Native Plants Archives - Page 21 of 26

Kentucky Backyard Wildlife Habitat

At a good friend’s suggestion, I applied for certification as a Kentucky Backyard Wildlife Habitat. It was an interesting learning experience.

The application process included listing plants in the backyard and how they are used by wildlife, other food sources like our bird feeders, wildlife cover, and water resources. It helped me see what we’ve already done for wildlife and how we can do more.

I included some photographs in the application. This one shows a few of our backyard insects.

Here are some of our 2010 backyard butterflies.

And here’s a sampling of our birds and mammals.

When we first re-worked the backyard, I focused primarily on the plants. Applying for the certification has helped me realize how the changes have affected the wildlife we see, and how much that adds to my enjoyment of the backyard. I’m interested in exploring how we can encourage wildlife even more.

I now realize we have only one nesting box, a wren house. I want to add one or two chickadee houses and possibly a bat house. I also want to identify more of the insects in the garden, and I’m hoping some of the neighborhood kids will help.

I’m pleased to report that a panel reviewed my application, and our backyard is now an officially certified Kentucky Backyard Wildlife Habitat.

Red chokeberry

Our winter weather continues – cloudy, cold, and more snow predicted. However a winter day was brightened recently when I found these red chokeberries (Aronia arbutifolia) coated with ice.

Winter is not my favorite season, but I appreciate its unique beauty. It’s tempting to stay inside, but getting out in the backyard gives me a different experience.

It’s always invigorating to get out in the fresh air, and I never know what I’ll find. And when I’ve had enough, it’s not far to the back door.

A “Christmas” tree for the birds

It’s been another challenging week for the birds in Lexington. We went from single-digit temperatures to ¼ inch of freezing rain. Five days later much of the yard was still covered with ice.

The day before the freezing rain, our friend Carmen once again put up the birds’ freshly-cut cedar tree (Juniperus virginiana). We’ve done this for the past few winters, and we leave the tree in place until March.

This year I put extra cedar branches at the base of the tree and near the vine ball (left of bird feeder). I put some safflower seeds in both locations and the birds, including these cardinals, quickly began using the new feeding places.

The cedar provides shelter from winter weather and cover from predators such as our neighborhood Cooper’s hawk (Accipter cooperii). This one perched in the red maple for a couple of hours last week, and scared the birds away for a while.

The hawk is a beautiful bird and I accept it as an important part of nature’s web. I also understand that songbirds are an important part of its diet, but I’m not wild about it getting “our” birds.

Fortunately, the songbirds are vigilant and typically disappear before the hawk arrives. And the cedar tree and branches are one way I can give them a little extra help.

If you’d like to try this, cedar trees are native and rural landowners are often glad to give them away. Or use a discarded Christmas tree. You can stake it upright, or simply lay it on its side. Add some bird feed and you have an effective winter bird feeder.

Snowy backyard

Two inches of snow this past weekend turned the backyard into a winter wonderland. This is the scene from our dining room window.

The large tree in the foreground is a fifty-year-old silver maple (Acer saccharinum) planted when our house was built. I consider this tree a work of art, and I especially like its twisted bark.

The bird bath, feeder and vine sculpture are part of our efforts to befriend the birds and will be the subject of a future post. It’s hard to imagine, but the large white pine (Pinus strobus) at the back of the yard was our indoor Christmas tree December 1972 -38 years ago.

When I look to the right I see the red maple (Acer rubrum) and the snowman I had fun making before it got so cold – wind chill of 1° predicted tonight. I’m enjoying my temporary backyard “friend,” and I appreciate how the backyard changes with the seasons.

Winterberry – a different kind of holly

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a native holly that, unlike other hollies, loses its leaves in early winter. In early November the leaves were still green.

A few weeks later the leaves are gone and birds are feasting on the abundant showy red berries.

The day after Thanksgiving, snow on the berries created a bit of winter magic.

I have often enjoyed these bright red berries along roadsides this time of year. Now it’s a special treat to see them from my kitchen window, and it’s been fun watching the robins, cardinals, and mockingbirds having a feast.