

A log planter can also be a great place to grow a small bonsai-like shrub – suggesting the rebirth from a dead tree into new life. Again, try using a native shrub like a serviceberry, or one of the many small-shrubby native dogwoods, and viburnums preferably one with berries.

Commercial alternatives to a natural log planter

If carving up an old wooden log with a chainsaw or painstakingly chiselling one out is too much, there are much simpler ways to achieve the overall look without lifting a finger.

Commercial stumps are available that give you the look of an old, hollowed out tree stump without the work and the eventual complete break-down. High quality concrete planters can look remarkably real.

This example of an old wooden log planter from Wayfair.com is a good indication of what is available.

The concrete containers that are made to look like a real tree trunk are perfect for the woodland garden. You can purchase ones that stand up more or less vertically to give height, or planters that are more like fallen logs that lie on the ground horizontally.

These have the added benefit of being able to be easily moved around the garden.

Although not made to look like a fallen log, this exquisite planter from Vivaterra is a pefect vessel to show off your mosses, ferns or even a small native bonsai.

Of course, you will lose out on many of the insects and small animals that would readily move into the more natural pathside planter, but you will be gaining a woodland aesthetic that will surely bring a smile every time you pass it by.

DIY: Turn a birdbath into a succulent planter dish (step by step guide)

How to make a succulent dish garden (with a twist)

Here is a Do-it-yourself project that is both easy to create and results in a lovely succulent dish garden.

I’ve added a little twist by creating a mini photo studio with the addition of a small hummingbird feeder. All you need to complete the project is an old bird bath, some cactus soil, crushed clay stone and a small hummingbird feeder.

The project can be completed in less than an hour and will surely brighten up your backyard and add a great spot to photograph hummingbirds coming to your garden.

Succulents have certainly become popular recently. Here I have used a series of hens and chicks to make the project more hardy to stand up to our cold winters.

The popularity of succulents, however, is for good reason. Today’s succulents are outstanding. Large, small, colourful, tiny, easy to grow and even easier to maintain.

After all, the plants really don’t need a lot of care. Plant them in gritty, well-draining soil mixed with a little stone or pea gravel. Water them in extreme drought if necessary otherwise, just let them take care of themselves.

An old bird bath converted to a succulent planter with a twist – a Perky-Pet handhold/tabletop hummingbird feeder is buried in the stone. The set-up was designed as a potential stage for hummingbird photography.

So with all this in mind, and with an old leaky bird bath sitting empty in the yard, I figured it was a good time to create one of these popular planters.

We’ve had the planter for several years and, besides replacing some of the succulents last year after a brutally cold winter, it has become a focal point along our pathway. I can’t say that it has attracted many hummingbirds over its time, but I’ll keep experimenting with different hummingbird feeders to find one that keeps them coming back.

This small round hummingbird feeder fits the succulent dish perfectly.

A more detailed shot shows the vibrant colours of the stone, succulents in the DIY birdbath conversion.

I happened to have the small hummingbird feeder designed to teach the tiny birds to eat out of your hand.

Converting birdbath into succulent planter

The project was simple and involved just a few items that I had around the house, and an electric drill.

1) First, I drilled about five holes through the bottom of the fibreglass bird bath to allow good drainage.

2) Then, add pea gravel in the middle area where the hummingbird feeder sits.

3) Next, surround the pea gravel with store-bought cactus soil and mix it with pea gravel to keep it loose and well draining.

4) Now it’s time to plant the succulents around the edges of the bird bath, mixing large and small.

5) I added some sedum that was already growing in the garden

6) I also had a curved wire that looked perfect as a hummingbird resting stop, so that was placed in the container but far enough from the feeder not to interfere with any hummingbirds that might be feeding while in flight.

7) I filled the little hummingbird feeder and placed it in the middle of the succulent container.

8) Finally, red chipped clay stone was placed over the soil as a mulch and a nice clean backdrop for the succulents. The stones help to keep water from splashing up dirt onto the succulents and gives the whole container a more desert feel.

How to care for a succulent dish (birdbath) garden

Caring for a succulent dish – in this case a birdbath – is simple. Succulents do not need a lot of water. In fact, too much water would be the main reason for their demise.

Think desert landscape and you’ll know how much you’ll need to water your dish. I rarely water our succulent dish. Instead, allowing our summer rains to get the job done with the occasional watering works well.

Providing good drainage is probably the most important step you could do to ensure the survival of the plants.

Ours is planted is an area close to the house that gets mostly morning sun into early afternoon.

For more on gardening on a budget, check out my in-depth article here.

Gardening on a budget links

DIY moss garden

Proven Winners Idea Book

Ten money-saving tips for the weekend gardener

Window boxes on a budget

DIY Bark Butter feeder for Woodpeckers

DIY reflection pond for photography

Click & Grow is ideal for Native Plants from seed

Nature’s DIY garden art

DIY solar drip for bird bath

Remove your turf and save money

DIY succulent planter

Hiring students to get your garden in shape

If you are interested in backyard birds, please consider signing up for my backyard birds newsletter. The sign-up page is at the bottom of my homepage. Not only will the newsletter provide in-depth articles on attracting, feeding and photographing backyard birds, I am also working with local artisans to provide discounts on incredible bird-related feeders, houses and other goodies backyard birders will love. In addition there will be regular giveaways , including gardening books and birding items.

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Why leave ornamental grasses standing through winter?

Grasses provide structure and habitat for the garden in winter

There are two reasons I leave our grasses standing all winter. First, wildlife – from insects to birds – benefit from the standing grasses and second, I just love the look of the wheat-coloured grasses providing structure in the garden from the fall through to the following spring.

There is another important reason to leave the grasses standing, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

During the winter months, when snow is covering the ground, our grasses provide amazing structure to the garden and are often the first element I focus on when looking for photographic subjects. The results can range from high-key images of the delicate wisps of wheat-coloured grasses against a pure white background, to an image of a bird tucked away in the grasses waiting out a heavy snowfall.

Red Squirrel among the Northern Sea Oats in winter.

In the early part of winter, capturing the seed heads poking out from the snow is a favourite subject, however, as winter draws on, the seeds heads are either eaten by the birds or dispersed from the cold winds.

Be sure to take advantage of the early part of winter to catch images of the seed heads in the snow.

It’s also a good time to capture the spent flower heads from the Black Eyed Susans with snow caps on before the goldfinches strip the seeds from the flower heads.

Are ornamental grasses perennial?

You may ask if ornamental grasses are annual or perennial? The answer is, of course, it depends. But it’s safe to say that most ornamental grasses you purchase are hardy perennials and will return year after year. Most ornamental grasses are very hardy but a few, including the large red- or purple-coloured fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) that is popular to use in containers, is a fast-growing – up to 4-feet – annual in most areas. It is actually hardy in tropical zone 9.

Because most ornamental grasses are perennial, they will require cutting down when they have expired. There is no problem leaving perennial or annual grasses up through the winter. Both will provide structure and beauty throughout the cold months.

Annual grasses, including the annual purple fountain grass, can simply be removed and discarded in the spring along with the cuttings of the perennial grasses.

I like to pile them on top of a natural compost heap to give the birds an opportunity to take the grass to build their nests. I also stuff handfulls of the dried grass in the suet holders in spring for the birds to take as nesting material.

More on Ornamental grasses:

• How to easily cut down Ornamental grasses

• Best Ornamental grasses for sun and shade

• Three grasses for shade in the woodland garden

Northern sea oats close up covered in snow.

Grasses help form the structure of a winter garden

Ornamental grasses might be the last thing you think of when looking for winter structure and interest in the garden. Typically, we look to evergreens to form the basic structure of a winter’s garden. Not everyone, however, has room to plant large evergreens such as spruce, pines or cedars.

That’s when ornamental grasses rise to the challenge.

Small enough to suit even the most compact gardens, these grasses can provide four-season interest with winter, arguably, being the time they shine the most. In many gardens, they are the only non-woody plant still standing, and their tan colour helps them stand out against a snowy or just drab winter background.

They can also add movement when the winds of winter blow, and their vase-like structure adds another dimension to our garden.

Miscanthus still standing tall after an early snowfall. Notice the “flower heads” are still intact. Later in the winter birds and strong winds will make them disappear.

A third reason to leave your ornamental grasses

There is another very important reason to leave grasses standing throughout the winter, and that is to protect the roots of the grasses from extreme temperatures, especially the constant freezing and thawing that is common over the course of our winters.

If you are like me and fall garden clean up amounts to putting away the hummingbird feeders, patio umbrellas and garden chairs, then you’ll benefit from a buildup of leaves around the plants which will form a nice layer of insulation around the roots of the grasses. The grasses will often fold in on themselves as well, providing additional “winter mulch” for the plants, wildlife and insects that count on the grasses for protection and habitat.

The Miscanthus grasses in the foreground help to give the garden structure and interest even if they are covered in heavy snow.

This insulation layer will help keep the roots from experiencing the freeze-thaw cycles that can uproot some plants, especially if they are newly planted and the roots have not yet set in completely. Or, if you recently planted a clump after dividing a larger clump of your ornamental grasses in the fall.

This is also the area around the roots where insects will burrow in to survive the winter or lay eggs for next spring.

It’s not uncommon to see Juncos and other insect-eating birds foraging around the leaves at the roots of our grasses looking for insects and larvae.

A Dark-eyed Junco among the Northern Sea Oats during an early snowfall.

Ornamental grasses can be a haven for birds in winter

The larger grasses that form sturdy upright branches can provide protection for birds in winter. I have seen birds go into the thick grasses during winter storms to escape the high winds and extreme cold. Some of the grasses get bent over and form a perfect perch for the birds.

Ornamental grasses would not be the first places the birds choose to ride out a winter storm, but if large evergreen trees are scarce in your neighbourhood, tall grasses would probably provide the next best natural shelter.

Snow laden grasses stand out against the stark background.

Best Ornamental grasses for winter interest

Some grasses are definitely better than others for winter interest. Some of the smaller grasses are covered early by snow and others are not vigorous enough to stand up to the harshness of our winters.

Look for native grasses whenever possible to provide the most benefits for wildlife and ensure you are not contributing to invasive non-native grasses spreading into natural areas.

The miscanthus grasses are particularly good for winter interest. They stand over six feet tall in summer with their feathery upright and very attractive pinkish seed heads. In winter, ours usually get knocked down to about four-feet high, allowing them to still stand above even the highest snow accumulations.

The stems turn a lovely beige-tan colour with the beautiful plumes lasting well into winter.

A combination of a garden light and a hint of Japanese Forest grass (Hakonechloa) makes for an interesting winter scene.

I also find our smaller fountain grasses to be excellent in the first half of the winter before the snow gets too high and buries the plants. But even a tiny bit of the grasses peaking up through the snow can result in a lovely, delicate photographic image. If you are searching for images, look for a single grass blade or grouping of three delicate beige grass blades forming an arc in the snow. If the seed head still remains, it’s a pure bonus.

The hybrid fountain grass Karly Rose is a larger fountain grass that carries lovely pink seed heads in late summer and can withstand more snow in winter before it is buried.

Panicum grasses are also a strong performer with great winter interest.

Calamagrotis Karl Foerster, a popular grass used in both commercial and residential landscaping is another grass that works well in the winter landscape. It’s upright habit and dense growth keeps it performing well into winter even in areas with high snowfall.

These grasses poking out of the snow work nicely with the white birch trees.

Photographing grasses in winter

Grasses, either covered in snow or mostly buried in winter’s ground cover, can be a rewarding photographic experience. But it’s usually not as simple as grabbing your camera and snapping a picture.

Successfully capturing the beauty of grasses in winter involves a number of factors that need to be considered.

The key to success is recognizing the amount of snow in the image. If you are photographing wisps of delicate grasses against a background of snow, it’s important to maintain the delicate look of the image. This would be an example of a high key image where the photograph has a clean white background with just a delicate hint of colour.

To create this image we want to “open up” our lens to allow more light into the scene.

What does this mean and how do you do it?

Shooting a snowy (or white sand beech) scene will trick the camera into thinking there is an incredible amount of light available. As a result, the camera will reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor (film) and give you snow that is very blue or, in the case of black and white photography, very grey. We’ve all seen the Instagram images of a lovely snow scene where the snow is blue and the real subject is too dark.

This is just the result of the camera doing what it does and using the metering system to create a “middle grey” image of the scene.

To compensate for this situation, and ensure the snow stays white, photographers say we have to “open up.” What they mean is we have to add back the light the camera wants to take away from the scene.

Today’s modern cameras are very good at recognizing various lighting conditions, but an abundance of snow is too much for most camera meters.

Below is an example of a typical underexposed snow scene. Compare it to the image below with the proper exposure.

An example of an underexposed snow scene where the snow turns grey or blue as opposed to holding its clean white look.

The same image shows a properly exposed scene where the white snow maintains its proper colour.

Escaping the blues: Simple solutions to photographing in the snow

The solutions to getting white snow are simple.

• If you are shooting in a program mode, (SP, AP or P mode) where the camera is automatically determining the proper exposure, try using the +1, +2 or even +3 compensation override to add the light back to the subject and make the snow white.

Be careful not to add too much compensation or you will (blow out) or take away the detail and texture in the snow. (If you are shooting a snow scene with a lot of blue sky, it’s unlikely any compensation would be necessary.)

• Possibly the easiest way to get the proper exposure is to go to the camera’s programmed shooting modes and look for the snow or sand/beach modes. Use these modes to photograph the snowy landscape. These modes automatically account for the brightness and make adjustments to keep the snow white. You may, however, have to use the camera’s compensation function (maybe +1) to tweak the scene depending how much snow is in the image.

In addition to the snow/sand modes, many of today’s compact cameras also include an “art mode” that allows the photographer to experiment with more artsy images. Set the camera to “high key” to create a delicate, ethereal look that might suit your image perfectly. This would work in a situation where you are moving in close on just a few strands of grass with a pure white background.

• Finally, if you are shooting in manual mode, get the camera’s suggested exposure and then use the +1, +2,+3 compensation to find an exposure that looks right. You can just check the back of the camera to get a feel for how the final image will look.

Bracket your snow scenes for best results

Getting properly exposed images in winter can be tricky, so it is probably a good idea to use bracketing whenever possible.

Bracketing is a process where you tell the camera to shoot a series of images at different settings – most often three images – where one image follows the camera’s suggested meter reading, another is a stop over and the final is a stop under. The result are three images where you have the opportunity to pick the one that works best for you.

I would suggest setting up the bracketing function before going outside so that you don’t have to fiddle with it in the cold.

Of course, some of these adjustments can be made in Lightroom or photoshop after you have taken the images, but it’s best to get it right in camera.

With a few simple adjustments to your approach, there is no reason to put the camera away during winter. Your garden takes on a completely different look in winter and its an opportunity to capture the delicate beauty of winter.

It’s also an opportunity to see the potential weaknesses in your garden’s structure. A picture never lies. Use your winter images to improve the garden structure come spring.

It’s just another good reason to buy more plants.

Use a camera with a viewfinder when shooting in the snow

It can be extremely difficult to see what you are photographing if you are using a camera without a viewfinder and being forced to use the camera’s LCD screen. If you are going out to shoot in the snow, either choose a camera with a built-in viewfinder or consider purchasing a separate viewfinder for the camera. The are usually a few you can choose from that would work with the camera.

There are also attachments available that can fit over the back of your camera to shade the LCD screen.

Forest Bathing: How to use nature to find peace, better health

Let me bring you songs from the wood
To make you feel much better than you could know
Dust you down from tip to toe
Show you how the garden grows

Ian Anderson

Gardens can be the perfect starting point

Finding peace in the forest or woodland is nothing new. For centuries, people have sought the quiet solitude of these places to escape the stress of urban life.

Tapping into and recognizing the true healing power of the forest, woodlands and natural areas, however, is a fairly recent endeavour.

“It was the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries that established the practice of “shinrin-yoku” (literally translated to “forest bathing”) in the 1980s, as a response to a rising health crisis in their country,” explains Fru Molnar, a Certified Forest Therapy Guide (www.ForestBaths.earth).

Fru Molnar, a certified Forest Bathing guide from New York state.

She explains that: “Spending time in nature has been an accessible way to co-regulate the human nervous system for as long as we’ve been on this planet. And, with the evolution of humans, our consciousnesses, and our technologies, we have also developed multifaceted practices to connect with the natural world in order to heal ourselves.”

In the United States, Canada and Europe, the Covid pandemic helped turn woodlands and natural areas – including our gardens – into places of refuge where we could escape the stress and worries associated with big cities, crowded streets and the constant fear of contracting the disease.

Forest bathing for many, whether we realized it or not, became a lifesaver.

“In recent years, I would posit that forest bathing has been gaining traction throughout the pandemic in particular not only because it’s a tangible stress reliever, but also because it was one of the only activities that many folks could still enjoy during peak lockdown times, at least in the United States,” explains Fru, from her home in Peekskill, New York, a town on the Hudson River about an hour north of Manhattan

“When you’re truly engaged with your senses in the present moment in nature, that’s forest bathing to me.”

— Fru Molnar

“Even in the height of the pandemic, people were able to discover that being outdoors in fresh air with plenty of distance between each other can be an avenue for self-care, play, socializing or community care, and recreation. It’s no coincidence, either, that forest bathing has been proven to boost the immune system – so the health and wellness benefits are obvious draws.”

Fru, a certified forest bathing guide, with her husband Evan exploring the mountains.

Forest bathing actually played a key role in helping Fru and her husband, Evan, find a more satisfying life away from the stress of the big city life.

Evan, a creative designer and digital artist created beautiful images to promote Fru’s Forest Bathing business. For my complete story on Evan’s outstanding work go here.

The couple escaped the big city life in Manhattan by taking a leap to a more rural area of New York state to create Fru’s dream of a more natural lifestyle as a Forest Bathing guide.

“Yes, absolutely. New York City will always have a huge piece of my heart, but I needed balance,” she explains.

“I learned that the concrete jungle isn’t always the most healthful environment for a sensitive person who longs to feel synced to the movements and energies of the natural world; I realized I needed to be living somewhere where I could actually touch the earth with my bare feet on a daily basis, where I could look out my windows and see more trees than buildings, where I could plant a garden and grow flowers for my friends, where I could hike up a mountain after work instead of hiking up endless subway steps.

“This experience was amazing. It took me days to speed back up again, and I don’t think I will ever feel like I have to move so fast again!”

— Forest bathing client

For a few years, the couple combined the fast pace of Manhattan during the week with a slower pace of nature on weekends they hiked in the Hudson Valley.

Eventually, everything fell in place to “re-root here in Peekskill” she explains.

Peekskill is the basecamp for her forest therapy guide company.

To get to this stage she needed to become a certified forest therapy guide which she did via the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs.

The program consists of a six-month online intensive training, followed by a four-day in-person immersion training, Fru explains. She also holds a certification in Wilderness First Aid Basics – an important addition in case of an emergency in the field.

Opening the door to nature

“Additionally, I’ve spent over a decade walking the trails and intimately getting to know the natural landscapes of the Lower Hudson Valley area as an avid hiking, camping, and outdoor adventure enthusiast,” Fru explains.

She is quick to point out that she – and others in her profession – are not therapists, but guides.

“In this practice, we allow the therapeutic work to be done by the natural setting itself. We hold the container for this unique relationship to form between each participant and the forest. A favorite motto among forest therapy guides is: “The forest is the therapist. The guide opens the doors.”

How to discover nature through the senses

“What forest bathing means to me is to be present in nature (any nature, it doesn’t actually have to be a literal forest). It’s really as simple as that. Coming into the present itself can be done through a variety of methods, and I find the most accessible is through the senses,” explains Fru.

“Nature offers such a gorgeously rich tapestry of sensory delights that make it almost impossible not to be present when touching the delicate petal of a flower, or listening to the birds singing, or watching water in a stream.

“When you’re truly engaged with your senses in the present moment in nature, that’s forest bathing to me.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re not having thoughts, of course, but the idea behind the practice is that it’s a restorative one – one where we get to step out of our minds a little bit, and step into our bodies, relax into nature, and enjoy the moment without expectations, without trying to “achieve” anything, just being open to receiving the gifts of Mother Earth. Try it – you might be surprised at how profound things can get when you start looking more closely at the mushrooms, or start actually listening to the trees."

““I had such a good time yesterday that I went out into the woods again later that day, just to do some writing on paper and be with the trees.””

— Forest bather client

What are the benefits to forest bathing?

There are so many physical, mental, and emotional benefits to the practice of forest bathing, some of which can be felt immediately, while others have more subtle effects.”

Three decades of scientific studies in Japan show the vast array of benefits that can be derived from spending mindful, structured time in nature, explains Fru.

These benefits range from the purely physical – boosting immunity, lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and lowered blood pressure, to the emotional and mental – enhanced mental clarity and cognition, increased access to certain types of creativity, improved mood, increased sense of vitality, and relief for chronic depression, anxiety, and other mental conditions.

“It’s truly incredible the breadth of ways in which simply being in the atmosphere of the forest can have a profound effect on us humans, both physiologically and psychologically,” says Fru, adding that “anyone who has spent a few hours in the woods knows how much better you feel afterward.”

Readers who are interested in diving deeper into the science behind any of these benefits, can find links to many of the studies on Fru’s website here.

“I had a pretty profound experience where I met my higher self and she told me that I’m worthy of love- it was a beautiful goddess version of me.”

— Forest bathing client

What to expect during a forest bathing session

If you have never experienced an organized forest bathing session, you might be surprised.

It is not necessarily travelling deep into a forest and meditating for hours until the perfect Zen state is achieved. Of course, that can be part of an experience but most experiences are simpler and more accessible. For some, it could involve a slow movement through a natural area, for others, it may just involve sitting in a quiet place.

“This practice can be done while in motion, too – nature itself is always in motion, after all. So it’s not necessary to be seated or meditating while enjoying nature, but I do encourage slowness during movement. We want to let our bodies really feel relaxed and held, and for some this might mean moving around, and for others it may mean laying on the earth and watching the clouds float by. It’s all medicine.”

What’s a typical forest bathing session?

Fru explains: “Sessions range from 2-3 hours depending on the size of the group. We don’t walk the entire time, and there are usually several opportunities to take seated breaks along the way. Typically we cover no more than 1 mile in total distance. 

“We gather at our meeting spot and I give a brief introduction. Then, I guide us in some gentle mindfulness practices to awaken our senses and ground us in the present moment.

“From there, we slowly wander and get to know our forest or natural setting. Along the way, I offer a few invitations designed to further connect us with our surroundings as we explore. I always build in chances for you to connect with the forest on your own terms, in your own authentic way. All elements of the session are completely optional and offered as invitations only.

“There are also opportunities to gather in a group and share with others. I really prefer guiding groups for this reason – when we share with others, and even more importantly, when we listen to and witness others’ experiences, our own experiences become all the more enriched for it. Someone sharing a story about a moment they had with a turtle might awaken something deep within another participant, or might prompt someone else to seek out their own kindred creature.”

You don’t have to be out in the deep forest to practise Forest bathing. Pick a chair in your own garden and work to become one with nature. Fru will even work with far-away gardeners over zoom through their smartphones.

Can we practise forest bathing in our own natural garden?

The benefits of forest bathing can be achieved as much in your backyard as they can in the deepest forest. Afterall, it is as much a presence of mind as it is a physical place.

Our woodland gardens just might be the ideal place for us to experience the joys and peace forest bathing offers.

“Gardening is a perfect gateway to forest bathing! Caring for plants in a reciprocal relationship is a core value of forest therapy guides and gardeners alike,” explains Fru.

“I was surprised how much better I felt after and how deeply positively it affected me.”

— Forest bathing client

 She offers a simple technique: “I’d like to share a very simple but truly profound forest bathing invitation that gardeners can do every single day in their own backyards. It’s called “sit spot,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like — find a place in your garden where you can sit (or lie down) very comfortably for at least 15-20 minutes. 

“Then, do just that — sit. And be. Allow yourself to do nothing. See what happens as you observe the world around you unfold. Notice with all of your senses. Cultivate patience. 

Fru recommends people who have a peaceful garden to do this exercise every single day in the same spot, if possible. “It’s truly magical to notice how the landscape changes, and how it stays the same — and how we change and stay the same right alongside it.”

The good news is that Fru is available to hep guide gardeners either in person if you live nearby, virtually using a smart phone or through a zoom call.

Gardeners who would like to contact Fru can do so easily through email at her website at ([email protected]), or by filling out the booking form on her website.

“Walk was extremely calming and relaxing. I felt very supported to allow the invitations to flow easily, without judgment or control. Heart rate decreased, breathing felt more nourishing, filled with gratitude post-walk. Felt more connected with myself, my environment, and the walk group.”

— Forest bathing client

Exploring a virtual forest bathing experience

Even if you don’t live anywhere near the Lower Hudson Valley (NY), Fru is available to guide virtually.

“On virtually-guided walks, you get to choose the location, and I’ll guide from my own location. So we won’t be physically present with each other, but we will be doing the practice simultaneously on our phones,” Fru explains. “These 1.5-hour journeys are a low-key, accessible way to get many of the benefits of an in-person forest therapy experience from your own backyard or favorite outdoor spot. All you need is a device with Wifi or cell connection, headphones, and someplace green that calls out to you. Wherever you participate from, the guided session includes sensory invitations and optional group sharing opportunities, and we’ll finish with a virtual tea circle!”

Exploring the virtual experience is just another way natural, woodland gardeners can explore the benefits of their hard work and become more aware and connected to their garden.

Gardeners who would like to contact Fru can do so easily through email at her website at ([email protected]), or by filling out the booking form on her website. You can visit her website at www.ForestBaths.earth

• Lastly, if readers want to find other ANFT-certified forest bathing guides near them, check out this comprehensive list of more than 500 certified forest bathers in the following directory and search by city or state or country, including forest bathers in Canada, the U.K. etc.

•A quick search in my area turned up Forestbathingwithbeth which is operated in Barrie just outside Toronto, Ont., Canada.

• For those in the west, or those readers looking for the ultimate Forest bathing experience in the Cdn. Rocky Mountains, contact Ronna at Forest Fix who operates in the Canmore/Banff area.

Olympus camera system in the garden, the woodlands and on vacation

Stunningly good: First impressions of the Olympus OM-E-M10 Micro Four Thirds system

This beautiful little Cape May Warbler was photographed with the Olympus E-M10 and the 40-150mm on the backyard birdbath.

If you are like me and put off purchasing a Micro Four Thirds camera for garden, wildlife and vacation images, it’s time to reconsider.

I picked up an Olympus E-M10 Micro Four Thirds camera with two kit lenses, and together with a converter and my existing high-quality, vintage 300mm F4.5* lens and a sweet 50mm macro f2.8 Pentax lens, I instantly have a compact photographic system with big potential.

When I say picked the camera and lenses up, I mean truly picked it up for the very first time.

Be sure to check out my Olympus Photo gallery.

Flowering dogwood shot with Olympus E-M10 using the soft focus setting.

I have been admiring Olympus cameras from afar for years – actually since a young female photojournalist I worked with more than 30 years ago used the Olympus OM1 compact 35mm system.

The E-M10 takes on a lot of the vintage vibe of that original OM1 system. Although I have the all-black version ( I love all-black cameras) there is also a silver and black version that gives off a terrific vintage vibe.

For more information on Olympus, check out my complete review of the Olympus PEN system.

Black swallowtail on Agapanthus shot with Olympus EM-10 and kit 40-150mm.

I can honestly say, however, that I have not held an Olympus camera in my hands since I admired the photojournalist’s impressive OM1 system.

In the hand, the E-M10 has the necessary heft to give it the feeling of a precision photographic tool that’ll put a smile on your face the moment you pick it up.

But that all changed recently when I received a box in the mail from an online seller who upgraded to a newer Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. He told me he loved his Olympus E-M10 so much that he bought the new, more expensive model.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 camera with two kit lenses.

The fact he upgraded to a newer model is always a good sign, especially for someone like me who had no real idea what to expect except from what I had seen on Youtube reviews and what other photo bloggers have written about the camera.

Let’s not kid ourselves, this is an older camera and Olympus has come a long way since they released the Olympus E-M10 in January 2014. That makes the camera almost ten years old already. But, in my book, it lacks very little of what I truly need to capture images in the garden, about town or on vacation.

The features offered in modern OM System cameras are truly outstanding and in many ways cutting edge in comparison to other camera manufacturers. The system is certainly one that should be considered if you are looking to purchase a new, modern camera.

This Junco was photographed with the inexpensive 40-150 f4-5.6 lens.

I like the price of older cameras when I want to experiment with new systems and, unless you need the latest in technology, older versions of high-quality cameras are more than most of us really need to capture our garden, wildlife and other images such as our children, grandchildren, while on vacation and at special events.

Red-breasted Nuthatch at Q&A bird feeder taken with the Olympus 40-150mm kit lens.

If you follow my website, you’ll know that I use Pentax as my main camera system, but that I also like to dabble in small, enthusiast point-and-shoot cameras as well – Fujifilm, Lumix and even the odd Canon point and shoot.

Pentax, not unlike Olympus, likes to forge its own path and appeal to the more discerning advanced amateur photographers. These photographers are generally as much concerned about the experience as they are about the size of their camera bodies and lenses.

To their credit, Olympus has created a cult following of believers with their outstanding camera lines, ranging from the OM-D line to the truly compact and elegant PEN systems. Even their TOUGH line of point-and-shoot cameras offer an impressive array of accessories that create a versatile photography system with waterproof lenses, protective cases, and an underwater housing.

Chipmunk photographed with the 40-150mm F4-5.6 kit lens.

If you are looking for a camera system, be sure to check out the Olympus Shop Featured Weekly Deals for great savings directly from Olympus.

But, let’s get back to my new (to me) toy – the E-M10.

Dark eyed Junco on Cornus Kousa tree in winter.

The retro-looking E-M10 packs plenty of modern features

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 was released in January of 2014 packing 16 megapixels into its Micro Four Thirds sensor. It was actually the third model in the OM-D series of compact, mirrorless, interchangeable-lens cameras, and aimed at photographers looking for a less expensive solution to its predecessors.

The E-M10 may have been less expensive than its predecessors, but Olympus did not cut corners on quality or the photographic experience with this camera.

If you are looking to add a new Olympus camera, a lens or another brand of camera, be sure to check out the large, ever-changing selection from KEH Camera Exchange. Click here to check out there selection of used camera equipment.

Our garden in spring photographed with the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and the kit lens 14-42mm.

OM-D E-M10 key features

• 16MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor

• Twin control dials on the top of the camera

• A solid, pop-up, built-in flash

• Camera shoots 8 fps continuous shooting

• The E-M10 has a handy tilting 1.04M dot LCD touchscreen

• In addition to the LCD touchscreen, it boasts a 1.44m dot LCD viewfinder

• Incorporates Wi-Fi for travellers allowing remote control and file transfer to smartphones

• Focus peaking for those who want to use vintage lenses with an adapter

• A full range of art filter modes and scene modes

• The ability to shoot in Aperature, Shutter, Program and manual mode for more advanced photographers

• '3-axis' image stabilization unlike other Olympus OM cameras with 5-axis

In the hand, the E-M10 has the necessary heft to give it the feeling of a precision photographic tool that’ll put a smile on your face the moment you pick it up.

Now, turn it on. You’ll notice there is an electronic viewfinder to look through if you so choose. Sure, there is also a very nice LCD screen to compose your image on as well, but if you are a little old school and still appreciate looking through a viewfinder to take a picture, you have a very capable digital viewfinder.

I was out recently taking images of ornamental grasses in the snow and without the digital viewfinder, the LCD screen would have been impossible to use. In fact, I was using the Olympus and a tiny Pentax Q camera system without a viewfinder and it was almost impossible to see the images on the Pentax Q system.

The Olympus viewfinder became almost indispensable. And the viewfinder is very usable.

If you are interested in exploring Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras further, you can also check out the Olympus store at Amazon.com.

A dark-eyed Junco photographed with the 40-150mm Olympus kit lens.

I picked up the two kit lenses with the camera – 14-40mm and the 40-150mm – and I am very impressed. Both lenses have performed admirably in the extremely short time I have used them. In fact, I am so excited about the camera that I am writing this review after using the camera for just a few days.

This fall shot was taken with the Olympus 14-40 kit lens.

The camera lenses focus quickly and are very sharp considering they are inexpensive kit lenses. I will say that I did experience some hunting with the 40-150mm at the long end when focusing on a bird close up, but for the most part the focusing has been exceptionally good.

I should add that the hunting for focus may have been caused by the fact that I was shooting through a back window at my DIY heated bird bath. Still the images came out exceptionally sharp with a little tweaking in Lightroom.

In addition, I didn’t realize at first that I had the digital zoom lens turned on. Although I appreciated the extra length of the lens in its digital zoom mode, it did soften the image to some degree.

American Robin photographed with the Pentax 300mm f4.5* lens on the Olympus micro four thirds camera.

Adding my favourite Pentax 300mm F4.5 lens to my Olympus system

Mirrorless camera systems, like the Olympus OM-E-M10, allows photographers to dip into their more vintage lenses and use them on much more modern cameras. Although autofocus and other capabilities are lost when a converter is inserted between the camera’s lens mount, there are so many benefits that using these converters far outweigh their shortfalls.

I have a collection of older Pentax lenses – including my favourite 300mm F4.5* lens – that when used on the Olympus with the crop factor gives me a very useful 600mm F4.5 lens. I’ve only used the combination briefly but am impressed with the possibilities, especially when it comes to using the combination in my Tragopan photographic blind where the action is more predictable.

Manual focus is relatively easy using the LCD screen on the back of the camera. The Robin image (above) is a good illustration of what can be done in the right circumstances.

In addition to the 300mm, I will be using a Pentax 50mm f2.8 macro lens that becomes a 100mm macro lens.

Woodland Garden in winter photographed with the 14-40mm kit lens.

This short review does not pretend to go into the details of the camera and lenses. I wrote this as an introduction to the Olympus system and a “first impression” review of the camera and lenses. A longer, more informative review will follow after I have used the camera and lenses for an extensive period of time in the garden and the woodland area around my home.

Last words on the Olympus E-M10

After using the camera for a few days, I can honestly say that it is an impressive tool for anyone looking for a small, capable camera that supports interchangeable lenses.

With my two kit lenses, I can cover the 35mm equivalent of 28mm to 300mm in two very small, lightweight lenses, and still come away with excellent images that any gardener/birder/photographer would be happy to call their own.

The bird images above were all taken with an inexpensive kit lens, hand held and photographed through the window of our back patio door and they are still sharp.

Birch trees in winter with Northern Oat grass.

Unlike a high-end point and shoot camera with a fixed lens, the Olympus system leaves plenty of room for the gardener/photographer to grow.

While I have chosen to go with the inexpensive kit lenses to begin my Olympus journey, there is a whole array of impressive, more expensive, professional lenses and advanced amateur lenses that are certainly worth considering. Lenses are available from third-party manufacturers like Sigma as well as lenses made by Panasonic/Leica for its Micro Four Thirds cameras.

With inexpensive adapters, you can also use older vintage lenses with a two times magnification. For example, my Pentax 50mm F2.8 will become a 100mm F2.8 and my 100mm F2.8 Kiron K-mount lens becomes a 200mm F2.8 macro lens.

If you are in the market for either a new camera or camera system, definitely put a Micro Four Thirds system on your list. The convenience of the more compact system with the quality of a high-end, enthusiast camera makes these systems impossible to ignore.

The perfect ground cover for hot, sunny and dry areas in the garden

Elegant grey foliage, white flowers make snow in summer a great choice for sunny spots

If you are looking for a ground cover for a sunny, hot and dry area, look no further than the grey foliage and lovely white flower of Snow in Summer.

The ground cover affectionately named “snow-in-summer” is a favourite of mine. Its bloom is actually something I really look forward to each year. Snow-in-summer or Cerastium tomentosum is an herbaceous perennial that blooms alongside our wild geranium in early June.

It sits maybe 8-12 inches high and each plant quietly spreads out to form a dense mat of foliage to a width of 12 to 18 inches. Hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones from 3 to 7, this more or less well-behaved, delicate ground cover – a member of the carnation family – is valued for more than just its early summer bloom.

Snow-in-summer or Cerastium tomentosum is an excellent ground cover for sunny, hot and dry areas in the garden. It will bring a smile to any gardener and photographer with its delicate white flowers and silvery-grey foliage.

We have ours spilling out over our main garden pathway of pea gravel and blue flagstone where its silver-grey foliage is able to shine year-round. I would say it gets full sun where it is in our garden with some late afternoon shade.

It just loves the hot sun beating on it and reflecting up off the stone. The plants can take foot traffic and never really get out of hand in our garden.

Apparently, if it’s too happy where it is growing, it can become invasive. The combination of reseeding itself and sending out runners can make the plant a little bit of a problem in some areas.

If you are concerned about it running out of control, a 5- or 6-inch deep edge should keep it in check.

It is not particular about the soil it grows in and seems perfectly happy growing into our pea gravel where it is easy to remove and divide.

Here is an added bonus: it’s among the deer resistant family of plants woodland gardeners prize so dearly.

Looking for more information on ground covers? Please check out my other posts on ground covers I use in the woodland garden.

• Bunchberry perfect ground cover for woodland garden

• What is the easiest ground cover to grow?

• Three great ground covers for the woodland garden.

• Creeping thyme as a ground cover

• Moss and moss-like ground covers

Five more great ground covers for sunny areas

• Lamb’s Ear (stachys byzantina)

• Catmint (Nepeta)

• Contoneaster (Contoneaster horizontalis)

• Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)

• Silver Mound Artemisia (Artemisia schmidtiana)

The elegant clear white flowers and silvery-grey foliage gives the plant a mediterranean feel that works well in a rock garden location or along a pea-gravel path like it is seen here.

Although this is the only spot in our garden where this plant is growing, I’m noticing that it has jumped over, around or under, our wild geranium and has taken a second spot beneath one of our bird baths along the same pea-gravel path.

That’s fine with us, it can be easily trimmed back before it decides to continue its march elsewhere.

It’s best to divide these plants shortly after flowering, when you are cutting off the spent blooms and tidying it up.

Established plants may be propagated by division in the fall or by cuttings.

A 50mm macro lens with a profusion of flowers both in front of, and behind the in-focus flowers help to give these images an ethereal look often referred to as selective focus. More on photographing these plants below.

Space the snow in summer flower 12 to 24 inches apart to give plenty of room for spread. Mature plants grow to between 6 and 12 inches and have a spread of 12 to 18 inches.

Originally from Europe and western Asia, these plants can actually be pushed to grow in zones 8-10 as well, but growing in these zones they may be short-lived.

The plants silver-grey foliage gives away their overall toughness in the landscape being more or less heat tolerant. They do better in a dry, sunny heat situation rather than in humid conditions.

In fact, we are growing ours in more of a rock-garden style than as a border plant in a traditional garden, where it also excels.

These plants are said to be salt tolerant. If you are lucky enough to live by the sea, give them a try. They can be considered an invasive plant in some warmer climates so check with local authorities before planting.

Five sun-loving Ground covers.

Photographing these flowers in your garden

Snow in Summer is an excellent plant to experiment with photographically. It’s soft grey foliage and delicate white flowers makes it an ideal candidate to try “selective focus.” This creative style of photography uses a high-key, dreamy effect to create ethereal images.

Using fast, close-focusing lenses that are opened up to as much as f2.8 will create these effects.

Point-and-shoot tip: If you are using a point-and-shoot camera, consider using the “high-key” mode filter, which is usually built into theses cameras, to help you create the light and airy effect.

These “selective focus” images were made in full sunlight with a 50mm f2.8 Pentax macro lens. I used an older manual focus lens but newer auto focus lenses are available. Expect to spend a few dollars on these more specialty lenses.

Also available are 100mm macro lenses that enable photographers more control including a larger working distance to photograph insects and reptiles from farther back.

Many modern zoom lenses also offer a “macro” feature on them. These may work for some flowers, however their close-focusing abilities often fall just short of the mark and they are what we call “slow lenses”, meaning they only open up to f5.6 which is often not enough to give you the amount of out-of-focus effect you are looking for. In certain situations they would work, but if you are serious in pursuing this type of garden photography, consider splurging on a fast macro lens.

There are other ways to get close to flowers and insects in the garden that I’ll explore in later blogs, but trust me when I say true, fast macro lenses are the best way to go, if you want to explore this type of photography.

Macro lens is a good investment

I am lucky enough to own 3 macro lenses. All are older, manual focus lenses that still work on my digital cameras.

In these images, the camera’s settings had to be overridden about two f-stops to maintain the overall lightness of the image. If I had followed the camera meter, the image would have appeared muddy-grey rather than this delicate ethereal look.

Also, opening up the camera lens wide open to f2.8- f4, helps to keep the surrounding flowers completely out-of-focus with a nice dreamy look.

Shooting at f-8 or f16 would have created a sharper more documentary image of the flower, but that was not the look I was after.

Shooting the flowers with the lens wide open and in bright sunlight allowed me to shoot at a fast shutter speed without a tripod. Normally a small inexpensive tripod would be useful in an extreme closeup, but the shutter speed allowed me to shoot handheld.

Besides I don’t think my larger tripods would allow me to get this low to the ground. The situation forced me to lie on the ground and dig the camera into the pea gravel to get the best angles. (What we do to get the shot.)

For more on macro photography in the garden, check out my other posts including: Getting up close for flower and insect photography; Karen Hutton: Exploring the world of close-up photography.

Flowers that grow in profusion like this make for excellent “selective focus” subjects. Take advantage of these situations whenever possible.

Play with the camera settings a little until you get a feel for what works best. Using the camera’s overexposure compensation button is an easy way to change exposure in any camera mode.

These “selective focus” shots are difficult to do with a smart phone without the macro attachments I talked about in the previous blog and linked to here (macro lenses and other accessories.)

The photograph looking down at the plant from above, was taken with an iphone later in the day, after the area was in shade.

Taking this shot at mid-day would have created harsh shadows and likely made the image too contrasty and unuseable. If you must take a more documentary image in full sun, look for a way to shade the flower. White photo umbrellas would work wonderfully in this situation. They allow enough light to get through, yet remove the harsh shadows on the plant.

Once your subject is shaded, then consider using a reflector to bounce light back into the flowers. It could be as simple as a white card or a piece of tinfoil, but these 5 in 1 collapsible photo reflectors give you the flexibility to reflect light into your subjects at various levels and give you the option of reflecting warm, golden light if you are looking for an evening glow on your subject. They are easy to carry around and collapse into quite small, lightweight reflectors.

In my case, most of these accessories were not needed because the light grey pea gravel was able to bounce enough light back up into the flowers to keep that nice light airy feeling.

If the ground was soil or mulch, I would have used one of the collapsible reflectors to bounce the light back up into the plant. Probably the silver reflector would have brought the best results, but the white ones would have also worked well.

Photographing in our own gardens allows us to wait until the perfect times of day to get the best images possible. Keep an eye out for flowers or textures that are in their prime in your garden and try to capitalize on the proximity of your subject and the best light.

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Water Hyacinth is favourite in patio pond

Painterly image of a water hyacinth in bloom in our container pond.

Water hyacinth is banned in many parts of the world

Not a summer goes by when I don’t pick up a couple of water hyacinths (Pontederiaceae spp.) for our small container pond. Not only do these floating plants boast beautiful purple flowers that bloom regularly throughout the summer, their strong root mass helps to oxygenate the pond water and their thick, fibrous leaves shade the garden pond helping to control green algae growth.

It can provide great cover for fish and can be useful for spawning fish in a small pond.

Water hyacinth is a floating, aquatic plant in the pickerel-weed family that was imported into North America in 1884 for an exposition in New Orleans.

These floating plants have thick oval leaves and a bulbous stalk. It’s quick to multiply with the mother plants sending out multiple runners which then creates daughter plants. It reproduces through pollination by bees or through self cloning.

In our small garden container pond, the plants are more or less left alone by animals. Once or twice a year one of our neighbourhood raccoons or skunks decides to dig in the patio pond and remove a few of the hyacinth bulbs after taking a bite or two out of them. But, the plants just keep going.

For more on garden ponds, be sure to check out my post on garden ponds vs garden container ponds.

Patio container pond with water Hyacinth.

The fact the water hyacinths are quick to multiply means only a few are needed to quickly cover our patio container pond.

Water hyacinths are extremely invasive in temperate climates

Despite the positive attributes listed above, water hyacinth is not a plant you want to add to a large, natural pond, especially if you live in a warmer climate. They are among the fastest growing plants on earth and their fast growth can not only swallow up your pond, they can cause real damage to natural waterways in more temperate climates.

They have been known to clog up waterways, slow the movement of water and destroy much of the natural habitat.

The plant is considered invasive in many parts of the world.

Hyacinth in bloom in early morning.

In parts of asia, experts have measured the plant growth of up to 15 feet a day. It’s particularly problematic for many waterways and is considered invasive in many parts of North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

It is originally native to the waters of South America in the Amazon basin.

In some parts of the world it is used as a source of compost – which is where our plants go at the end of each summer. It can be a good source of nitrogen and phosphorous in the compost.

In parts of Africa, the fleshy part of the plant is used as an animal feed, while the roots are used in fertilizer.

Water fern combines with water hyacinth to cover the surface of the water.

It’s purple-pink bloom rises above the plant usually 5 to 7 inches.

Besides the flower, Water Hyacinths reproduce vegetatively by stolens running off the mother plant.

The plants are not hardy and will quickly die once the temperatures drop.

You can overwinter one or two of the plants by placing them in a fish tank or large bowl inside the house for use the following year.

The plant is actually used in wastewater treatment plants to remove nitrogen and potash. It can also remove many heavy metals and other toxins from contaminated water.

In parts of asia it is used heavily in cooking.

Water ferns and duckweed are good substitutes for water hyacinths

It’s important to use plants to cover much of the surface of the water of your pond to keep algae growth under control. A handful of water fern will have similar growth and cover the surface quickly, as will duckweed.

Duckweed is a tiny green plant that covers both natural and garden ponds quickly.

Focus on 2022 success stories in the garden and behind the lens

Proven Winners’ Rockin’ Deep Purple salvia steal the show

The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to look back over the past year in your garden.

Focusing on your successes can be an eye-opening experience and go a long way to help you better understand the direction you may want to go in the future.

On that same note, if you had your share of losses, it’s a good opportunity to learn from them and possibly go in another direction.

Deep Purple Salvia stole the show in 2022

This year, for example, I had great success with Proven Winners’ Rocking Deep Purple Salvia.

Not only did it perform beautifully in our two containers – blooming profusely throughout the summer and lasting well into the fall – but more importantly it was a magnet for the native bumble bees and hummingbirds.

Every morning the containers would be buzzing with native bumble bees and they became my focus while I was out enjoying coffee with our dog, Holly.

It didn’t take long for the hummingbirds to include these containers with the Rockin’ Deep Purple Salvia on their daily rounds, adding to my morning coffee enjoyment.

It was a small step to simply grab a camera and photograph the bees and hummingbirds as part of my morning and afternoon routines.

The situation created an ideal opportunity to test out a number of older digicams and lenses to review for Ferns & Feathers readers. If you have not had a chance to check out any of the reviews, most focus on the cameras’ usability in garden and garden wildlife photography. A sampling of reviews are highlighted here: Pentax Q, Canon Powershot Elph 500, Lumix-DMC ZS8, Pentax 300mm F4.5 lens.

Being out in the yard regularly also made it easier to watch how the light moved across the patio and identify the best times to photograph the flowers and their many visitors.

The following are a few images taken using Rockin’ Deep Purple Salvia as the magnet for wildlife. Go to the 2022 Photo Gallery for more images.

Rockin’ Deep Purple Salvia offers garden photographers a great opportunity to capture outstanding images of hummingbirds, bees and pollinators.

A macro shot of a bumble bee on a spent salvia flower.

An extreme macro image of a small fly feeding on a salvia flower.

Monarda proved to be another success in the garden

Another hit in 2022 was the performance of our Monarda, which I moved from the back of the yard to beside our patio where I could keep an eye on it more easily and photograph the hummingbirds as they moved back and forth between the Monarda and Cardinal flower.

(More reading here on the combination of the Monarda and Cardinal flower.)

Together, they are a splash of red that is just irresistible to hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Again, by watching how the light played on the Monarda, I was able to focus on capturing images primarily of hummingbirds.

A hummingbird is captured here feeding on Monarda. Flash was used along with a diffuser to help stop the motion and provide a nice catchlight in the hummingbird’s eye.

Native Blue Lobelia is another winner in the woodland

Another combination that worked for me in 2022 was the native duo of Black Eyed Susans and blue lobelia.

The Black Eyed Susans had been growing in place for a few years, but adding the native blue lobelia into the mix created a combination that worked both visually and for local pollinators who visited the area regularly. I’m particularly looking forward to next year’s results after the lobelia has had a year to establish itself.

More reading: For the full story on the native wildflower Blue Lobelia.

A combination of black Eyed Susans and native blue lobelia.

Gardening lessons to take away from this year’s success

By planting the monarda, blue lobelia and salvias close to the patio, I was better able to enjoy not only the plants but the birds and the pollinators that visit them regularly.

It was also much easier to care for the plants rather than try to keep them properly watered when they were located at the far end of the yard.

Next year, I plan to add more plants around the patio including searching out more Proven Winners’ salvias from their Rockin’ series. There are four different salvias in their Rockin’ line including two blue salvias and a fuchsia. (Link to Proven Winners Rockin’ series.)

More reading: on Proven Winners free booklets here (2022) and here (2021).

Animals in the landscape

When it comes to visitors to the garden this year, I was fortunate enough to have several memorable moments.

The highlight this past garden season was capturing a number of photographs of our resident fox. The foxes have been around for the past few years, but capturing good images of them is not always easy.

Another benefit of being out in the garden trying to photograph the foxes, resulted in my best images of a skunk in early evening light light.

Both of these animals can be quite elusive if you are not prepared to photograph them and do your homework before hand.

The neighbourhood fox was photographed in my Tragopan photographic blind with a 300mm F4.5 lens.

By using a trail camera in the backyard, I was able to establish that both the fox and the skunk regularly came to an area in the garden near our open compost. From there, it was as simple as setting up my Tragopan blind and waiting for the animals to come along.

More reading: For my post on using a trail camera in the backyard

More reading : For my post on using a Tragopan photo blind in the garden.

I knew the fox came in late afternoon on its regular rounds, but getting the skunk around the same time and in good light was a pure bonus.

A neighbourhood fox was photographed while it posed for a trail camera in the back garden. If you want to see the video of the fox from the Trail camera be sure to click the link above on using the trail camera in the backyard.

Being set up and prepared was, of course, the key to capturing more than just a grab shot of the animals as they made their way through the yard.

The Tragopan blind is important to help the animals feel unthreatened and act more naturally with a human in such close proximity.

While I used the blind for the fox, I did not need to use it for the skunk. Skunks don’t have good eyesight so, for the most part, it did not even know I was there. In fact, at one point it made a B-line across the yard right toward me until I gave it a hand signal that I was there. The hand signal was all it took for the little guy to head in a different direction.

I especially like the image of the fox (above) posing in front of the trail camera as it was capturing video and images of the fox.

This image shows a beautiful skunk roaming through the garden.

The image of the cute little skunk involved a little luck. It came out of some tall grasses right beside me after I set up my camera in the garden. It walked over to a corner of the garden allowing for a more comfortable working distance.

Photographic lessons we can take away from a year in the garden

Observation is critical when you are trying to photograph birds, mammals and other backyard wildlife. Learning their habits and recognizing the times they are most likely to appear in the garden will greatly improve your chances.

There is nothing like spending more time in the garden and simply observing the goings on, but when that is difficult, the trail camera can do the job while you are away.

Most trail cameras will document any animals that come into your yard right down to the minute. If you notice a pattern, simply set up your camera and be prepared to capture images of your subject.

I’m planning to use the trail camera more over the coming winter through to spring and summer to help me capture more fox images this winter when the animals’ coats are in their prime.

Although the images from the trail camera are useable, it’s always better to capture the subjects with a real photographic camera to get the best results.

Looking forward to a new year

The coming year will present us with more challenges in the garden. But, by using our success stories from this past season and building on them, we can meet these challenges head on and come out a winner.

I had hoped to have real success with annual sunflowers (link to my post) this year and, although I did have some success with the native sunflowers, (link to my post) many of my seedlings and young plants were attacked by squirrels and other animals before they could mature and perform at their best. I did learn a few things, though, and next year my sunflower experiments will be much better.

Here’s to a new year.

Bird seed: Complete guide to attracting favourite backyard birds

How to choose the best seed to attract a variety of birds

If you are looking to attract specific birds to your backyard, providing them with their favourite bird seed will go a long way toward your success.

First, it’s important to learn what seed your favourite birds prefer in your area and then find a good reliable source of fresh seed to provide them.

When in doubt, use straight black oil sunflower seed. It is by far the best overall seed to feed backyard birds. But you may miss out on some of the best birds if you stick to straight black oil sunflower seed.

Black oil sunflower seed is the best all round seed to use in your feeder.

Don’t make the mistake of using a general, inexpensive bird seed mix from your local department store – many of these blends are full of filler that birds will only spill to the ground.

Milo – a small, round whitish grain – is most often used as filler in inexpensive mixes.

There is nothing wrong with milo. It will not harm birds, but it is not their preferred choice and often ends up on the ground. If you either see a lot of milo in the seed mix, or it is listed as one of the primary additions in the mix, it’s probably best to avoid that seed mix.

The result of too much filler is, at best, a mess under the feeders, and, at worst, an invasion of mice and rats filling up on the discarded feed. (More on keeping mice and rats out of the garden.)

Woodpecker feeding on no-mess mixed bird seed at our recycled resin hopper feeder.

Millet is a good choice for ground foragers

Don’t mistake milo for millet. They look similar, but millet in small quantities is favoured by ground-foraging birds like Juncos, sparrows and mourning doves. It’s still probably best to leave it out of the feeders, but throwing a handful on the ground or in a platform feeder is a good idea.

By keeping the above tips in mind, there are blends at your local department stores that are good, but just recognize they come at a higher cost than the cheap mixes.

You are better off feeding the birds less with a high quality seed mix than filling the feeders with a low quality mix that results in problems and eventually stops you from getting the full enjoyment out of feeding your backyard birds.

It’s also important to realize that birds do not count on our seed to survive. They are quite capable of looking after themselves and their families.

Studies have shown, however, that birds – especially chickadees and other regular visitors to our feeders – do better if supplemental bird food is available.

The above graphic shows various bird seed and some of the birds that are attracted to those seed mixtures.

It is our responsibility to ensure that feeding the birds in our yards is not detrimental to their health. Keeping the feed fresh and the feeders clean should be a top priority.

More reading: Why recycled resin feeders are better than wood feeders.

Black oil sunflower: The best all-round choice

If in doubt, a good quality black oil sunflower seed is an excellent all-round choice that the majority of birds will readily eat.

Black oil sunflower is favoured by most birds because the seeds – in comparison to the common striped sunflower seeds – have a higher oil content, are easier for small birds to handle and are more nutritional for backyard birds. The black oil sunflower seed is extremely high in protein, as well as fiber, calcium, vitamin b-complex, vitamin e, potassium and iron.

They are favoured by our colourful Northern Cardinals, Evening grosbeaks, Blue Jays and House finches, in addition to chickadees, nuthatches, Tufted titmice, Mourning doves, grackles, Gray catbirds, Pine siskins and a host of others.

How to attract Cardinals to your feeders

Most birders enjoy seeing both male and female cardinals at our feeders.

If you are looking to attract these colourful but somewhat shy birds to your backyard, consider providing them with a large hopper feeder filled with a combination of safflower and black oil sunflower seed both in an out of the hull.

By leaning more heavily on the safflower seed, other birds will focus on a feeder filled with black oil sunflower and leave the safflower for the cardinals.

Safflower is a top seed choice for attracting cardinals. One of its other benefits is that it discourages squirrels, grackles and even sparrows from feeders because they dislike safflower seeds.

The small white thin-shelled seed is readily eaten by cardinals, nuthatches and chickadees.

A good mix will attract the greatest variety of birds

Feeding only the small black oil sunflower will limit the type of birds that are regulars at your feeders.

It’s important to offer a variety of seeds to attract the greatest variety of birds.

Compressed seed cylinders have always been a popular choice in our yard. They are available in a number of different mixes including ones that have meal worms compressed in with the seed mixture. Check out my full story on compressed seed cylinders.

Specialized bird or nature stores will even create specialized mixes for different times of the year (winter, summer, spring and fall), for different habitats (woodland, rural, urban, town and country.)

If done well, these mixes can be especially helpful to attract the birds that are in your area either year round or seasonally.

Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores across the United States and Canada, offer seven primary blends ranging from No-mess blends, to a deluxe blend, supreme blend, tree nut blend, finch and wildlife blends. Individual stores may offer further blends developed for birds in a particular geographic area.

Canada’s Urban Nature Store (link to store website) (Amazon.ca link) also offers a host of blends as well as straight seed.

The Kaytee brand of wild bird seed available at Amazon and elsewhere also offer a high quality seed and variety of quality mixes.

Nyjer or thistle seed is a favourite of Goldfinches

There is no question that Goldfinches are attracted to Nyjer or thistle seed, but only if it is fresh and of high quality. Nyjer/thistle seed that is past its prime, or worse, beginning to get mold growing on it, will be ignored by the birds.

But that may not be the only reason the birds are ignoring your thistle or nyjer seed.

Nyjer/thistle seed can be tricky. The seed actually comes from India and is part of their thistle plants. Before the seed can be imported into North America or parts of Europe, the seed must be cooked. Over cooking the seed removes the protein and makes them useless for birds.

If you notice that the finches are not eating your Nyjer seed, chances are it’s either well past its prime, going moldy or was over cooked in the factory prior to packaging.

If you notice the birds are not eating your Nyjer seed, don’t waste your time, purchase a new supply of Nyjer for your feeder.

You are much better off buying smaller amounts of nyjer seed and using it as quickly as possible rather than buying a large bag and storing it for prolonged periods of time.

It is important, therefore, to ensure you buy seed from a reputable seller that moves a lot of stock. Purchasing Nyjer at your local department store may not be the best idea. The seed may have been sitting on the shelves for months before you purchased it.

No-mess mixed seed is a solid choice

I have found that using a no-mess mix heavily weighted with shell-less sunflower seeds is the best choice as the primary food source for birds in the backyard.

It’s expensive, yes. But it has so many benefits that overpower any negative factors around price that it is my go-to seed choice for our recycled resin hopper feeders.

By using less food, and the fact that none is wasted and left on the ground, I feel it is the best value in the long run.

Consider adding in a couple handfuls of shelled black-oil sunflower to make the no-mess seed stretch further.

Birds will most likely store the shelled sunflower seeds in tree bark away from the feeder so it is unlikely to build up on the ground below feeders.

Final thoughts on best bird seed

First, let’s agree that feeding birds can be expensive. It gets even more expensive when most of that seed goes to feeding squirrels, raccoons, mice and rats.

Preventing animals from getting up to the feeders and the feed from getting down to the ground is critical to keeping costs down and deterring these animals.

Using a high quality food that birds will not waste or throw to the ground is an investment worth making. A no-mess mix is an excellent choice and by adding black oil sunflower seeds to your liking you can reduce the overall cost.

Most important, the high quality seed will attract the birds you are trying to bring into the garden and add to the joy and excitement you were hoping for in the first place.

Take the time to find a good source for seed and don’t over feed them to the point that the seed sits for long periods in the elements.

The best and most economical way to feed birds is the natural way through properly landscaping your yard using native flowers, shrubs and trees that include seed, berries, fruits and nuts.

If you are interested in moving in this direction, check out my comprehensive post on using native plants to feed birds.

Over time you can use bird feeders as nothing more than a supplemental feeding station to attract very specific birds.

Happy birding.

How to attract Red-bellied woodpeckers to your woodland garden

Identifying Red-bellied woodpeckers can be tricky

The Red-bellied woodpecker is a regular at our bird feeders thanks to one special food source and a delivery system that keeps it coming back throughout spring, summer, fall and, especially, winter.

This woodland species is an attractive, medium-sized, black-and-white barred woodpecker with a name that might suggest a bright red belly shining for all to see but, in reality, the red on the belly is a barely perceptible hint of reddish orange tucked closer to the bird’s rump than its belly.

Given that the splash of red on the birds’ belly is barely perceptible, you could be forgiven if you wonder how this bird even got its name.

This hidden patch of red on its belly is the primary reason the bird is often misidentified in the field by new birders expecting to see a big bright red belly similar to that of an American Robin.

Even trying to identify the males from the females is quite difficult.

The main difference is that the males have a red crown and nape on their heads, while the females only have the red nape and lack the red crown. (In other words, only the males have the bright red head patch from their foreheads to the base of their neck. Females have red only on their neck. See images below to see the differences between both male and female Red-bellied woodpeckers.)

A male Red-bellied woodpecker grabs a treat from a small feeder on the bird-feeding station. Notice the full red cap on its head that extends from its forehead to its zebra-like black and white feathers on its back.

Red-headed vs Red-bellied woodpeckers

This flashy red on the Red-bellied woodpeckers’ rounded heads often leads to a further misidentification with the Red-headed woodpecker.

The vibrancy of the Red-bellied woodpecker’s head may have originally resulted in them taking the name “red-headed” if it was not already taken by its fellow, even more impressive, red-headed cousin.

The red-headed woodpecker is actually quite rare in comparison and sports a complete, almost blood-red head and solid black body with white tail feathers and a bright white breast.

The red-bellied woodpecker is also easily mistaken for a Hairy Woodpecker, which is about the same size.

For more on identifying different woodpeckers, check out my earlier post here.

How big is the Red-bellied woodpecker?

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describe the Red-bellied woodpecker’s size as somewhere between an American robin and a common crow.

The Northern Flicker, which share some of the same characteristics but is more buff in colour, is slightly larger than the Red-bellied woodpecker.

Both the male and female red-bellied woodpecker measure about 9.5 inches (24 cm) long, and weigh in at between 2.0-3.2 oz (56-91 g). Their wingspan stretches out to between 13.0 and 16.5 inches (33-42 cm).

This image shows a part of the small marking on the bird's belly that earned it the name Red-bellied woodpecker. The red continues farther up the belly but does not extend to the bird’s breast, so it is easily overlooked.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are happy to feed from the common hopper-style feeders, but they much prefer the large seed cyclinders of compressed peanuts and sunflower seeds that sit on top of our bird-feeding station.

How to identify Red-bellied woodpeckers

When trying to identify these birds, it is probably better to focus on the banded, zebra-like pattern on their back, instead of looking for their faint reddish splash of colour on their bellies.

Both the male and female have sturdy, thick black bills that are excellent for drilling for food in the bark of hardwood trees. Their legs and feet are gray.

A male Red-bellied woodpecker working at a DIY suet feeder filled with bark butter.

What is the range of the Red-bellied woodpecker?

These birds may be common in the eastern woodlands but they are actually birds of the southeast regions stretching down as far south as Florida. According to studies, in the first half of the 20th century, this bird was declining in its more northern limits.

More recently, however, the Red-bellied woodpecker is actually expanding its numbers farther into the north reaching the southern limit of eastern Canada including Quebec and even Newfoundland, where they are more rare.

Backyard bird feeders are often cited as a main reason for this expansion northward.

Red-bellied woodpeckers numbers are reported as stable and in the range of about 10 million breeding birds.

These birds are more or less resident birds that do no not migrate any great distances. Reports show that some birds may move to a more northerly location in fall and remain through winter.

This female Red-bellied woodpecker works a seed cylinder. Notice the red cap does not extend down to the birds forehead, unlike the male.

What is the oldest Red-bellied woodpecker identified?

The oldest known woodpecker was a male found in Georgia where its band indicated it was more than 12 years old.

Most of the woodpeckers, however, do not live more than 11 years with a range of between 4-11 years depending on the type and their range.

Most of the Red-bellied diet consists of insects and spiders, but when insects are more rare, they are also happy to dine on other foods, including seeds, berries and fruit. In fact, during some seasons they eat up to 50 per cent seeds (including pine cones and acorns in the wild).

In the fall and winter they will also eat plenty of fruit such as wild grapes and other berries that remain on the trees and shrubs throughout the winter.

It’s always a good idea to include berry- and fruit-producing trees and shrubs to provide natural food for backyard wildlife.

(Be sure to check out my complete post on using native flowers, shrubs trees and vines to feed birds and other wildlife.)

What do Red-bellied woodpeckers eat in our backyards?

In our backyard, the Red-bellied woodpeckers are quick to come to the feeders to fill up on sunflower seeds and peanuts.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are happy to feed from the common hopper-style feeders, but they much prefer the large seed cyclinders of compressed peanuts and sunflower seeds that sit on top of our bird-feeding station.

I purchase the cylinder specifically labelled for woodpeckers and they seem to do the trick.

A dish of dried or live meal worms will certainly help get their attention and compressed seed cyclinders that include meal worms, berries, nuts and sunflower seeds are always welcomed by these noisey birds.

These large cylinders are by far their favourite, not only for their easy source of seeds, but for the ease that the birds can get at the food.

The cylinders provide a very natural perch for the woodpeckers to take advantage of their large beaks to extract the seeds.

An immature woodpecker without head feathers and a blue jay work the compressed seed cylinder at the bird feeding station.

Sitting in my Tragopan photographic blind watching the woodpeckers working the seed cylinder is fascinating with bits of seed flying in all directions. The cylinders keep the birds at the location for a number of minutes, making viewing and photographing them a real joy.

(Be sure to check out my comprehensive post of Using seed cylinders in the garden. Not only are they a great food source for birds, but because they hold the seed better than hopper feeders, they help to deter mice and rats from eating seeds that are thrown to the ground by Jays and other picky birds.)

As winter progresses, I like to add more high-protein suet to their diet.

Suet bricks are popular and easy to add to the specially made cage feeders, but don’t overlook DIY suet logs that are easy to make from an old branch. Just drill some holes in it and pack the holes with suet for a more natural feeder that works particularly well if you are trying to photograph the birds in a more natural setting.

I like to use a product called bark butter to work into the holes. It is particularly attractive to a host of backyard birds.

Hopper-style feeders are great for small birds but can be awkward for larger birds like woodpeckers who prefer the compressed seed cylinder (above) and natural feeders log a suet log or the larger suet feeders with a tail prop.

(Check out my separate post on the benefit of Using bark butter to attract woodpeckers.)

Because they are quite large woodpeckers, the suet feeders with the tail prop work extremely well and are highly recommended. The recycled resin feeders, while they are more expensive, are easier to clean and will last a lifetime. This Songbird Essential suet feeder from Amazon combines the recycled plastic with a large tail prop for larger woodpeckers including The Pileated woodpeckers. Gardener’s Supply Company has their own take on the suet feeder with prop also in a recycled resin.

Here is a recycled plastic suet feeder complete with a tail prop for larger woodpeckers.

In addition, suet feeders that force the birds to hang upsidedown while they are feeding also work well and they are particularly good if squirrels regularly feed on your suet.

(Check out my post on why Modern resin bird feeders are a better choice than wood feeders.)

And, don’t be surprised to see a Red-bellied woodpecker on one of your hummingbird or a Baltimore Oriole feeders during the summer.

Not only will they help themselves to orange slices and the grape jelly set out for the Orioles, these woodpeckers have discovered the sweet nectar in the feeders and will help themselves to the instant source of energy. They may also be attracted to insects that are constantly around the feeders.

(Check out my earlier post on attracting Baltimore Orioles and another post on attracting hummingbirds to your garden.)

A snag or old dying tree creates an ideal habitat for woodpeckers and other tree-dwelling birds.

Dead trees (snags) are important habitat for Red-bellied woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are tree-cavity nesters, so it’s important to leave dead trees (snags) in your garden for them.

In a natural setting, these birds will typically nest in a dead tree or, in more suburban areas where dead trees are harder to come by, in a rotting fencepost or even in the side of a wood-sided home if given the opportunity.

They like to nest less than 50 feet above ground but have been known to nest more than 100 feet above ground.

They have also been known to use larger nest boxes in more urban settings and some specialty bird stores sell size-appropriate boxes.

The importance of leaving dead trees in the yard cannot be underestimated. Not only may you discover a pair nesting in the tree, but the dead tree offers hiding places for a host of insects the woodpeckers will feed on with their long, sticky, forked tongue that can actually protrude as much as 2 inches into crevices to pull out insects and beetle larvae hiding in the snags.

In addition, woodpeckers, along with other birds like Chickadees and Nuthatches, also store food in the crevices of tree bark and snags to snack on later when food is more scarce.

(Be sure to check out my comprehensive post on why we should leave dead trees in our yards.)

Do Red-bellied woodpeckers mate for life?

Unlike blue jays and other birds, Red-bellied woodpeckers do not mate for life, but they are monogamous during a mating season. They usually pair up in late winter and remain together during the nesting season. They will find a new mate the following year.

The Red-bellied woodpecker breeds once per year, usually in March or April, when the female lays an average of 4 eggs. About 12 days later the babies begin to emerge and have fledged the nest within about 27 days. They remain around their parents for between 2 and 10 weeks before going out on their own entirely.

Red-belly woodpecker wrap up

Attracting Red-belly woodpeckers is not really difficult if you are lucky enough to live in their range. It helps if you are also lucky enough to live near a forested area or have created a large woodland-style garden where these birds can feel at home.

Include large snags, berry and fruit trees and vines, a reliable source of water and good quality sunflower and nuts at your bird-feeding station. A large seed cylinder and suet placed into a resin feeder with a tail prop will go a long way to attract these very vocal and fun birds to your yard.

And, while they are setting up residence, don’t forget that their voracious appetites for insects and spiders will help to keep their numbers down.

American Robins: How to attract them to our yards

More of these spring harbingers are remaining all winter

Most of us remember the first sign of spring involved an orange breasted bird and a worm.

Once we saw our first Robin pulling a worm out of the grass it was officially spring. Today, many of those same orange breasted birds are sticking around all winter living off berries, bugs, larvae and anything else they can scrounge to get them through our winters.

Milder winters resulting from climate change are certainly playing a role in more American Robins remaining in their northerly limits, but the threat of sudden and prolonged periods of freezing temperatures combined with heavy snow fall can certainly put the birds in severe danger.

It’s another good reason to ensure we do our best to supplement our bird feeders with more natural food for the birds – berries, fruit and even meal worms – especially during the winter.

Be sure to check out my comprehensive post on the best plants to feed birds naturally and save money.

An American Robin sits atop a rustic bird house in spring.

Robins are regulars in our backyard

Throughout most of the winter, I watch a small flock of American Robins feeding off of our two crabapple trees in the back of the yard. I suspect it is an important food source for the resident Robins, when other food supplies in the area are scarce.

The American Robin is probably one of the most familiar birds in North America. In fact, it is actually the state bird of three northeastern states – Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin.

American Robins love their bird baths. Be sure to add a couple of large bird baths to keep the robins returning to your yard.

Where did the American Robin gets its name?

The American Robin got its name from European settlers who named it after the more diminutive and cheerful European Robin, which sports an equally impressive red breast and is often referred to as “Robin Redbreast.”

Although it is easy to see that the colouring of the two birds resulted in the identical names, the similarities more or less end there.

The American robin is actually a member of the thrush family and is much larger than its European namesake. Those who have studied the history, say that the two birds were given the same name as much for their character as their colourings. Both birds readily adapt to urban areas and are happy to live among humans, in fact, they eagerly stay close by to benefit from potential insects we sometimes stir up in the garden.

The water in this DIY bird bath is kept warm enough for the birds to use even in the coldest months of the year.

Whether you are in England digging a new garden bed or New York, chances are a robin is nearby watching your every move. And, don’t be surprised if they come right down to your feet to nab an unearthed worm or other insect.

It turns out the European settlers didn’t stop giving North American birds the Robin moniker after bestowing it upon the American Robin. Apparently, even our beloved bluebirds were tagged with the name robin. That’s understandable since the Eastern bluebird sports a lovely orange breast and reflects many of the traits of the European robin when it comes to size and characteristics.

But that didn’t end the Europeans obsession with naming our birds after their beloved robins. Towhees originally earned the name ground robin and Baltimore Orioles were called the Golden Robin.

This American Robin was attracted by the sound of water spilling from the solar-powered dripper.

Obviously all four sport red-orange breasts that undoubtedly played a role in being compared to the friendly European robin, a mainstay in any British garden.

In fact, the American robin in all but colouring, is more related and shares more things in common to the Eurasian blackbird. Other than its colouring –which is all black – the blackbird is also in the thrush family and sports similarly to the American robin, a yellow beak and white around its eye.

Early Americans also called the bird the wandering thrush, which seems a more accurate description.

Robins love a good bath

If there is one thing in our garden that the robins love most, it’s our many bird baths sprinkled about. if you are looking to attract Robins to your yard, a couple of good, solid, large bird baths are essential. You will be amply rewarded, if you can keep a good reliable source of water for them throughout the winter.

Be sure to check out my article on creating a DIY heated bird bath for the winter.

American Robin is actually a woodland bird

Although the birds are a common sight in residential yards and parks, this wasn’t always the case. American Robins are actually woodland or forest dwelling birds that have learned to adapt to the abundance of food – primarily worms in grass – in surburban landscapes.

Many of our American Robins end up returning to woodlands and more “wild” areas in the winter,where they can more easily find food – in an abundance of berries and other fruit as well as overwintering insects and larvae.

Creating a more natural yard, by planting plenty of native berries as well as leaving leaf litter for overwintering insects and larvae, will help to attract these wonderful birds throughout the winter.

Creating this natural food source in your woodland/wildlife garden will also go a long way to ensure the survival of the American Robin in your neighbourhood.

Robins love their bird baths. Be sure to ad a birdbath or small pond to attract these members of the Thrush family.

How do Robins survive winter?

During the winter, it is common to see the Robins travelling in large flocks where they work together to find natural food sources. Winter roosts can be huge with some estimates reaching more than two hundred thousand birds.

But, just because you see flocks of Robins in your area one year, does not mean they will necessarily return the following year.

Robins tend to be nomadic birds that don’t follow the typical north to south migration route. Individual Robins get around and may winter in completely different geographic areas from one winter to another. They have been known to travel long distances between states following the abundance of food in any given year.

Each spring, however, Robins return to their original nesting area and have even been known to use the previous year’s nest – with some modern improvements of course – if it proved successful the previous year.

A few facts about Robins

• In more northern regions of Ontario for example, Robins continue to be known as the harbingers of spring. They tend to show up around the end of March through early April as the warmer weather thaws the ground making worms and other insects more accessible.

• Worms only make up 15-20 per cent of the Robin’s summer diet. The rest is made up of other insects, fruits and berries.

•Robins tend to eat more earth worms in the early morning when they are more visible and closer to the surface, and turn to fruit later in the day.

• Robins belong to the Thrush family – family of birds known for their beautiful songs. Because Robins tend to hang out in neighbourhoods and around other human-dominated habitats, their spring songs are very familiar to most of us wheter we know it or not. Their rich, cheerful songs fill our neighbourhood each spring when they are particularly vocal announcing the arrival of spring and their readiness to mate and get on with building their families. Robins are known to sing their songs throughout the day and even will after sunset.

• Because Robins are comfortable in our gardens and around humans, it is not uncommon to have a pair nesting close to our homes and high-traffic areas such as on top of exterior lights, in hanging baskets on garden ornaments or just about anywhere the pair can find a good sturdy structure to build their nest. Last year, our neighbours had a pair nesting in a wreath near their front door, seemingly oblivious to all the comings and goings.

The birds’ ease around us often provides excellent opportunities to observe the family as they grow up in front of our eyes.

They can be the perfect opportunity for children to be exposed to the beauty of nature as they watch the parents on the nest, feeding the young and eventually watch as the fledglings leave the nest.

If you have children or grandchildren who express an interest in nature, be sure to check out my comprehensive post about why children need more nature in their lives.

Robins can nest up to three times in a breeding season, often using the same nest. However only about 40 per cent of the nests produce young and only about 25 per cent of those young Robins survive through fall to take on the winter. About half of the Robins that go into winter survive to mate the following spring.

Given those statistics, it’s not surprising that American Robins have an average lifespan of about 1.5 to two years, but they can live longer if given the right environment. For example, the longest lived American Robin recorded in the wild was almost 14 years old.

How to identify the American Robin

The American Robin is one of the easiest birds to identify with their rusty red belly against a greyish-black upper body, a bright yellow beak and white markings around their eyes.

These rather large birds measure around 25 centimeters long and weigh in at 77 grams, making them the largest thrush in North America.

The can be found right across North America from the farthest reaches of Alaska in the north, across to Canada’s Newfoundland and down south from Florida across to California.

Are American Robins threatened?

Robins face a hose of deadly foes around our residential gardens from the over use of insecticides especially on turf grass where they feed on worms and other insects, to the presence of unnatural predators such as cats, and collisions with windows.

Be sure to check out my two earlier posts on protecting birds from stray cats and how to protect birds from window strikes.

A more serious threat that has recently attacked American Robins is the mosquito-born virus West Nile that has killed a stunning number of both Robins and Blue Jays.

Be sure to check out this link for my comprehensive post on Blue Jays and West Nile.

Despite these challenges, the good news is that studies are showing that the American robin populations over the past 40 years have slowly increased. This increase is thought to be related to their ability to adapt their lifestyle to live comfortably in our suburban neighbourhoods.

The combination of a more readily accessible food source (worms), safe nesting places (unnatural as many of them are) and milder winters have no doubt combined to provide American robins with a fabourable environment despite the many threats they face in the suburban landscape.

Creating your own “Ark” landscape design has never been easier

Mary Reynolds’ gift makes it all possible

Chelsea award-winning Irish landscape designer, Mary Reynolds, has given the world too many gifts to count, but her latest gift might just be her most inspiring.

Especially if you are the one either giving it, or, even better, on the beneficiary end.

Mary, both an accomplished author and landscaper designer, has been working hard over the past several years to help homeowners and especially gardeners develop a new appreciation for a more “wild landscape” – one that respects native plants and the wildlife that either calls it home or would love to make it their home.

Landscape designer Mary Reynolds is now offering readers in North America and elsewhere the opportunity to have her help create a landscape design for their properties.

She has developed an entire movement and website (We Are The Ark) around creating “Arks” in the suburban and rural landscapes. These Arks act as stepping stones across the landscape, where pollinators, birds and even mammals can find refuge and habitat they can call home.

“Every thread of the web we remove through human expansion, destruction and pollution, could be the last thread holding it all together and we just dont know when it is all going to fall apart. If you want to save the planet, start with your own patch of it. ”

— Mary Reynolds

Why is it so important for homeowners to develop their Ark?

Mary explains, over email, to Ferns & Feathers that it is increasingly important for homeowners to consider creating an Ark.

“Because the web of life is collapsing. We have lost 70 per cent of all our earth’s wild creatures since 1970 when the ‘green’ revolution kicked in and the population exploded. With the collapse in insect populations and the 75 per cent loss of our topsoil, we are looking at a catastrophic collapse of the earth’s ability to provide us with clean air, water, food and shelter,” Mary explains.

“Every thread of the web we remove through human expansion, destruction and pollution, could be the last thread holding it all together and we just don’t know when it is all going to fall apart.”

Mary urges homeowners to recognize their role in saving the planet, even if it is just a small patch in an urban environment.

“If you want to save the planet, start with your own patch of it. Set your land free and support it to become a native plant ecosystem, removing the non natives and importing as many locally sourced native plant layers as possible. These are the plant communities that have evolved alongside their local insects and mammals who cannot survive without them. We have to make a patchwork quilt of hope for nature, for the seeds of restoration to spring forth when the time comes.”

Her website already tracks the number of people who have created their own Arks and marked them on her arkivist world map.

To date, there are more than 1,000 documented Arks, including about 320 in the United States and Canada. Mary hopes her individual and more personalized assistance will help boost that number.

Now, Mary wants to offer her services to help even more homeowners turn their properties into “Arks.”

Landscape designer Mary Reynolds is offering to help howmowners in North America and elsewhere create their own Arks.

And, for homeowners in the United States and Canada, she will provide the service all on line.

She tells Ferns & Feathers that she is ready for the onslaught of requests undoubtedly coming her way.

“I have been doing online consultations for a couple of years now across the world, the complexities are not too hard, most places have similar problems, and simple, if often different solutions,” Mary explains.

Giving wildlife a place to prosper in your garden is an important part of creating your own Ark.

Why do we need an Ark?

Mary points out on the website that the earth is “losing 150 to 200 species to extinction every single day. Each species lost is lost FOREVER.

Biodiversity is short for “Biological diversity”.

Biodiversity is “the variety of all living things, and the systems which connect them.” This includes all the planet’s different plants, animals and micro- organisms, plus the genetic information they contain and the ecosystems of which they are a part.”

An incredible opportunity to build your Ark

It’s an incredible opportunity to have a Chelsea Gold-Medal winning landscape designer dig into your landscape and help transform it into a woodland/wildlife refuge.

Mary, of course, is not limited to “woodland” designs, but given that this website is dedicated to woodland/wildlife design and Mary has gone on record saying that most land wants to revert back to a woodland style, the odds are good that the design will lean in that direction.

In the announcement, Mary said she “wants you to give any land under your care back to nature, to re-wild, to be Arked.”

Mary Reynolds’ first book Garden Awakening, where she introduced the concept of creating Arks to the world of gardening.

“The hour consultation is a zoom call where I have been supplied with photos and short videos of their land. Then we talk through each area discussing how to increase the sanctuary there for the local wildlife in all its forms,” explains Mary.

“Also we work out how to weave the guardians’ own needs in with these ideas. The sketch designs are more detailed and are to scale, mapping out a concept design for you to work with on your own land, though I need a proper land survey for that option,  with all of the existing trees, plants, paths etc,” Mary says, adding that the on-line services will be an ongoing service for homeowners and businesses.

Anywhere in the world, Mary can work online with you, from an hour long consultation to a full ARK design.
In particular, Mary “can help you design a space that allows for the maximum amount of edges and ecotones, the most diverse range of habitats you can fit into your land. A magical place for your family to enjoy and protect, which will be hopping with life and beauty. A sanctuary for all of the native creatures that need it, places to rest and recover and finally thrive.”

“She will guide you to understand how to step in and provide the ecosystem services required to maintain that diversity going forward, to replace the missing parts of the web of life that we have broken. To become the wolf, the deer, the beaver.
To be a Guardian, not a gardener.
To be an Arkevist.”

There are several approaches homeowners can take to have Mary design their gardens.

Mary is asking readers to email her with the property’s size, and some photos to receive a quote for the work.  

All of the details are available at her website (link.) Below are excerpts from her website to give readers a better understanding how the process may work.

• An online advice hour over Skype or Zoom: Send a number of comprehensive photos of your land, a google maps pin so we can look at it from above and even some very short videos (less than 1 minute if possible). Once I have all the information, I can talk through ideas with you over zoom. Please note that this is not a gardening advice service. It is for Ark development and design. €184.50 (€150 plus VAT @ 23%) (approximately $230 US, or $310 Cdn. to be paid before the appointment.)

An on-site consultancy including a design: This involves me coming to visit you, at your home, where we sit down and I sketch a design out over a pre-prepared landscape survey of the site (which you will have provided from a surveyor), creating spaces within the land for spending time, growing food, building a magical connection between your land and yourself and supporting wildlife to share the land with you.  I draw up a scaled master plan before I leave. However, there will be no detailed construction details or detailed drawings, but you will be able to work with a contractor using the master plan or use it yourself to develop your Ark.

If I am working out of the country, I would be asking you to consider an online design consultation as I do not want to travel unless absolutely necessary.

The process usually takes 3 – 4  hours on site (I will need a dry warm space with a large table to work on). In order to give you a definite price I need you to email me some photographs of the land so I can see how big it is, as size is everything in terms of the amount of design involved. But I usually manage most gardens in the one day, if the areas I am designing are not too complicated and under an acre in size.

Online Design Consultation: 
This is a good way to get the Mary design experience if you are a distance away.

“I will work on a survey pre-prepared and sent to me before the appointment date. I can get to talk to you by zoom in the morning to hear the design brief and feel into the situation. Then I will work on the design to get a good solution for both the client and the Ark’s requirements and call you back as required during the day, finally presenting it by zoom and scanning the drawings and emailing them to you day following completion.”

“You will end up with a good overall master plan to work towards yourself, or to use in conjunction with a contractor to manifest the design on the ground, or develop the Ark yourself.”

“However, there will be no detailed construction details or planting details. As I am not spending time travelling to the site, I get to spend more time at the design during the day and it is a good solution for people a distance away.”

In order to give you a definite price I would need you to send me photographs of the land so I can see how big it is, as size is everything in terms of the amount of design involved!
But I usually manage most gardens in the one day, if the areas I am designing are not too complicated and under an acre in size.

However, there is also the cost of the survey, which needs to be emailed to me before I begin so that I can do some preparation drawings. The survey is a separate contract which doesn’t involve my input and best organized locally to your site.

The amount of information Mary will need will depend on how detailed a plan you are looking for her to design.

The Woodland comes to life in Evan Rosen’s exquisite artwork

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

–Paul Simon

Darkness turns to light as the seeds of nature take root

The darkness in Evan Rosen’s art was clearly evident. It emerged from the skulls and knives, the snakes and the dark figures that are hard not to miss in his Instagram feed.

Today, that darkness has given way to light in the form of exquisite, woodland floral art.

A series of flower bouquets combining woodland flowers, dogwood bracts, berries and even emerging skunk cabbage are evidence that his artistic path has taken a dramatic change.

But it took the death of his father and the work of his wife to bring about that change.

A spring woodland bouquet including trillium, dogwood, lilac, dog-tooth violet and, of course, our native bumble bee.

His wife’s life-changing decision to leave a hectic corporate job in New York and take on a new career in the quiet of nature’s woodland, that had a pronounced influence on Evan’s work.

A project to create a series of images of forest bouquets to promote his wife’s Forest Bathing venture was the catalyst behind his new artistic path.

“This project started as a way to market Forest Baths. I’d made the logo and we were both happy with it, but we needed something visually interesting for the newsletter and flyers. I can’t recall exactly how we came up with the first one, but I’m sure we were walking in the woods when it happened.”

— Evan Rosen

Evan Rosen’s woodland floral artwork captures the forest and its inhabitants in perfect detail.

Not only was the series of images for his wife’s work the original impetus for creating the floral work, but Evan is quick to add that it is also “because going forest bathing and hiking with his wife, Fru, was where we found much of the inspiration.”

If you want to learn more about Fru’s forest bathing business, you might enjoy my comprehensive story on Fru’s business, here.

Evan also attributes his change in focus to the loss of his dad to cancer in November of 2020. His death and the enormous influence of his mother, an award-winning gardener in her own right.

“My Mom is a flower maniac. She’s very talented at creating flower arrangements and our house was always full of them. She has grown an incredible variety of flowers (especially roses), and has a small mountain of prize ribbons from the local garden show. Which, shell have you know, she won without the use of fertilizers or pesticides, just compost!

My father’s death led to “a big tonal shift in my work,” he adds.

Evan created a collage portrait of his father which was eventually used as a poster for his memorial.

“He was an avid gardener of fruit trees, and an attorney who specialized in cannabis law. I wanted to create an image of him exalted and enthroned by the plants that he loved and cultivated. It’s the way I wanted to remember him, surrounded by life. I think it’s a critical bridge between my older work and my newer stuff.

A tribute Evan created for his father’s memorial.

“I think before I experienced loss, I was much more drawn toward dark imagery, skulls, etc. After spending a year grieving and experiencing actual darkness, flowers started to be really appealing! We also bought a house and I started growing flowers myself in addition to vegetable gardening.”

Evan’s path is quite extraordinary.

The self-taught artist grew up in California and attended University of California, Santa Cruz where he majored in Community Studies where he studied the theory and practice of activism. In high school and college he became interested in working on and designing web sites.

January

February

March

April

He eventually made his way to New York (Brooklyn in 2006) for a college internship, but he “liked it so much that I never went back to finish my degree. I continued doing freelance design and eventually transitioned to working desk jobs as a web, then UX (user experience) designer,” he explains.

In 2010 he met his wife through a dating website, and the rest was history.

But, let’s go back to the beginning again.

Evan traces the path back to 2014 in a small apartment in Brooklyn N.Y.

May

June

July

August

“I started making collage in earnest around 2014, while living in a small apartment in Brooklyn. I was exploring the medium in earnest, falling in love with the process, and didn’t have a particular statement I was trying to make. So a lot of the early things I made were derivative of, or direct homage, to the stuff I loved – weird scifi and dark fantasy, anime and comics and fiction.

Evan’s story certainly has a dark side, but it’s one he doesn’t mind sharing.

He remembers his artwork as a “reflection of my mental environment, which has not always been a friendly place. I was, for the first time, trying to treat my depression, anxiety and ADHD, with therapy, medication and meditation. This was not some program, I was just trying everything that seemed promising.

September

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“It turns out making collage art was a key part of that healing process for me. By sifting through images and recombining them, I was able to let my subconscious process things that I wasn’t able to reckon with directly. So unsurprisingly, there are a lot of monsters,” he explains.

His outlook and creative vision continued to evolve and “in 2019 we left Brooklyn for Peekskill, NY, driven in large part by my wife’s passionate love of nature and my industry (web design) becoming increasingly friendly to remote-work. I started gardening and around the same time – the second half of 2019 – you start to see nature imagery creeping into my work.

That becomes clear in a series of biome environmental images he created that he calls the Islands series.

“I think it was also an expression of eco-anxiety – these tiny biomes floating in different voids symbolized a hopeful outcome for vanishing wild places,” Evan explains.

An example of one of Evan’s floating biodome pieces.

It was about that time that his wife needed artwork for her Forest Bathing business and Evan seemed like the logical choice to create it.

And the woodland floral bouquets were born.

But, it wasn’t quite that simple.

First, his outdoorsy wife, Fru, had to get this indoor recluse out in nature so he could experience what she was planning to dedicate her life doing.

“Well, I spend a LOT more time in the woods now. That’s always been a key part of our relationship, spending time in nature together. And for most of the time we’ve been together, she was always the one who would suggest we do outdoorsy things. And I’d half jokingly say ‘thanks for making sure I go outside sometimes.’ Because collage art is a pretty inherently indoor activity.”

Evan explains how getting outdoors changed his life.

Evan and his wife, Fru, enjoying the forest in New York State near their home.

“Learning the science has also been really eye opening. There are so many profound, and objectively measurable, health benefits to spending time in the woods. One of the most useful for me is the way it helps me regulate my nervous system. After I’ve been out in the woods for maybe 45 minutes or an hour, the sense of calm I feel in my body is tremendous, and lasts well past when we return to civilization.”

But, there was still the matter of creating these exquisite woodland bouquets. Again, that’s where his wife’s extensive knowledge of the woodland came to the rescue.

“I feel the bouquets are very much a collaboration, and never would have happened without her business as a client. They always start with a list of plants that we’re excited about seeing in the month ahead. Typically Fru would write most of that. So, she should get credit for a lot of the knowledge you’re seeing displayed!”

“From there, I’d learn the latin names and go find them on plantillustrations.org, an incredible archive of botanical imagery. Some species have hundreds of illustrations, while others might only have a few. But that site provides 90 per cent of my source material.

“Often I’ll combine elements from several different illustrations. The arranging itself is mostly my solo activity. But then I’ll always work with her to fine tune it, because she also has a great eye, especially for things like color balancing and getting the right mix of simple and complex.”

Evan also admits that it is his wife who does most of the planning.

“I do pretty well with my ADHD, but these take weeks to finish and if it were left up to me they’d all be two months late. She would make sure we start the process the month before which usually was enough time for me to finish a piece during the intended month.”

And so it was that the bouquets were born – one for each month of the year to promote Fru’s Forest Bathing business and, in turn, bring new life and focus to Evan’s art.

“I will definitely keep doing more floral arrangements,” he says. “I’d love to do commissions in this style, creating a custom piece based on the plants that are meaningful to someone.”

Where can you purchase Evan’s art?

Evan and his wife operate an Etsy shop where you can purchase his work as fine art prints, greeting cards and even a calendar displaying all the woodland images. Use this link to visit the Etsy site (or the one above.)

Evan has generously offered a 15 per cent discount to Ferns & Feathers readers by using the code “FERNSANDFLOWERS” at checkout. Evan points out that any order over $35 (which amounts to a calendar and two cards!) and there’s free shipping.

In addition, consider that 50 per cent of the Etsy shop profits are donated to an indigenous people’s arts and culture organization in New York.

“We donate 50 per cent of our profits to The Lenape Center, an arts and culture organization run by and for Lenape, the indigenous people of the Lower Hudson Valley,” explains Evan.

“As a white person, land acknowledgements are a good start, but pretty meaningless if they aren’t backed up with action, Evan explains. “So, we wanted to make sure that this project gave back to the land, by giving back to the people who have stewarded it.”

In their own words: “Since 2009, Lenape Center, based in Manhattan and led by Lenape elders, has created programs, exhibitions, workshops, performances, symposia, land acknowledgment, and ceremonies to continue our Lenape presence. We push back against our erasure and seed the ground with Lenape consciousness for the next generations.”

Flowering Crabapple trees: Spring flowers and berries for the birds

Flowering crab is ideal for yards big and small

Flowering Crabapple trees have always been a popular under story tree providing homeowners with impressive spring flowers followed by an abundance of bird-loving berries later in the summer through fall.

Their popularity, however, has meant they are easily overlook when it’s time to consider purchasing a new tree for the front or back yard.

But that would be a mistake.

A male indigo Bunting stands out in a beautiful flowering crab in spring.

Crabapples are excellent understory trees that offer a full range of sizes, flower and leaf colour as well as an abundance of fruit for birds and other wildlife. They are long-lived trees that are hardy in zones 4-8. The leaves provide habitat and larval food for many species of moths and butterflies and the spring flowers provide food for early pollinators. As the trees age, it becomes home to lichens and fungi and the gnarly branches and trunks often have lots of cavities for nesting birds.

Crabapples have become a staple in urban landscapes and are used as dependable street trees and ornamental options. If allowed to grow to their natural shape, they have and irregular rounded shape with a wide spreading canopy.

Are crabapples good to eat?

Most crabapples are edible although their level of bitterness varies considerably and their level of acidity varies considerably. In the United States crabapples have had a place in culinary and beverage industries.

A beautiful male cardinal in a flowering crabapple at the peak of spring flowering.

Crabapples’ history is actually tied to the making of hard cider in the 1600s and 1700s. This tart little fruit can make a really interesting hard cider. They have also traditionally been grown commercially to make crabapple jellies.

Crabapples’ flower show is short lived

Although many homeowners purchase flowering crabapples for their outstanding spring show, gardeners should remember that the flowers only last 2-3 weeks.

It is, therefore, what the crabapple looks like for the rest of the year that makes a more lasting impression on the landscape. There are plenty of crabapples with green leaves, but there are also plenty with leaves that have a lot of red in them to help provide an accent in what would otherwise be a very green landscape during the summer.

There are large crabapples that can grow up to 30 feet tall, and dwarf varieties that stay in the five feet by five foot wide range.

Four great crabapples to consider in the woodland

Prairie Fire crabapple – is a hybrid that feature many of the traits of other great crabapple varieties. It blooms bright pink in the spring, sports dark green leaves with a purplish overcast throughout the summer, and dark purplish-red fruit in the fall that attract birds all winter. It’s hardy in zones 4 through 8 and has excellent disease resistance. One of its finest traits is that Prairie Fire happily tolerates clay soil. It stays on the small size into maturity and is an ideal urban landscape tree.

Purple Prince Crabapple – has a massive flower disply in spring along with its purple foliage following soon after. Hardy in zones 4-8, it is well known for its improved disease resistance and stands about 16-18 feet tall and 15-18 feet wide.

Sargent Crabapple – A perfect ornamental tree for small urban yards. Grows only 8-10 feet tall and 8-12 feet wide It buds are dark pink but blooms white attracting all the pollinators. The flowers are followed by bright red berries that birds can snack on all winter. Hardy to zones 4-8.

Royal Raindrops Crabapple – Blooms deep pink along upward spreading branches. The leaves flush out a reddish purple colour and stay dark green with a purple overcast throughout the sumer. Small purple berries stay on the tree all winter to feed birds and other backyard wildlife. It is happy to grow in zones 4-8.

Like many overly-hybridized flowers, trees and shrubs that do not have fruit, the Spring Snow crabapple may appeal to those who want a crabapple without any of the fruit. Fragrant wihite blooms in an upright form that grows to between15-25 feet tall and a similar similar width. I can’t recommend these overly hybridized trees that offer little to nothing for wildlife, but I recognize they may have a place in a garden close to a patio, deck or cement pathway.

If you do plant a sterile tree, try to ensure you plant plenty of native plants, shrubs and trees to help the wildlife that will get no benefit from the sterile tree.

A beautiful crabapple in full flower stands out in the landscape against the spring greenery of a Pagoda Dogwood in the front.

Two mature crabapples in our woodland, wildlife garden

Our two large crabapples are fully mature specimens that take centre stage in the garden at certain times of the year where they take up residence growing across the back of the property.

I’ve never really looked into exactly what variety we have, but they are most likely of the Royal Raindrop hybrid series with an abundance of deep pink flowers along its branches. The leaves of our crabapples flush out a reddish purple colour and stay dark green with a purple overcast throughout the summer. An abundance of small purple berries remain on the tree all winter and feed the resident and migratory birds.

Our neighbours planted smaller more upright crabapples (Harvest Gold) that sport larger fruit that has a distinctive yellow colour and remain on the branches well into the winter. These are a popular ornamental variety that really stand out in the winter landscape.

(here is an excellent Chart from Frank Schmidt and Son that illustrates the variety, shape, and flower colours of a host of crabapples.

Our crabapples have been pretty much ignored since we moved to the property more than 25 years ago. Besides thinning out some dead branches over the years, we have done little to the trees and prefer them to take on a natural rounded look.

Originally, the trees were surrounded by grass, but over the years, we have ignored the grass and planted native wildflowers around them allowing the area to become a mini meadow. I think the two crabapples are much happier growing in a more natural area and the wildlife that live off the tree are provided with a soft landing. (For more on the importance of providing a soft landing check out this link to the University of Minnesota Master Gardeners Extension.)

Besides cutting out a few dead branches, the trees have been more or less maintenance free while providing outstanding deep red spring colour followed by a small, hard, red berry that persists well into winter, just when birds are looking for a high quality food source.

I’ve noticed that more and more of our American Robins that are remaining in our snow-covered landscapes throughout winter, are using the crabapples as a food source throughout the winter. Waxwings also appear in large flocks to work the crabapples.

Why are crabapples so easily overlooked?

As a child growing up in the 1960s and '70s, I remember the abundance of crabapples in our suburban neighbourhood. My best friend’s family had a lovely crab apple that bloomed a soft pink in the spring and was covered with crab apples throughout the summer into fall. I don’t remember birds devouring the berries but I do remember some awesome crab apple fights among the neighbourhood kids (no eyes were lost.)

Image shows a male cardinal in a flowering crab just as the flowers have ended and the fruit is beginning to form on the tree.

I also remember annual fall cleanups of hundreds of thousands of crab apples in the grass, on the sidewalk and spilling out on the road.

The crab apples were smallish and hard and although there was an abundance of them, they were not particularly problematic.

I can’t say the same for my other buddy’s crab apple. That family’s crab apple tree produced large (almost miniature apples) that rotted quickly and became very messy. They were particularly attractive to wasps craving the sugar content after the crabapples were crushed all over the sidewalk and road. the crabapples were so numerous that they created a hazard almost like walking on marbles. Eventually, most years there were so many on the ground that they had to be cleaned up with brooms and shovels.

That was an example of the wrong tree for the area so close to the sidewalk. The same tree planted in a garden setting would create the perfect wildlife viewing and photography stage as all the neighbourhood birds and animals would flock to the area for the sweet food source.

It’s situations like this that probably convinced today’s gardeners that crab apples are messy trees that they don’t want in their landscapes. I can understand that thinking entirely.

Plant crab apples in the right area

In the right location, crab apples can be outstanding specimen trees in both large or small yards.

A blue jay among the flowers of a crab apple tree in spring.

Plant them in an area where the berries are free to fall to the ground as a source of food for birds and other backyard wildlife and let them clean up the ground under the tree. Of course, grass is never the best ground cover in a woodland setting, especially if you are striving for the perfect lawn.

Image shows our mature crabapple in flower in the landscape.

A more natural ground cover where the berries can be left in place rather than “cleaned up” creates a much more sustainable situation in the garden.

A Crabapple branch in full flower hangs in front of a grey Keter shed.helping to set off the dark pinks of the crabapple flowers.

Pruning crabapples: leave them natural

Please refrain from over pruning your crabapple trees into ridiculous balls or other unnatural shapes. I’ve seen too many crabapples that have been trimmed back to the extreme leaving only a trunk with a small ball of branches. I guess this is done to keep the tree small. Like most trees, it is best to leave them to grow into their natural shape, which in the case of a crabapple, usually mean a spread as wide as their height. Celebrate them and enjoy their natural beauty.